RESPONSE OF EGYPTIAN COTTON GIZA 96 EXTRA-LONG CV {Gossypium barbadense L.) TO FOLIAR APPLICATION OF NANO-NPK FERTILIZERS AS AN EXPECTED ALTERNATIVE SOURCE TO COMMON NPK

Nano-fertilizers are emerging as alternatives to the traditional mineral fertilizers for sustainable agriculture and environment. In this study, chitosan nano-particles (CsNPs) was prepared by polymerizing methacrylic acid (PMAA) for loading NPK nutrients as nano-fertilizer for Egyptian cotton 'Giza 96' during 2018 and 2019 growing seasons. The experiments were set up in a randomized complete block design with nine fertilizer treatments of nano-fertilizer, traditional fertilizer and their coordination. The results revealed that nano-NPK composite treatments significantly enhanced growth parameters (Plant height, leaf area and leaf area index, and number of sympodial branches), seed cotton and lint cotton yields and yield components as compared with traditional fertilizer and control. The highest seed cotton was produced from 100% Nano-NPK 11.15 k/fed) followed by mixed treatments (75% foliar application with Cs-NPK-NPs fertilizer + 25% traditional NPK fertilizer as soil application and 50% foliar application with Cs-NPK-NPs fertilizer + 50% traditional NPK fertilizer as soil application). Application of nano-NPK fertilizer as a sole treatment or in coordination with mineral NPK enhanced growth and yield parameters. Therefore, Nano- NPK fertilizers could be used as an alternative to the traditional mineral NPK fertilizers for cotton crop grown in clayey soils.