COTTON VARIETY PERFORMANCE DEMONSTRATION
SUMMARY:
13 varieties of cotton were compared in the DeWitt County variety trial in 1997. The highest yielding variety was Suregrow 125 which produced 589 pounds of lint per acre. The average yield of all varieties was 526 pounds per acre making this an average to below average year for cotton in DeWitt County. The 1997 average yield was 290 pounds less than in 1995 and 100 pounds less than in 1994. No data was collected in 1996 due to drought.
PURPOSE:
Variety trials are conducted around the state to determine adaptability and production potential in each location. These 13 varieties are compared to presently used varieties to help producers determine potential varieties that will help increase yields, thus increasing profit.
PROCEDURE:
Date planted: April 20, 1997
Date harvested: August 29, 1997
Fertilizer: 300 lbs. of 18-9-3+2S Pre-Plant on 1/10/97
Herbicide: ½ lb. Cotoran (19" Band), & ½ pt. Prowl (19" Band)
Insecticide: 3 lbs. Temik in furrow at planting
Soil Temperature: 69 degrees
Varieties were planted in 3 row plots on 38" row spacing. Cotton was hand harvested.
RESULTS:
Conditions were to wet and cool early in the season, and to dry late in the season to produce a good cotton crop in DeWitt County this year.
Suregrow 125 was the highest yielding variety producing 589 pounds of lint per acre. The average of all 13 varieties was 526 pounds per acre. There was a difference in yield of 150 pounds from top to bottom. With cotton priced at $.69 per pound this would show a difference of $103.50 per acre gross income.
CONCLUSION:
Varieties perform differently from location, soil type and conditions within a county and region or part of the state. Variety selection is critical in any farming operation. County demonstrations and the District Standardized tests will give a broader comparison between varieties. Several years of comparing varieties should result in the selection of the most proven varieties.
| Company | Variety | Plants (1000's/ac) | Bolls Harvested (1000's/ac) | GB*/Row Ft. | Percent Turnout | Yield
(lb lint/ac) |
| Suregrow | 125 | 42.3 | 180 | 0.7 | 37.8 | 589 |
| Stoneville | 132 | 40.0 | 164 | 0.2 | 37.5 | 588 |
| G&P | Sphinx | 44.7 | 204 | 0.1 | 35.5 | 569 |
| Deltapine | 33B | 46.3 | 202 | 0.7 | 35.7 | 564 |
| Suregrow | 404 | 39.3 | 191 | 0.3 | 37.6 | 564 |
| Deltapine | 50 | 48.3 | 169 | 0.3 | 38.1 | 552 |
| G&P | 785 | 23.7 | 168 | 0.1 | 37.4 | 546 |
| Holland | 338 | 42.7 | 178 | 0.3 | 35.2 | 531 |
| Deltapine | DPX 1979 | 34.3 | 156 | 0.3 | 35.9 | 495 |
| Stoneville | 495 | 44.0 | 145 | 0.6 | 35.1 | 481 |
| Paymaster | 2200 | 35.7 | 133 | 0.7 | 34.9 | 460 |
| Paymaster | 2326 | 46.0 | 168 | 0.5 | 36.4 | 454 |
| Helena | HS44 | 44.3 | 145 | 0.2 | 36.6 | 439 |
| AVERAGES: | 40.9 | 169 | 0.4 | 36.4 | 526 |
* GB = Green Bolls At Harvest