Technical applications of fertilizer combinations in cotton productivity through automated sensor-based subsurface drip irrigation system

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different fertilizer combinations and planting distances on cotton growth and yield under an automated sensor-based subsurface drip irrigation system. A two-year field experiment (2022-2023) was conducted in a farmer’s field in Al-Hashimia. The experimental design was a split-plot RCBD with three replicates. The main plots consisted of four fertilizer combinations (N0K0P0, N1K1P1, N2K2P2, N3K3P3), and sub-plots consisted of three planting distances (20, 40, and 60 cm) for the ‘Akala’ cotton variety. An AI-driven system controlled water and fertilizer delivery, the results demonstrated that the N3K3P3 fertilizer combination also surpassed N0K0P0, N1K1P1 and N2K2P2 in all growth and yield parameters: soil physical properties (SBD; 1.21 and 1.19 Mg m−3, 1.27 and 1.26 Mg m−3, 1.31 and 1.30 Mgm−3. TSP; 54.33 and 55.09%, 52.08 and 52.45%, 50.56 and 50.94%), for one month, two month and growth season end, monopodia branches number (MBN; 6.00, and 6.49 branch plant−1), sympodial branches number (SBN; 18.03 and 19.06 branch plant−1), chlorophyll index in leaves (CIL; 50.25 and 51.40%), open bolls number (OBN; 39.52 and 40.43 bolls plant−1), total number of bolls (TNB; 44.01 and 45.44 bolls plant−1), seed index(SI; 14.05 and 14.65 g), percentage of net cotton ginning (PNCG; 37.70 and 39.47%), and cotton yield (3047 and 3139 Kg ha−1), respectively, for the study seasons 2022 and 2023. The 60 cm planting distance significantly out performed 20 and 40 cm across all measured traits. Optimal results were achieved with the interaction of 60 cm distance and N3K3P3 fertilization, highlighting this combination as the most effective for enhancing cotton productivity under the studied conditions.