Effect of Water Deficit and Sulfur Doses on Fiber Yield and Quality in Cotton

The study was carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (Amik Plain) using the Carisma cotton variety with a randomized block design, split plots, and three replications. Various irrigation levels were implemented%253A full field capacity (I100), 66%25 (I66), 33%25 (I33), and non-irrigated (I0). Additionally, sulfur doses were applied as foliar sulfur at 150 ml da⁻sup1%253B (S1), 250 ml da⁻sup1%253B (S2), 350 ml da⁻sup1%253B (S3), and a control (S0). The impact of these treatments was evaluated based on factors such as fiber yield, evapotranspiration, leaf sulfur concentration, and fiber quality characteristics. Evapotranspiration (ET) ranged from 299 mm to 1096 mm in the first year and from 247 mm to 995 mm in the second year. In comparison to the control (K0), evapotranspiration slightly decreased with increasing sulfur doses in the first year but increased in the second year. Water restriction led to a reduction in both fiber yield and evapotranspiration in both years. Fiber yield decreased in the first year but increased in the second year with higher sulfur doses. The highest fiber yield was observed in the fully irrigated (I100) treatments in both years (227.2 kg da⁻sup1%253B and 230.2 kg da⁻sup1%253B). Among sulfur doses, the highest fiber yield was obtained with S0 (175.8 kg da⁻sup1%253B) in the first year and S1 (185.5 kg da⁻sup1%253B) in the second year. With an increase in water restriction, ginning percentage efficiency improved in the first year but displayed an inconsistent trend in the second year. The highest ginning percentage efficiency was achieved with the S2 dose in the first year and the S1 dose in the second year, on average. The effects of irrigation water deficit and sulfur doses on fiber quality varied by year. Water stress influenced the spinning consistency index, fiber fineness, fiber length, and fiber uniformity in both years. In the first year, short fiber content and fiber strength were affected, while in the second year, fiber elongation and fiber brightness showed significant changes. Sulfur doses had fewer effects on the parameters%253B in the first year, fiber fineness and yellowness were impacted, whereas in the second year, the spinning consistency index, fiber uniformity, short fiber content, and fiber strength were influenced.