SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AFFECTED BY SOIL PLANKING AND ROOT GROWTH OF COTTON (GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L.)

In the South East Anatolia region of Turkey as well as in many parts of world, soil planker is used to level and firm the soil prior to planting of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) at least four times. However, excessive soil compaction due to using of planker can increase soil strength and hamper root growth. This study aimed to investigate the effects of soil planking on soil physical properties, the root growth of cotton and the density of weed species. In this purpose, a field experiment was carried out at different pass numbers of a planker by using a randomized block design with three replications in 2018. The results showed that penetration resistance was increased by the pass number of the planker at 0-15 cm soil depths. While soil planking increased the soil moisture content at 15 cm soil depth, it reduced the soil temperature. Multiple passes of planker decreased the root length and dry root weight of cotton. Soil planking levels differently influenced the density of weed species. Consequently, it can be said that the planking of soil before cotton seeding may influence the root growth and the density of weed species due to changing the physical properties of soil.