The balance between vegetative and reproductive growth is the central objective in the cotton production system, which is associated with cotton maturity and yield. In China, manual topping (MT) has been performed many years prior to or during the flowering period to inhibit vegetative growth and enhance reproductive growth. MT is gradually being replaced by chemical topping (CT) with mepiquat chloride (MC, 180 g ha−1, 98% soluble powder) due to labor shortages and increasing labor cost. To determine whether CT influences cotton maturity and yield relative to MT, we carried out field experiments at four locations in the Yellow River Valley of China during 2018–2020. The results showed that CT did not alter the boll age, and although it produced taller and slender spatial boll distribution under several environments, it had little effect on the accumulation of boll fraction (the number of bolls in a given period divided by total boll number) over time at the end of blooming across locations. As a result, there were no significant differences between MT and CT in boll opening percentage in the late season. CT did not influence yield or yield components, except under severe drought. Therefore, CT with MC (180 g/ha, 98% soluble powder) during the flowering period will not compromise the maturity or yield of cotton in the Yellow River Valley of China. Similar outcomes would be achieved in other areas with similar ecological conditions and social conditions that require an alternative to extensive manual labor.
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