Page 18 - 01 Cotton SA May 2013

Navorsing/Research

Experiences while studying in the USA

“I recently returned from spending a year in the lovely little town of Fayetteville in Arkansas in the USA. This formed part of my
PhD study at the Arkansas University in the USA, under the mentorship of Professor Derrick Oosterhuis,” Tilla Pretorius said.
“The title of my PhD dissertation will be “High
temperature tolerance in cotton” with the
objectives of the study being to investigate
the agronomic and physiological effects
of high temperature stress on the growth
and yield of cotton genotypes in the field,
and to use physiological measurements to
quantify the effect of high temperature stress
on reproductive development of cotton
genotypes for screening for temperature
tolerance. During the first year I had to com-
plete several courses at the University of
Arkansas and begin research trials.
“The rest of the research will mainly be
carried out in South Africa and the first field Professor Derrick Oosterhuis and his team of students Old Main is in the middle of the University of Arkansas
trial was planted at ARC-IIC in Rustenburg in (2011/2012), Fayetteville laboratory, Arkansas, USA. campus. When the University was founded, this was the
October 2012. The second and third trial will only building on campus. An interesting note: the north
tower is taller than the south tower due to the outcome
be planted at Loskop Experimental Station during the 2013/2014 and of the Civil War.
2014/2015 seasons. I will also be returning to Arkansas each year for a
short period to conduct some research and hold discussions with Prof. These are available on their web site (www.arcansasagnews.uark.edu).
Oosterhuis and my other supervisors,” Tilla said. Some of the research done by researchers from Altheimer Laboratory,
Fayetteville, Arkansas University includes the following:
growtH StuDy 2011/2012 - Cotton Breeding.
Whilst in Fayetteville three growth chamber studies were conducted at - Effects of Cultural Practices and Two Soilborne Pathogens on Root
the Altheimer Laboratory in Arkansas. Sixty plants were planted in walk- Morphology of Cotton in the Field.
in growth chambers during October 2011 and March 2012. Treatments
included three sensitive cultivars showing some tolerance, namely, - Has Bio-Tech Cotton Production Reduced Carbon Emissions? A Scan
DP393, 3020B2RF, and Pima STVincent and three cultivars with high Level Cotton Carbon Life Cycle Assessment.
temperature tolerance, namely, VH260, Arkot 9704 and Pima 89590. - Cotton Yield Potential by Planting Date Based on Observational Data
Arkot 9704 showed promising results when compared to the other from the Arkansas Cotton Research Verification Program.
cultivars. Plants were grown at 30/24°C day/night temperature until first tHe effectS of urea aPPlicatioN witH N-(N-Butyl)
flower. Measurements included membrane leakage, photosynthesis
and glutathione reductase (antioxidant) as measures of plant stress. The tHioPHoSPHoric triamiDe aND DicyaNDiamiNDe
Leaf Tech instrument was also used to make fluorescence temperature oN tHe growtH aND yielD of cottoN
response curves to see how sensitive and practical the methods is to - Effect of Salinity on Cotton Nitrogen uptake and assimilation
record plant/genotype responses to increasing temperature. of urea applied with N-(n-Butyl) Thiophosphoric Triamide and
Dicyandiaminde.
cottoN reSearcH at uNiVerSity of arKaNSaS - Effect of Foliar Application of Urea with N-(n-Butyl) Thiophosphoric
Prof. Derrik Oosterhuis is well known in South Africa being an ex-South Triamide on the Physiology and Yield of Cotton.
African who still maintains close ties here. They have a large cotton - The Effect of Water-Deficit Stress on the Biochemistry of the Cotton
research programme and annually publish their progress reports. Flower.
- Effects of Moderately High Temperature on Diurnal Pollen Tube
Growth and Fertilization in Field-Grown Cotton.
- Effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene on Yield of Field-Grown Cotton.
- Effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene on the Cotton Flower Under Water-
Deficit Stress.
- Cotton Response to Urea and an Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer.
- Yield Response of Cotton to Timing of Potassium Fertilization Under
Deficient Soil Test Levels.
- Evaluation of Nitrogen Use of Modern Cotton Cultivars Based on
Seed Size.
- Achieving Profitable Cotton Production: Irrigation Initiation and
Termination.
- Sustainable Cotton Production: The Effects of Best Management
Practices on Water, Sediment, and Soil Quality.
- Mepiquat Chloride-Influence on Cotton Fruiting Dynamics and Yield.
- Cotton Yield Components.
Testing four different cotton varieties in growth chambers for high temperature tolerance. By: Tilla Pretorius, ARC-Institute for Industrial Crops, Rustenburg

Katoen sa Cotton 18 Jan - Mei/May 2013