Physiological Mechanism of Different Varieties and Potassium Application Amounts on Cotton Resistance to Verticillium Wilt

[Objective] It has theoretical guiding significance for the comprehensive control technology of Verticillium wilt of cotton to explore the effect of potassium nutrition on mechanism of cotton Verticillium wilt resistance under the condition of pathogen stress of Verticillium dahliae. [Method] Three cotton cultivars Jimian 11 (JM-11 as susceptible cultivar), Zhongzhimian 2 (ZZM-2 as control cultivar), Nongda 601 (ND-601 as resistant cultivar) were adopted, and each cultivar had 0, 75, 150, 225, 300 kg· hm－2 potassium levels represented by K0, K75, K150, K225, K300. Two factors split plot experiment was designed under artificial nursery inoculated Verticillium dahlia, to observe disease index of Verticillium wilt, and researched resistance associated substances content and enzyme activity. [Result] (1) The lignin, total phenol contents and POD, PAL activity in leaves or roots of JM-11 were more greatly influenced by Verticillium wilt compared with ZZM-2, ND-601; the crucial disease resistance substances and enzymes were lignin, total phenol and PAL for JM-11, total phenol for ZZM-2 and ND-601. (2) The lignin, total phenol contents and POD, PAL activities of JM-11 were more sensitive to root potassium than ND-601, but weaker than that of ZZM-2. The sensitivity of POD, PAL activities in functional leaves of JM-11 to potassium were more sensitive than ND-601 and ZZM-2. (3) The best effect of potash fertilizer for relieving disease index for JM-11, ZZM-2, ND-601 were 32.5%, 26.4%, 16.5%, and corresponding potassium application amounts were 290.5 kg·hm－2, 253.5 kg·hm－2 and 229.5 kg·hm－2, respectively. [Conclusion] Application of potassium could increase the resistance to Verticillium wilt and reduce the occurrence of cotton Verticillium wilt.