Cytokinin Amelioration of Yield Losses From Drought and Nematodes

The influence of applied plant growth regulators (PGR) on growth, development and yield in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. and Gossypium barbadense L.) has been studied for over half a century. Studies of PGR containing cytokinin alone or in combination with gibbererillins applied at the pinhead square developmental stage have reported both positive and negative effects; however, a majority of the studies report no significant effects on cotton. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a foliar application of a commercial formulation of cytokinin (6-benzyladenine) during the early stages of seedling development, long before the pinhead square stage. Commercial cotton lines were evaluated under water-stress alone; and under limited water in a field infested with nematode. Yield enhancements associated with the cytokinin treatment will be discussed.