The stratospheric ozone depletion and enhanced solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiance may have adverse impacts on the productivity of agricultural crops. The effect of UVB enhancements on agricultural crops includes reduction in yield, alteration in species competition, decrease in photosynthetic activity, susceptibility to disease, and changes in structure and pigmentation. Many studies have examined the influence of supplementing UVB irradiance on different crops, but the effect of UVB irradiance on cotton crops has received little attention. The cotton crop is one of the most versatile of all the crops. It is a major fiber crop of the world and a major source of trade and economy in many countries. In this study we provide quantitative examination of the effects of elevated UVB irradiance on cotton. The tested cotton crop was grown under natural and supplemental levels of UVB irradiance in the cotton field. The results in this study showed that the supplemental UVB irradiance has negative impacts on cotton growth, development, yield, and fiber quality. A brief discussion is included on how the impacts on cotton contrast with impacts that have been observed in other studies on other plants, including trees.

Date Published: 17 January 2002
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 4482, Ultraviolet Ground- and Space-based Measurements, Models, and Effects, (17 January 2002);

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4482:
Ultraviolet Ground- and Space-based Measurements, Models, and Effects
James R. Slusser; Jay R. Herman; Wei Gao, Editor(s)