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REVIEW article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Crop and Product Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1570251
Advances in cotton harvesting aids
Provisionally accepted- 1Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- 2Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
- 3Jingzhou County Agriculture and Rural Bureau, Huaihua, China
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During the cotton harvesting stage, the application of chemical harvest aids, such as thidiazuron and ethephon, facilitates cotton defoliation and boll maturation, serving as a crucial management tool in modern cotton cultivation systems. This paper reviews recent advancements in cotton defoliation and ripening research; delves into the physiological mechanisms underlying defoliation, boll maturation, and cotton fiber development; and summarizes the effects of major defoliants and herbicide-type desiccants on plants. It also explores the roles of hormones and genes that are involved in the defoliation process and identifies the key factors influencing the effectiveness of harvest aids. Additionally, this paper offers recommendations and scientific prospects for optimizing cotton defoliation and ripening technologies in the future. Through these contributions, it aims to provide valuable insights for the research and application of efficient harvesting of mature cotton, stimulate innovation in cotton defoliation and ripening technologies, enhance the quality and yield of cotton, reduce labor costs, and contribute to the sustainable development of the cotton industry.
Keywords: Cotton, defoliation, ripening, harvesting aids, research progress and directions
Received: 03 Feb 2025; Accepted: 31 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xie, Xie, Qin, Yang, Zhou, Wang, Liu and Tu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Aiyu Liu, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.