Characterizing the plant and soil interactions that affect the growth and nutrition of cotton ('Gossypium Hirsutum' L.) in sodic vertosols

Abstract

Soil maps and surveys of Australian soils suggest that the surface and/or the subsoil in a majority of cotton growing regions in Australia are sodic. Sodicity has the potential to reduce the productivity of cotton crops by affecting their growth and nutrient acquisition. Cotton growers are however uncertain about the implications of sodicity for the productivity of their crops. Additionally, it is unclear to what extent the effects of sodicity on cotton growth and nutrient accumulation are due to soil physical or chemical factors, which creates difficulties in applying appropriate management strategies to problem sodic fields. Soil physical factors with the potential to limit cotton growth and nutrient accumulation include high soil strength and poor aeration. Soil chemical factors with the potential to limit cotton growth and nutrient accumulation included high soil solution sodium concentrations and elevated soil pH values. The main objectives of this project were; • To better quantify the effects of soils with a range of exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) values on cotton growth and nutrition. • To determine the relative importance of various physical and chemical properties of sodic soils on the growth and nutrition of cotton.