Do Your Homework To Select Best Cotton Varieties

Writer: Tim W. McAlavy, (806) 746-6101, email: t-mcalavy@tamu.edu
Contact: Randy Boman, (806) 746-6101, email: r-boman@tamu.edu

LUBBOCK – Picking productive cotton varieties is not an easy task -- especially on the Texas High Plains, an area
where weather can literally “make or break” a crop. A Texas Cooperative Extension cotton agronomist advises
producers to do their homework by comparing several characteristics among many different varieties, and then
keying these characteristics to typical growing conditions.

“We can’t control our growing environment from year to year, but we can select the varieties we plant based on
positive traits,” said Randy Boman, Texas Cooperative Extension cotton agronomist. “It is very important to select
and plant varieties that fit your farm -- varieties with the genetic potential to achieve good lint quality and total
yield.”

2002 was another year of above-normal heat unit accumulation and favorable harvest conditions on the Texas High
Plains. This weather favored many of the longer-season, open-boll type cottons that have gained popularity in
recent years, he said.

“Last year’s crop totaled just over 3.27 million bales, the fourth largest crop we have seen since 1977. As a whole,
that crop had good color and leaf grades, low bark percentage, and better average staple length and strength than
many recent crops,” Boman said. “At the same time, 2002 was another high-micronaire year. Our micronaire
averaged just over 4.3, the second highest micronaire value on record. Only the 2001 crop had a higher micronaire
value -- it’s average was 4.4.”

High micronaire combined with short staple length can result in substantial discounts in growers’ USDA loan
value on some standard stripper-type cotton varieties. Some longer-season, open-boll picker type cottons did not
have micronaire values or staple length worthy of discounts, Boman said.

Even so, growers should not plant fence-row to fence-row with one type of cotton, he added.

County Extension agents can advise growers on variety performance in local field trials. The Plains Cotton
Improvement Program’s (PCIP) replicated large-plot systems variety trials, sponsored by Plains Cotton Growers
and Cotton Inc., also contain good baseline information, the agronomist said.

“The variety trials conducted by John Gannaway, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station cotton breeder, at
Lubbock and many other High Plains sites is another good source of comparison information,” Boman said. “It is
best to consider multi-year and multi-site performance averages, when they are available. At the same time, there
are many new varieties appearing on the scene that have not undergone multi-year university testing.”

Yield potential is probably the single most important agronomic trait in producers’ minds, but growers should also
give significant consideration to lint quality.

“We sell pounds of lint, but the value of each pound is a function of fiber quality – so these two characteristics are
closely linked to profitability. But we also want to consider adaptability,” Boman said. “Many long-season picker
cottons are better adapted to areas with longer growing seasons, but some of these varieties have produced record
yields and quality on the Plains, due to extremely warm September weather in recent years.

“Growers who made record yields with those varieties had above normal heat accumulation. They also terminated
irrigation and applied harvest aids (defoliants/dessicants) in a timely fashion, and they got their crop out of the
field early.”

Even when growers can catch a “run of good weather,” they should not leave open-boll picker cottons
in the field until a freeze conditions the plants for harvest. Unacceptable preharvest lint loss is likely to result,
the agronomist said.

“On the other hand, the storm-proof stripper varieties are more suited to our harvesting conditions, and they are
more likely to survive damaging weather at harvest without considerable lint loss,” Boman said. “Check the storm-
proofness of any variety on your potential planting list. If you do choose an open-boll picker variety, plan and
budget ahead for a good harvest aid program that will let you achieve an early harvest.”

“Don’t be caught with lots of lint in the field, but no chance of harvest due to inclement weather.”

The value of transgenic varieties is another consideration. Growers should consider varieties bred for herbicide
tolerance, and/or insect resistance (Roundup Ready, BXN, Bollgard) only if this technology is a bargain compared
to typical traditional weed or insect control costs for a specific field, he said.

“The jury is still out on the value of Bollgard in the High Plains, because our bollworm and budworm pressure is
generally light,” Boman said. “The inherent agronomic performance of some Bollgard+Roundup Ready “stacked
gene” varieties may simply be better than some Roundup Ready cottons – even though both have the same genetic
background.

“When we think of disease, resistance to diseases such as verticillium or fusarium wilt, bacterial blight and root-
knot nematodes is a desirable trait for most of the High Plains.”

Regardless of how they prioritize agronomic traits/qualities, growers should strive for diversity when selecting
cotton varieties.

“Don’t plant the entire farm to only one variety of cotton” Boman concluded. “Matching varieties and transgenic
technologies to specific fields will help you spread production risk. It is simply good management.”

Growers can obtain a copy of Gannaway’s 2002 Cotton Performance Tests in the High Plains and Trans-Pecos
Areas of Texas, or the PCIP’s Systems Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Transgenic and Conventional
Cotton Varieties in the Texas High Plains, from their county Extension agent or from Texas A&M’s Agricultural
Research and Extension Center at Lubbock (806-746-6101). This and other crop production information is also
available on the Internet at: http://lubbock.tamu.edu.

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