Early maturity, complete defoliation and boll opening are essential for the efficient machine harvesting of cotton.  Chemical topping, involving one extra application of mepiquat chloride (MC) in addition to its traditional multiple-application strategy, may be able to replace manual topping.  However, it is not known whether this chemical topping technique will influence maturity or cotton responses to harvest aids.  In this 2-yr field study, we determined the effects of the timing of chemical topping using various rates of MC on boll opening percentage (BOP) before application of harvest aids (50% thidiazuron·ethephon suspension concentrate, referred to as TE), and the defoliation percentage (DP) and BOP 14 days after TE application.  The results indicated that late chemical topping (near the physiological cutout, when the nodes above white flower is equal to 5.0) significantly decreased BOP before TE by 5.9–11.2% compared with early (at peak bloom) or middle (seven days after peak bloom) treatments in 2019, which was a relatively normal year based on crop condition.  Also, a high MC rate (270 g ha^–1) showed a significantly lower (22.0%) BOP before TE than low (90 g ha^–1) or medium (180 g ha^–1) rates.  In 2020, which was characterized by stronger vegetative growth in the late season, the late chemical topping reduced the number of leaves before TE application relative to early or middle treatments, but had lower DP (23.2–27.2%) 14 days after TE application.  The high MC rate showed a leaf count before TE application that was similar to the low and medium rates, but it showed the most leaves after TE and much lower (15.0–21.7%) DP in 2020.  These results suggest that late timing of chemical topping and a high MC rate decreased the sensitivity of leaves to harvest aids.  Further analysis indicated that the late chemical topping mainly affected the leaf drop from the mainstem and fruiting branches where the late regrowth occurred, and the high MC rate reduced leaf shedding from these parts and also from the vegetative branches.  In conclusion, chemical topping with MC during the bloom period affected cotton maturity and responses to harvest aids in different ways according to the crop condition.  To avoid the risks of delayed maturity and poor defoliation after the application of harvest aids, chemical topping should not be performed too late (i.e., near the physiological cutout) by using MC at more than 180 g ha^–1.  The optimum timing of chemical topping probably varies from peak bloom to around seven days later, and the safest MC rates for chemical topping should be less than 180 g ha^–1.

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are artificially synthesized compounds that have become an important technical guarantee for agricultural production. EDAH (containing 27% ethephon and 3% DA-6) has been proven to inhibit stalk elongation, promote stalk bold and increase mechanical strength and number of vascular bundles. DA-6 could enhance plant photosynthetic capacity and promote cell division and growth. In our study, experiments were performed at summer maize growing season during 2018–2019. The result showed that plant height, ear height and center of gravity height of maize with EDAH+DA-6 treatment were decreased by 10.18, 16.77 and 13.21%, respectively; leaf area and leaf area index also significantly (P<0.001) decreased by 24.11 and 60.15%, respectively; the value of mean tilt angle significantly (P<0.001) increased by 16.72% compared with the control plants, which meant that EDAH+DA-6 could shape more compact plant type. Therefore, lodging rate of maize with EDAH+DA-6 treatment decreased by 6.95% compared with control plants, and the grain yield was increased by 15.51%. In addition, EDAH+DA-6 treatment significantly improved the quality of maize base stalks, such as improving mechanical properties, which increased maize base stalk crushing strength by 22.23%; increased the hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents by 6.93, 3.87 and 30.21%, respectively. In conclusion, EDAH+DA-6 treatment could improve summer maize yield by shaping plant morphological characteristics and group photosynthesis.

The plant mitochondrial genome displays complex features, particularly in terms of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). Therefore, research on the cotton mitochondrial genome may provide important information for analyzing genome evolution and exploring the molecular mechanism of CMS. In this paper, we present a preliminary study on the mitochondrial genome of sea island cotton (Gossypium barbadense) based on positive clones from the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library. Thirty-five primers designed with the conserved sequences of functional genes and exons of mitochondria were used to screen positive clones in the genome library of the sea island cotton variety called Pima 90-53. Ten BAC clones were obtained and verified for further study. A contig was obtained based on six overlapping clones and subsequently laid out primarily on the mitochondrial genome. One BAC clone, clone 6 harbored with the inserter of approximate 115 kb mtDNA sequence, in which more than 10 primers fragments could be amplified, was sequenced and assembled using the Solexa strategy. Fifteen mitochondrial functional genes were revealed in clone 6 by gene annotation. The characteristics of the syntenic gene/exon of the sequences and RNA editing were preliminarily predicted.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton is grown worldwide, including in saline soils, but the effect of salinity on ion fluxes of Bt cotton remains unknown. Responses of two transgenic Bt cotton genotypes (SGK321 and 29317) and their corresponding receptors, Shiyuan 321 (SY321) and Jihe 321 (J321), to 150 mmol L-1 NaCl stress were studied in a growth chamber. The root dry weight of SGK321 and 29317 under NaCl treatment was decreased by 30 and 31%, respectively. However, their corresponding receptor cultivars SY321 and J321 were less affected (19 and 24%, respectively). The root length and surface area of the Bt cultivars were significantly decreased relative to their receptors under salt stress. NaCl treatment significantly increased Cry1Ac mRNA transcript levels in SGK321 and 29317 but did not affect Bt protein content in leaves or roots of either cultivar at 1 and 7 d after NaCl treatment. Fluxes of Na+, K+, and H+ in roots were investigated using the scanning ion-selective electrode technique. Both mean K+ efflux rate and transient K+ efflux of the Bt cultivars increased four-fold compared to their corresponding receptors when exposed to salinity stress. There were no significant differences in Na+ efflux between Bt and non-Bt cottons. Furthermore, the Na+ contents in roots and leaves of all genotypes dramatically increased under salt stress, whereas K+ contents decreased. Our results suggested that Bt cotton cultivars are more sensitive to salt stress than their receptor genotypes.

Timing of harvest is critical for mechanical picking in cotton production, especially in those regions with double cropping system. Appropriate and safe harvest aids will improve timing and facilitate harvest of cotton in the double cropping system. Three defoliants (dimethipin, thidiazuron, and thidiazuron-diuron) and one boll opener (ethephon) were included in this research. They were evaluated for their effects on defoliation, boll opening, seedcotton yield, seed quality, and fiber quality of field grown cotton when used alone or as a mixture in 2009 and 2010. Defoliation and/or boll opening were increased by all three defoliants and ethephon, especially by mixtures of a defoliant and ethephon. First harvest of seedcotton was significantly increased with defoliant-ethephon mixtures. No significant adverse effects were observed on boll weight, lint percentage, seed quality, and fiber properties. It was estimated that tank mixes of ethephon and one of the three defoliants can improve the adjusted gross revenue. Boll opening can be used as an alternative indicator for the adjusted gross revenue, because, it was linearly and positively correlated with the relative adjusted gross revenue and convenient in measurements. Wheat seedling growth was not affected by thidiazuron, whereas its seedling emergence, root dry weight, relative water content, and electrolyte leakage were adversely affected by dimethipin and thidiazurondiuron when concentration was above 340 and 100 g (a.i.) ha-1, respectively. 90% defoliation and 80% boll opening were observed with the high rate of thidiazuron-ethephon mixture, but no adverse effects on winter wheat. The results suggested that tank mixes of ethephon with thidiazuron can be used effectively and safely in the cotton-winter wheat double cropping system to improve yield without adverse effects on seed quality and fiber quality.