Reducing of drought stress-induced damage on the productivity and fiber quality in cotton (gossypium hirsutum l.) using composts

In Togo, the recurrence of pockets of drought during the rainy season and soil degradation pose serious threats to agriculture. Under these conditions, cotton production is strongly influenced, and the quality of the harvested fiber is altered. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of two types of composts, made with crop residues, on cotton yield and on some technological characteristics of the fiber in conditions of lack of water. The study was carried out in a greenhouse, in a 10 L vegetation pot. The water deficit is induced at the flowering stage of the plant, for 30 days, and consisted of a reduction in irrigation from 70 % to 30 % of the useful water reserve (UWR). The results showed that the water deficit induced a significant decrease in productivity (p = 0.001) in cotton, on the other hand the difference was not significant for the fiber yield at ginning (p = 0.663) and seed index (p = 0.243). The impact of the water deficit on productivity is halved with the use of compost, with rates of change of -26.12 % and -28.78 %, against -47.75 % in the absence of fertilization. Whatever the water regime, the contribution of composts can significantly improve the micronaire index (p = 0.023), the maturity of the fiber (p = 0.019), the length of the fiber (p = 0.003), fiber uniformity (p = 0.006) and tenacity (p = 0.008). Thus, compost appears to be a solution both to the problem of soil infertility and to strengthening the resistance of crops to drought.