Evaluation of Pelargonic Acid as a Sustainable Defoliant in Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) Production

Giuseppe Salvatore Vitale, Sara Lombardo (), Gaetano Pandino and Paolo Guarnaccia
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Giuseppe Salvatore Vitale: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Sara Lombardo: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Gaetano Pandino: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Paolo Guarnaccia: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: Cotton production faces sustainability challenges due to the lack of effective sustainable defoliants for mechanical harvesting, which constrains the expansion of organic cotton (currently 0.5% of global production). In this framework, this study evaluated pelargonic acid, a rapidly biodegradable compound, as a sustainable defoliant alternative, comparing it with the synthetic pyraflufen-ethyl and a water placebo. A two-year field trial (2023–2024) in Sicily, southern Italy, tested three application rates per treatment in a randomized complete block design. Parameters assessed included defoliation efficacy, root diameter, boll number per plant, average boll weight, raw yield, lint yield, and seed yield. Results indicated significant “Year × Treatment” interaction effects on all parameters. Pelargonic acid applied at 16 L ha −1 achieved the highest boll number per plant in 2024, significantly exceeding pyraflufen-ethyl at its label-recommended rate, with treatments at 12 L ha −1 also producing larger root diameters than the synthetic defoliant. Pelargonic acid at 18 L ha −1 in 2023 achieved complete defoliation, matching the efficacy of pyraflufen-ethyl, while the lowest pelargonic rate (12 L ha −1 ) produced >90% leaf drop across both years. These findings position pelargonic acid as a rapidly degradable alternative to synthetic defoliants, directly addressing a key bottleneck in sustainable cotton production.

Keywords: cotton; defoliation; pelargonic acid; sustainable cultivation; pre-harvest management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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