|
چکیده
|
Drought is a major factor that limits agricultural productivity worldwide. Several approaches have been used to help plants improve their performance under drought stress. However, the external application of medicinal plant extracts as biostimulants is a promising strategy still in its early stages. To mitigate the adverse effects of drought on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), a field experiment was conducted as a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. The first factor was applying 0%, 10%, and 15% Camellia sinensis (control, 10%, and 15% Cs) and Rosmarinus officinalis (control, 10%, and 15% Ro) methanolic extracts. The second factor was the frequency of the irrigation cycle, which was conducted every 10, 15, and 20 days (W10, W15, and W20). The best outcomes were observed in the 10% Ro extract with W10 irrigation cycle, which resulted in the highest plant height (99.99 cm), fresh (3.32 g), and dry weight (0.46 g) of leaves, fiber strength (7.86%), elasticity (26.06 g.tex-1), and color brightness (80.76 Rd). The best results for the total number of bolls (26.77), wool (5.24 g) and boll weight (14.10 g), fiber length (32.10 mm), length uniformity (87.33%), and the minimum electrolyte leakage (30.33%), leaf particles in fibers (0.52), and short fiber index (10.14%) were found in 15% Ro extract with W10 irrigation cycle. Both methanolic extracts, particularly 15% Ro, have shown promising results in most measured traits and could be a superior strategy in sustainable cotton production under drought stress.
|