For direct-seeded cotton production following wheat or rapeseed harvested in the Yangtze River Basin, competition of space and nutrients from regenerated seedlings of previous crops (they are weeds actually here) hinders cotton seedlings’growth. This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms of potential removal of the constrain by modifying a commercialized seed coating agent with different exogenous substances (potassium dihydrogen phosphate (PDP), glucose (Glc), and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6)). Treatments included a water control (CK), a basic seed coating agent (BSC), and BSC supplemented with graded levels of PDP (1–8 g L−1), Glc (1.6–6.4 g L−1), or DA-6 (5–320 mg L−1). Effects on seed emergence, seedling growth, photosynthetic traits, and leaf anatomy were assessed through indoor, pot, and field experiments. Results indicated that 4 g L−1 PDP (PDP3) and 1.6 g L−1 Glc (Glc1) were more effective than other treatments, though no synergistic effects occurred when combined. PDP3 markedly improved seed emergence (93.33 %) and enhanced seedling leaf area, height, and biomass. It maintained auxin homeostasis by suppressing IAA oxidase (IAAO) activity, promoted upper epidermal cell expansion, and differentially regulated stomatal distribution, significantly increasing stomatal density on the upper epidermis by 37.0 % while decreasing it on the lower epidermis. PDP3 also elevated pigment content, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) activity, and net photosynthetic rate (13.70 % higher than CK), resulting in greater accumulation of soluble sugars and sucrose. Field trials further showed that PDP3-treated cotton sustained larger leaf area and higher photosynthetic efficiency in later stages, increasing seed cotton and fiber yields by 18.00 % and 24.00 %, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the modified coating agent, especially PDP3, promotes vigorous seedling establishment by orchestrating a coordinated physiological program involving auxin homeostasis, optimized stomatal anatomy, and enhanced photosynthetic capacity, thereby providing a novel strategy to overcome the early competition bottleneck in direct-seeded cotton systems.
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