Fiber quality in upland cotton cultivars under water deficit strategies

An evaluation was made of upland cotton cultivar fiber quality, when subjected to water deficit periods, on the phenological stages. The experiment was carried out at the Campina Grande Federal University, Pombal county Campus, Paraiba State, Brazil, between June and December 2015. Treatments were formed using a split-plot arrangement, in which the plots were 6 water deficit periods (P) (P1 = No deficit; P2 = Deficit in the initial growth stage; P3 = Deficit in the flower bud stage; P4 = Deficit in the flower stage; P5 = Deficit in the boll stage; and P6 = Deficit in the open boll stage) and the subplots, 2 upland cotton cultivars (C) (C1 = Brazil Seeds 286 and C2 = BRS 336), in randomized block design, with 4 replicates. The water deficits applied affected cultivars fiber quality, except maturity, reflectance and yellowness. The treatment without water deficit promoted the best fiber values, except of short fiber index, elongation and micronaire. Tested upland cotton cultivars were more tolerant to water deficit in the initial growth and boll stages. In general, BRS 336 was more tolerant to water deficits than BRS 286. Key words: Gossypium hirsutum L. r. latifolium H., stress, cotton lint industry technological characteristics.