Desempenho de cultivares de algodão em função do arranjo espacial em Sapezal – MT

Abstract

Row spacing and plant population density are key factors in cotton crop management, especially in high-yield regions such as northwestern Mato Grosso. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different row spacings (0.90 m and 1.00 m) and plant densities (50 to 130 thousand plants ha⁻¹) on the yield of two cotton cultivars (FM 974GLT and FM 985GLTP), under non-irrigated conditions during the 2023 growing season in Sapezal-MT. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme with three replications. Results showed that yield response to row spacing depended on the cultivar: FM 974GLT responded better to the 1.0 m spacing, presenting higher boll weight and seed cotton yield. Plant density influenced the number of bolls per area in FM 974GLT, but did not significantly affect fiber yield. For FM 985GLTP, row spacing affected seed cotton yield and fiber percentage, with no significant effect of density. It is concluded that spacing adjustments can enhance yield depending on the cultivar, while plant density should be managed carefully to avoid excessive resource competition.