The Calcium and Potassium Nutrition of Cotton as Influenced by Sodium.

Abstract

When 45-day-old cotton plants were deprived of their Ca supply there was an apparent change in the ability of the plants to absorb water and within five days severe wilting was noted. The addition of Na to such solutions prevented wilting and the plants appeared normal in the absence of Ca. In solutions deficient in Ca or K for the last 45 days of a 90 day growth period Na played an important role in fruiting activity. In the presence of adequate K and Ca, Na had no influence on the ratio of bolls to stems plus leaves, since the control and control + Na series had respective ratios of 0.89 and 0.85. When K supply was reduced the ratio dropped to 0.34; however, the addition of sodium brought the ratio to 0.84. In - Ca and - Ca + Na series similar trends where noted with ratios of 0.06 and 0.41 respectively.