Use of innovative plant nutrition products (fertilizers, biostimulant and microorganisms) to evaluate their effects in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) agronomic characteristics and lint yield grown in Giannitsa area, Greece.

Abstract

The production of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the world and in particular in Greece is of significant importance, affecting main areas of social and financial entities. The cost of production is usually increasing every year, and during the 2021-2022 growing seasons, the costs of all inputs increased significantly dur top energy and war in Ukraine. That creates the necessity for farmers to adopt more sustainable practices for cotton production and search for new and innovative products with high use efficiency and cost reduction. The cotton price is mainly a stock market issue and small farmers have no means to affect it. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the effects from application of new and innovative plant nutrition products and their effect in crop productivity. A field study was established in a cotton field located in Giannitsa, Greece and several treatments were used to assess their effect on cotton yield and major agronomic characteristics, such as plant height, number, and weight of open and closed bolls. The results revealed that the product used increased the yield and in some cases the increase was statistically significant, while in all cases it outnumbers the control from 14-54%. Therefore, these products could be used by farmers to achieve higher sustainability. The ROI analysis demonstrated an increase ranged from 2.5 to 5.2.