Central Institute for Cotton Research Regional Station, Coimbatore-3
In the cotton plant from the first fruiting node upwards, the main stem leaf subtending the sympodium was excised on alternate nodes when the first sympodial leaf emerged. For the second treatment main stem leaves subtending all sympodia were excised in the sama manner. Irrespective of the species the treatments reduced significantly the height, number of bolls, boll weight and yield of seed cotton though there were varietal differences in the number of nodes and fruiting branches. The main stem leaf though older than the leaves on the fruiting branch, appeared to influence vertical growth, fruit set and fruit growth in cotton.
