The Effect of Removing Bracts on Boll Growth, Oil and Protein Content of Seeds and Fibre Characters of Lint in Cotton

The removal of bracts at anthesis and thereafter at 7 days interval until the 35th day resulted in significant reduction in lint and seed weight of mature cotton balls. The oil content of seeds increased and protein content decreased under these treatments. The fibre length decreased and fibre fineness increased irrespective of the treatment and the cultivar. In cultivar MCU. 5 (G. hirsutum) and particularly in Suvin (G. barbadesne), fibre maturity decreased with an increase in the number of immature fibres. The bundle strength of fibres in Suvin also decreased in all the treatments. The bracts by virtue of their close proximity with the carpellary wall appear to have an important physiolgical function in boll growth as they affect both fibre and seed weight, oil and protein content of seeds, fibre elongation and cellulose deposition processes.