%0 Journal Article %A Liu Liantao %A Sun Hongchun %A Zhang Yongjiang %A Wang Chunshan %A Song Shijia %A Chen Jing %A Li Cundong %T Comprehensive Evaluation of Soil Fertility in Premature Senescence Cotton Fields in the Yellow River Region %D 2015 %R 10.11963/issn.1002-7807.201503007 %J Cotton Science %P 241-247 %V 27 %N 3 %X To analyze the influence of soil nutrients on cotton senescence, we investigated field soil nutrients of premature senescence and normal cotton at 149 sampling points in the Yellow River region, and established a soil integrated fertility index (IFI). The results showed that all soil fertility indexes of premature senescence cotton fields were smaller than those of normal cotton fields, and that the difference was extremely significant. In the 0-20 cm soil layer, the differences in organic matter and the potassium content reached extremely significant levels compared with normal fields. The average of IFI in normal fields is 0.41, but in the premature senescence cotton fields, the average of IFI was 75.6% of this, an extremely significant difference. In the 20-40 cm soil layer, the IFI was lower significantly than that of the 0-20 cm soil layer, and the average of IFI value of normal cotton fields was 1.67 times that of premature senescence cotton fields. In the 0-20 cm soil layer, the order of direct path coefficient from largest to smallest was available potassium, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, organic matter, and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen. In the 20-40 cm soil layer, the order was soil available K, available P, organic matter, and total nitrogen. In the 0-20 cm soil layer, the order of indirect diameter coefficient from largest to smallest was nitrogen, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and organic matter. In the 20-40 cm layer the order was organic matter, total nitrogen, available potassium, and available phosphorus. Our studies suggested that IFI is closely related with cotton premature senescence and the lower the IFI is, the easier premature senescence occurs. Potassium and available nitrogen were the most important nutrient elements having a direct and indirect impact on IFI. Therefore, to prevent and control premature senescence caused by poor soil fertility in cotton fields, sufficient potassium and nitrogen fertilizer need to be applied to achieve an appropriate IFI value. %U https://journal.cricaas.com.cn/Jweb_mhxb/EN/10.11963/issn.1002-7807.201503007