Progress in Analytical Methods of Halogenated Disinfection By-Products

Ensuring the health and safety of drinking water is crucial for both nations and their citizens.Since the 20th century,the disinfection of drinking water,effectively controlling pathogens in water sources,has become one of the significant advances in public health.However,the disinfectants used in the process,such as chlorine and chlorine dioxide,react with natural organic matter in the water to produce disinfection by-products(DBPs).Most of these DBPs contain chlorine,and if the source water contains bromine or iodine,brominated or iodinated DBPs,collectively referred to as Halogenated disinfection byproducts(X-DBPs),are formed.Numerous studies have found that X-DBPs pose potential risks to human health and the environment,leading to widespread concern.Mass spectrometry has become an important means of discovering new types of X-DBPs.This paper focuses on the study of methods for analyzing X-DBPs in drinking water using mass spectrometry.

Effects of molasses on the fermentation characteristics of mixed silage prepared with rice straw, local vegetable by-products and alfalfa in Southeast China

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of molasses on the fermentation characteristics of mixed silage ensiled rice straw and vegetable by-products with alfalfa.Mixture（202 g kg^-1 dry matter（DM））consisting of rice straw,broccoli residue and alfalfa at the ratio of 5：4：1 was ensiled with three experimental treatments：（1）no additives（control）;（2）molasses at 2.5%（M1）;（3）molasses at 5%（M2）on a fresh matter basis of mixture,respectively.All treatments were packed into laboratory-scale silos,and three silos per treatment were sampled on days 1,3,5,14 and 30.The result showed that the p H value of all mixed silages decreased gradually with the time of ensiling except for the control silage,in which a significant increase（P〈0.05）on day 30 occurred.The lactic acid content increased gradually with the time of ensiling and reached the highest value on day 14,and a marked decrease（P〈0.05）was found in the control silage on day 30.The changes of acetic acid content showed similar pattern with lactic acid content.A trace amount of propionic and butyric acid contents were found in the three mixed silages during the fermentation period.Comparing to the control,M1 and M2 treatments improved the fermentation quality of mixed silages as indicated by higher（P〈0.05）lactic acid contents and lower（P〈0.05）p H and ammonia-N contents.The Flieg points also showed that M1 and M2 silages were well preserved,whereas the control silage had a bad quality.Overall,the findings of this study suggested that adding molasses could improve fermentation quality of mixed silage,and M1 was more suitable for practical application.

Effect of dietary cottonseed meal on growth performance, physiological response, and gossypol accumulation in preadult grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus

Cottonseed meal(CM) was used at up to 36.95% content in the diet(replacing 60% of dietary fish meal protein) without any negative effects on growth performance of pre-adult grass carp(initial body weight,761 g) under outdoor conditions.A culture trial was conducted in net cages installed in a large concrete pond.Seven isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing a gradient of CM concentrations(0,12.2%,24.4%,36.6%,48.8%,54.8%,and 61.0%) as replacement for dietary fish meal protein(0,20%,40%,60%,80%,90%,and 100%) were formulated.Dietary non-resistant starch(from maize) was inverse to dietary CM.Growth performance and feed utilization of fish fed the diets containing CM replacing 0-40% fishmeal protein were not affected after the 6-week feeding trial.Accumulation of hepatopancreatic total gossypol in the hepatopancreas was significantly correlated with free gossypol content in the diets(HTG=88.6+1.5×DFG,R^2=0.89,P<0.05).Intestinal a-amylase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activities rose along with increasing dietary CM level.The structure of the mid-intestinal tissues and the ultrastructure of the enterocyte microvilli were normal when dietary CM was <36.6%(60% protein replacement).Increasing dietary CM content increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels but decreased serum alkaline phosphatase,cholesterol,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,triglycerides,and albumin(P<0.05).

Simultaneous Control of Microorganisms and Disinfection By-products by Sequential Chlorination

Objective To introduce a new sequential chlorination disinfection process in which short-term free chlorine and chloramine are sequentially added. Methods Pilot tests of this sequential chlorination were carried out in a drinking water plant. Results The sequential chlorination disinfection process had the same or better efficiency on microbe （including virus） inactivation compared with the free chlorine disinfection process. There seemed to be some synergetic disinfection effect between free chlorine and monochloramine because they attacked different targets. The sequential chlorination disinfection process resulted in 35.7%-77.0% TTHM formation and 36.6%-54.8% THAA5 formation less than the free chlorination process. The poorer the water quality was, the more advantage the sequential chlorination disinfection had over the free chlorination. Conclusion This process takes advantages of free chlorine＇s quick inactivation of microorganisms and chloramine＇s low disinfection by-product （DBP） yield and long-term residual effect, allowing simultaneous control of microbes and DBPs in an effective and economic way.

Effects of dietary cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate on growth,antioxidants and immunity of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir Sinensis

One hundred and sixty crabs(average initial weight:51.32±0.08 g)were fed with four experimental diets containing cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate(CPH)at 0%(CPH0,control),0.3%(CPH0.3),0.6%(CPH0.6),and 1.2%CPH(CPH1.2).The experiment results show that no difference was observed in specific growth rate and survival rate of crabs fed with CPH diet.Moisture content of crabs fed with CPH0.6 diet was significantly reduced than that of the CPH0 group.Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of crabs fed with CPH0.6 diet were significantly increased and the difference was not significant between the CPH0.3 and CPH0.6 groups.Malondialdehyde content of CPH0.3 group was significantly lower than that of the CPH0 group.Lysozyme,alkaline phosphatase,and acid phosphatase activities of CPH0.3 diet crabs were significantly higher than that of the CPH0 group.Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity of crabs fed with CPH0.3 diet was significantly decreased compared to the CPH0 group.The relative expression levels of Toll1,Toll2,MyD88,LITAF,and ILF-2 of crabs fed with CPH0.3 diet were significantly higher than that of the CPH0 group.The expression level of SOCS2 showed an opposite pattern.After CPH perfusion,the expression levels of SOCS2 and Toll1 in intestine at time 3 h and SOCS2 in hepatopancreas at time 18 h increased significantly to the highest value.The expression level of Toll2,MyD88,LITAF,decreased at times 6 h,6 h,12 h,respectively,then increased gradually.Therefore,supplementation of dietary CPH could improve antioxidant capacity and immune function;the appropriate supplement dosage of CPH for crab could be 0.3%-0.6%.Furthermore,the short-term CPH stimulation could significantly increase or decline the expression levels of immune-related genes at different times after CPH perfusion.

Cottonseed yield and its quality as affected by mineral fertilizers and plant growth retardants

The increase in the population in Egypt makes it imperative to explore promising approaches to increase food supply, including protein and oil, to meet the needs of the Egyptian people. Cotton is the principal crop of Egyptian agriculture, it is grown mainly for its fiber, but cottonseed products are also of economic importance. Cottonseed is presently the main source of edible oil and meal for livestock in Egypt. Economic conditions in modern agriculture demand high crop yields in order to be profitable and consequently meet the high demand for food that comes with population growth. Oil crop production can be improved by development of new high yielding varieties, and the application of appropriate agronomic practices. There is limited information about the most suitable management practice for application of N, P, K, Zn, Ca and PGRs in order to optimize the quantity and quality of oil and protein of cottonseed. In maximizing the quantity and quality of a crop’s nutritional value in terms of fatty acids and protein, field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, foliar application of zinc and calcium, the use of plant growth retardants (Pix, Cycocel or Alar), on cottonseed, protein, oil yields, and oil properties of Egyptian cotton. From the findings of this study, it seems rational to recommend that application of N, P, K, foliar application of Zn and Ca, the use of PGRs (Pix, Cycocel or Alar), could bring about better impact on cottonseed yield, seed protein content, oil and protein yields, oil refractive index, unsaponifiable matter, and unsaturated fatty acids in comparison with the ordinary cultural practices adopted by Egyptian cotton producers.

Optimization of Cottonseed Meal De-gossypol Process by Extrusion via Genetic Algorithm Based on Artificial Neural Network

[ Objective] The paper aimed to optimize cottonseed meal de-gossypol process by extrusion. [ Method ] The artificial neural network （ANN） was used to stimulate the degradation of free gossypol in cottonseed meal by extrusion process, and a three-layer back propagation neural network was established to predict the degradation of free gossypol. [ Result] The result of 10-fold cross validation showed that the ANN with the training function as traingdx at hidden layer with eight neurons gave the smallest mean square error （MSE）. ANN predicted results were very close to the experimental results with correlation coefficient （R2 ） of 0.994 1 and RMSE of 0.497 1. A genetic algorithm （GA） based on the established neural network model was also used for optimizing de-gossypol process. The re- sults of GA showed that the optimal conditions of de-gossypol were puffing temperature 131℃, water ratio 51% , rotational speed 158 r/rain, and feeding speed 136 kg/h, while under this condition the degradation rate of free gossypol was 90.50%, which was close to the predicted result of CA with the small average relative er- ror of 1.38%. [ Conclusion] These results suggested that the GA based on a neural network model might be an excellent tool for optimizing cottonseed meal de-gos- sypol process.

Effects of mepiquat chloride on yield and main properties of cottonseed under different plant densities

Background:Cottonseed oil and protein content as well as germination traits are major indicators of seed quality.However,the responses of these indicators to plant density and mepiquat chloride(MC)are still uncertain.To investigate plant density and MC effects on cotto nseed yield and main quality parameters,we con ducted a twoyear field experiment including four plant densities(1.35,2.55,3.75 and 4.95 plants·m^-2)and two closes of MC(0 and 135g·hm^-2)in Dafeng,Jiangsu Province,in 2013 and 2014.Results:The application of MC reduced plant height,fruit branch length and fruiting branch number under different plant densities,resulting in a lower and more compact plant canopy.Cottonseed yield showed a nonlinear increase as plant density increasing and achieved the highest value at 3.75 plants·m^-2,regardless of MC application.No significant interactio ns were found between plant density and MC for cotton seed yield and quality parameters.The 100-seed weight,cottonseed oil content and vigor index significantly decreased as plant density increased,while these parameters significantly increased with MC applying under different plant densities.Seed vigor index was positively correlated with 100-seed weight and seed oil con tent across different plant densities and MC treatments.Conclusions:Thus,application of MC could realize a win-win situation between cottonseed yield and main quality parameters under various densities;and plant density of 3.75 plants·m^-2 combined with 135 g·hm^-2 of MC applying is optimal for high cottonseed yield and quality in this cotton production area.

Cottonseed Protein, Oil, and Mineral Nutrition in Near-Isogenic <i>Gossypium hirsutum</i>Cotton Lines Expressing Leaf Color Phenotypes under Field Conditions

Information about the effects of phenotype traits on cottonseed protein, oil, and nutrients is scarce. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of leaf color trait on seed nutrition in near-isogenic Gossypium hirsutum cotton expressing green (G) and yellow (Y) leaf color phenotypes. Our hypothesis was that leaf color can influence the accumulation of nutrients in seeds. Sets of isogenic lines were: DES 119 (G) and DES 119 (Y);DP 5690 (G) and DP 5690 (Y);MD 51ne (G) and MD 51ne (Y);SG 747 (G) and SG 747 (Y). Each NIL set is 98.44 % identical. Parent line SA 30 (P) was used as the control. The experiment was repeated for two years (2014 and 2015). The results showed that, in 2014, seed oil in DES 119 (G) and SG 747 (G) were significantly higher than their equivalent yellow lines. Green lines showed higher content of phosphorus compared with yellow lines. Higher levels of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn were recorded in DES 119 (G) and MD 51ne (G). In 2015, seed protein, oil, C, N, P, B, Cu, and Fe were higher in green lines than in yellow lines. There was a significant correlation between protein and nutrients, and between oil and nutrients in 2015, but not in 2014 as the temperature was warmer in 2015 than in 2014. This research demonstrated that leaf color can alter seed composition and mineral nutrition under certain environmental growing conditions such as temperature.

Feasibility study on the use of near-infrared spectroscopy for rapid and nondestructive determination of gossypol content in intact cottonseeds

Background:Gossypol found in cottonseeds is toxic to human beings and monogastric animals and is a primary parameter for the integrated utilization of cottonseed products.It is usually determined by the techniques relied on complex pretreatment procedures and the samples after determination cannot be used in the breeding program,so it is of great importance to predict the gossypol content in cottonseeds rapidly and nondestructively to substitute the traditional analytical method.Results:Gossypol content in cottonseeds was investigated by near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS)and high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Partial least squares regression,combined with spectral pretreatment methods including Savitzky-Golay smoothing,standard normal variate,multiplicative scatter correction,and first derivate were tested for optimizing the calibration models.NIRS technique was efficient in predicting gossypol content in intact cottonseeds,as revealed by the root-mean-square error of cross-validation(RMSECV),root-mean-square error of prediction(RMSEP),coefficient for determination of prediction(R_(p)^(2)),and residual predictive deviation(RPD)values for all models,being 0.05∼0.07,0.04∼0.06,0.82∼0.92,and 2.3∼3.4,respectively.The optimized model pretreated by Savitzky-Golay smoothing+standard normal variate+first derivate resulted in a good determination of gossypol content in intact cottonseeds.Conclusions:Near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with different spectral pretreatments and partial least squares(PLS)regression has exhibited the feasibility in predicting gossypol content in intact cottonseeds,rapidly and non destructively.It could be used as an alternative method to substitute for traditional one to determi ne the gossypol content in intact cottonseeds.

Effect of selected fungi on the reduction of gossypol levels and nutritional value during solid substrate fermentation of cottonseed meal

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of six individual strains of fungi on the reduction of gossypol levels and nutritional value during solid substrate fermentation of cottonseed meal (CSM). Six groups of disinfected CSM sub- strate were incubated for 48 h after inoculation with either of the fungi C. capsuligena ZD-1, C. tropicalis ZD-3, S. cerevisae ZD-5, A. terricola ZD-6, A. oryzae ZD-7, or A. niger ZD-8. One not inoculated group (substrate) was used as a control. Levels of initial and final free gossypol (FG), crude protein (CP), amino acids (AA) and in vitro digestibility were assayed. The experiment was done in triplicate. The experimental results indicated that microbial fermentation could greatly decrease (P<0.05) FG levels in CSM. The de- toxification efficiency differed between the species of microorganisms applied. From the perspective of reducing CSM potential toxicity, C. tropicalis ZD-3 was most successful followed by S. cerevisae ZD-5 and A. niger ZD-8. They could reduce FG levels of CSM to 29.8, 63.07 and 81.50 mg/kg based on DM (dry matter), respectively, and their detoxification rates were 94.57%, 88.51% and 85.16%, respectively. If crude protein, amino acids content and their in vitro digestibility were also taken into account, A. niger ZD-8 may be the best choice. The CP content of CSM substrate fermented by C. tropicalis ZD-3 and A. niger ZD-8 were improved by 10.76% and 22.24%; the TAA (total amino acids) contents were increased by 7.06% and 11.46%, and the EAA (essential amino acids) were raised by 7.77% and 12.64%, respectively. Especially, the levels of methionine, lysine and threonine were improved greatly (P<0.05). The in vitro CP digestibility of CSM fermented by C. tropicalis ZD-3 and A. niger ZD-8 was improved by 13.42% and 18.22%, the TAA were increased by 17.75% and 22.88%, and the EAA by 16.61% and 21.01%, re- spectively. In addition, the in vitro digestibility of methionine, lysine and threonine was also improved greatly (P<0.05).

Neem by-products in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases:Biotoxicity of neem cake fractions towards the rural malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies(Diptera:Culicidae)

Objective: To evaluate the ovicidal, larvicidal and adulticidal potential of neem cake fractions of different polarity against the rural malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies(An.culicifacies).Methods: Neem cake fractions' total methanol extract(NTMeOH), total ethyl acetate extract(NTAc OEt), ethyl acetate fraction after repartition with NTMe OH(NRAc OEt),butanol fraction after repartition with NTMeOH(NRBuOH), and aqueous fraction after repartition of NTMeOH(NRH2O) were tested against An. culicifacies eggs, fourth instar larvae and adults.Results: In larvicidal experiments, NTMeOH, NTAcOEt, NRAcOEt, NRBuOH and NRH2O achieved LC50 values of 1.32, 1.50, 1.81, 1.95 and 2.54 mg/L, respectively. All fractions tested at 150 mg/L were able to reduce egg hatchability of more than 50%, with the exception of NTAc OEt and NRAc OEt. In adulticidal assays, NTMeOH, NTAcOEt,NRAcOEt, NRBuOH and NRH2O achieved LC50 values of 3.01, 2.95, 3.23, 3.63 and3.00 mg/L, respectively.Conclusions: Overall, this study suggests that the methanolic fractions of neem cake may be considered as a new and cheap source of highly effective compounds against the rural malaria vector An. culicifacies.

Cadmium-Induced Structure Change of Pigment Glands and the Reduction of the Gossypol Content in Cottonseed Kernels

The risk of cotton production on arable land contaminated with heavy metals has increased in recent years.Cotton shows stronger and more extensive resistance to heavy metals,such as cadmium(Cd)than that of other major crops.Here,a potted plant experiment was performed to study Cd-induced alterations in the cottonseed kernel gossypol content and pigment gland structure at maturity in two transgenic cotton cultivars(ZD-90 and SGK3)and an upland cotton standard genotype(TM-1).The results showed that Cd accumulation in cottonseed kernels increased with increasing Cd levels in the soil.The seed kernel Cd content in plants grown on Cd-treated soils was 10-20 times greater than the amount in the corresponding controls.There was a significant difference in Cd accumulation in cottonseed kernels at the 400 and 600μM Cd levels.Cd accumulation was higher in SGK3 and ZD-90 than in TM-1.However,the gossypol content in cottonseed kernels was lower in SGK3 and ZD-90 than in TM-1.There was a negative correlation(r=0.550)between Cd accumulation and the gossypol content in cottonseed kernels.The density of cottonseed kernel pigment glands decreased under Cd stress.This is consistent with the change in gossypol content,which decreased under Cd stress.The damage of the cultivars ZD-90 and SGK3 from Cd poisoning was relatively low under Cd stress,while TM-1 was seriously affected and exhibited Cd sensitivity.Further studies are necessary to understand the cause of the reduced gossypol content in cotton seeds under Cd stress.

Comprehensive utilization of corn starch processing by-products:A review

Corn is a high starchy cereal crop with the highest production and provides over 85%of the starch produced worldwide.Various by-products,differentiated by technological process features such as steep liquor,corn germ,corn bran,gluten,are created largely during corn starch processing.They are inexpensive,nutrient-rich,and vary widely in chemical composition such as proteins,oils,carbohydrates,and minerals.In an increasingly resource-constrained modern world,the utilization approach of these by-products for non-starch industrial processing is attractive widely considering both nutritive value and economic aspects.In fact,at present,applications of these by-products can often be found in feed,fermentation,nutrient extraction and other industries.For example,protein-rich corn gluten can be used as a good animal feed,and corn germ can be used as a raw material for the high-quality edible oil industry.Undoubtedly,increasing utilization means that these by-products will no longer be treated as waste but will be transformed into high value-added products.In this work,the separation process and chemical composition of several main by-products of the corn starch industry is briefly described,and the application in many industrial fields of these by-products over the last ten years are discussed in particular.This review attempts to summarize all aspects of the application and research of these by-products.For the by-products of the corn starch industry,the most promising way is to be utilized in high value and used to produce high value-added products.According to the characteristics of their chemical composition,they have a better application prospect and research significance in the industries directly related to human beings,such as medicine,green food and health care products.In fact,in recent years,some researchers have recognized this and carried out the research.It is clear fromthese studies that the main issues to be faced nowand in the future are how to produce efficiently while maintaining the quality of the product and using it effectively.The retrospective discussions also provide some ideas for other grain and oilseed crops to be fully utilized.

Hydroxy- and Aminoethyl Imidazolines of Cottonseed Oil Fatty Acids as Additives for Diesel Fuels

In the research, aminoethyl imidazolines of cottonseed oil fatty acids with diethylenetriamine have been synthesized using the ultrasonic device creating the effect of cavitation. The yield of imidazolines was 90% - 95%. The influence of the synthesized imidazolines on lubricity quality of low sulfur diesel fuels having low lubricating quality was studied. The results showed that at concentrations 200 - 250 ppm the synthesized imidazolines can be applied as additives enhancing lubricity quality of diesel fuels.

Cottonseed Oil as Promising Biodiesel in Future

With recent increases in petroleum prices,there is renewed interest in vegetable oil and their derivatives as alternative fuels for diesel engines.There are more than 350 oil-bearing crops identified,

Effects of Cottonseed Meal on Production Performance and Egg Quality of Hisex Laying Hens

[Objective]In order to research on effect of different content of cottonseed meals on production performance and egg quality of Hisex laying hens. [Methods]120 Hisex laying hens of 37 weeks old are chosen,randomly divided into four groups and three repetitions are set in each group,there are 10 hens in each repetition. Group I is the control group,II,III and IV are experimental groups. Cottonseed meal contents are respectively 5%,10% and 15%,with test cycle of 10 weeks,effects of different cottonseed meal dosages on Hisex laying hens production performance and egg quality are observed. [Results]When the diet is added with 5% to 15% of cottonseed meal,the average laying rate,average egg weight and feed-gain ratio all show downward trends when compared with that of the control group,but with no significant difference（ P 〉 0. 05）; eggshell strength,eggshell thickness,Haugh unit,egg shape index all show no significant difference（ P 〉0. 05）,with the increasement of cottonseed meal,the color of egg yolk got brighter,egg yolk color of 15% added group increased by 12%,show a significant difference with that of control group（ P 〈0. 05）. [Conclusion]When the feed was added with 15% cottonseed meals,it has an unconspicuous effect on laying performance and egg quality of Hisex laying hens,but whether it had an effect on animal health and food safety or not,a further systematic research is needed.

Removal of disinfection by-products formation potential by biologically intensified process

The removal of disinfection by-products formation potential(DBPFP) in artificially intensified biological activated carbon(IBAC) process which is developed on the basis of traditional ozone granular activated carbon was evaluated. By IBAC removals of 31% and 68% for THMFP and HAAFP were obtained respectively. Under identical conditions, the removals of the same substances were 4% and 32% respectively only by the granular activated carbon(GAC) process. Compared with GAC, the high removal rates of the two formed potential substances were due to the increasing of bioactivity of the media and the synergistic capabilities of biological degradation cooperating with activated carbon adsorption of organic compounds. A clear linear correlation(R 2=0.9562 and R 2=0.9007) between DOC HAAFP removal rate and Empty Bed Contact Time(EBCT) of IBAC process was observed, while that between THMFP removal rate and EBCT of GAC was R 2=0.9782. In addition certain linear correlations between THMFP, HAAFP and UV 254 (R 2=0.855 and R 2=0.7702) were found for the treated water. For IBAC process there are also more advantages such as long backwashing cycle time, low backwashing intensity and prolonging activated carbon lifetime and so on.

Concentration of linoleic acid from cottonseed oil by starch complexation

The extraction of linoleic acid from fatty acids(FA) of the cottonseed oil using starch–FA complexes was developed for the first time. We showed that starch can form inclusion complexes of different strengths with FA and that the different strengths stem from the differences in chain length, degree of unsaturation, and position of double bonds of FA. The optimal separation conditions were determined as follows: The inclusion temperature is 69 °C, the inclusion time is 30 min, the starch/FA mass ratio is 10:1, and the ratio of the volume of methanol–water solution and the mass of FA is 18:1. Compared to urea inclusion complexation, starch complexation has milder reaction temperature and shorter reaction time. Under these conditions, linoleic acid can be concentrated from 38.9% to 70.04% by one-off extraction. Moreover, the experimental results demonstrate the almost perfect reusability of starch. These results show that starch complexation is a promising method that can be used to obtain highly concentrated linoleic acid from cottonseed oil.

The effects of sowing date on cottonseed properties at different fruiting-branch positions

A two-year field experiment was conducted to illustrate the effects of sowing date on cottonseed properties at different fruiting-branch positions（FBPs）.Two cotton cultivars（Kemian 1 and Sumian 15）were sowed on 25 April,25 May,and10 June in 2010 and 2011,respectively.The boll maturation period increased with the delaying of sowing date.Normal sowing treatment（25 April）had higher seed weight,embryo weight,embryo oil content and protein content than late sowing treatments（25 May and 10 June）.The flowering date,seed weight,embryo weight,embryo oil and protein contents,and the dynamic changes of embryo oil and protein contents were altered by different FBPs.A significant interaction of sowing date×FBP was observed on embryo weight,embryo oil content,embryo protein content and the dynamic changes of embryo oil and protein contents,but was not observed on seed weight.Seed weight,embryo weight,embryo oil and protein content had significant positive correlations with the mean daily temperature（MDT）,mean daily maximum temperature（MDTmax）,mean daily minimum temperature（MDTmin）,and mean daily solar radiation（MDSR）,indicating that temperature and light resources were the main reasons for different sowing dates affecting the cottonseed properties at different FBPs.Moreover,the difference in MDT was the main difference in climatic factors among different sowing dates.