Introduction

Small‑plot cotton variety testing generally includes evaluation of genetic components but not genetics in concert with management programs.  Characteristics commonly evaluated in small‑plot testing include lint yield, turnout percentages, fiber quality, and earliness.

Over the last 4 years, High Plains cotton producers have increased planted acres of transgenic cottons (Roundup‑ and Buctril‑herbicide tolerant and Bt insect‑resistant types) from approximately 300 thousand  in 1997 to approximately 2 million in 2001.  Industry continues to increase the number of herbicide‑tolerant, insect‑resistant, and “stacked gene” varieties.  The proliferation of transgenic varieties in the marketplace for 2001 was substantial and is expected to continue over the next few years.  New transgenic varieties were marketed in the High Plains by Delta and Pine Land/Paymaster, Stoneville Pedigreed Seed/Stoneville, Texas, All Tex Seed Company, and FiberMax in 2002.  More transgenic varieties in both picker and stripper type cottons are expected to be released by these companies in 2003.  Liberty herbicide tolerant varieties (from Bayer CropScience) are currently in development and should be available in 2003.  Additional “stacked” Bt gene products (Bollgard 2) from Monsanto are also anticipated as well as the Roundup Ready Flex gene system.  Current small‑plot variety testing programs are inadequate in scale and design to investigate the economic impact of new transgenic varieties with value‑added traits.

The objective of this project was to evaluate the profitability of various transgenic cotton varieties when compared to conventional types in producer=s fields in the Texas High Plains.

Results

Agronomic and economic results from the projects by variety are provided in Tables 1-12.  Summaries of the systems costs and expenses by variety for each location are provided in Tables 13-15.

Location 1 – Muleshoe

The early, mid-season, and late-season growth characteristics are presented in (Table 1)and (Table 2) Plant stands averaged about 64,000 plants/acre.  Lowest stand counts were obtained with the NK 2165C, FiberMax 958, Stoneville 2454R, and Stoneville 3539BR varieties.  No differences for early or mid-season plant heights or height to node ratios were noted.  Some varieties exhibited significantly fewer total nodes.  No apparent trends were noted in development among Roundup Ready, BXN, Bollgard, and stacked gene (Roundup Ready with Bollgard) compared to conventional varieties.  The node of first sympodium (fruiting branch) was higher for FiberMax 819 and FiberMax 958 when compared to other varieties.  No significant differences were noted for early-season first position fruit retention, but by mid-season (July 1 date) it was noted that FiberMax BXN 5024 had lower retention than some other varieties.  Some picker varieties exhibited greater plant height by July 8 (Table 2).  First position fruit retention on July 8 was notably lower for Sure-Grow 215BG/RR when lygus bug problems were noted by the producer’s crop consultant.  Nodes above white flower (NAWF) was greater for some picker varieties (Sure-Grow 215BG/RR, FiberMax 819, and FiberMax 958) than other varieties on August 12.  Days to cutout (defined as NAWF=5) ranged from 84-100 with the picker varieties taking longer.

Commercial turnouts of field-cleaned bur cotton ranged from 29.6% for Paymaster 2344BG/RR to 34.5% for Stoneville 3539BR (Table 3).  Bur cotton yields/acre ranged from 4637 lb/acre for NK 2165C to 5801lb/acre for Paymaster 2326RR.  This resulted in lint yields ranging from 1542 lb/acre for NK 2108SS to 1850 lb/acre for FiberMax 958.  Lint loan values derived from USDA-AMS classing results of the bales obtained in the project show that values ranged from $0.4282 for Sure-Grow 215BG/RR to $0.5246 for Paymaster 2344BG/RR.  Loan value discounts were attributed to low micronaire, staple length, strength and high bark contamination incidence for some varieties (Table 4).  After totaling lint and seed value per acre and subtracting out ginning costs and system-specific costs (Table 13), the net value per acre ranged from a low of $607.02/acre for Sure-Grow 215BG/RR to $895.81/acre for FiberMax 958 (Table 3), a difference of $288.79.

Within the statistical “upper tier” of net returns, two varieties produced the same net value (FiberMax 958 and Paymaster 2326RR).  FiberMax 958 and Paymaster 2326RR numerically produced the highest net values/acre at this location.  Two of the top five varieties were conventional types (FiberMax 958 and FiberMax 819).  Paymaster 2266RR and Paymaster 2344BG/RR were also among the top five varieties for net value/acre.  Stoneville BXN 16 produced significantly lower net value per acre than all of the Bollgard plus Roundup Ready or Roundup Ready stripper-type varieties (except Stoneville 2545R and Stoneville 3539BR) and the conventional FiberMax 958 and 819 varieties.  The FiberMax BXN 5024 numerically  fared somewhat better than Stoneville BXN 16.  The conventional FiberMax 958 produced statistically similar net value as Paymaster 2326RR, even though the FiberMax 958 produced 90 lb/acre higher lint yield.  Due to longer staple, but low micronaire in some bales of FiberMax 958, a loan value similar to the Paymaster 2326RR was noted (Table 4).

Location 2 – Cone

Early season agronomic data show that lower stand counts were noted for the Stoneville 2454R variety when compared to some others (Table 5), and the average of all varieties was about 51,000 plants/acre.  Early season plant map data (June 25) indicated that small differences in vigor were noted.  Node of first fruiting branch initiation was significantly higher for all FiberMax picker varieties (958, 989, and 989RR) than other varieties.  First position fruit retention was lower for NK 2165C than other varieties, and the FiberMax picker types tended to have higher retention than others.  By July 2, plant height data indicated differences of up to 2 inches among varieties.  By July 24, differences in fruit retention among varieties with Bollgard versus non-Bollgard types were observed (Table 6).  A bollworm egglay resulted in larvae survival numbers which reduced fruit retention for the non-Bollgard types, even though these were sprayed with a pyrethroid on July 22.  Bollgard varieties were not sprayed.  Bollgard variety first position fruit retention averaged 80% on July 24, whereas the non-Bollgard varieties averaged 63%.  Small differences in NAWF on two different dates were noted,  with some High Plains stripper varieties exhibiting lower NAWF than some of the picker types on July 24 and 30.  All varieties reached cutout by August 8, and had a maximum difference of 7 days.

Commercial turnouts of non-field cleaned bur cotton ranged from a low of 20.3% for Paymaster HS-26 to a high of 27.4% for Sure-Grow 215BG/RR (Table 7).  Bur cotton yields ranged from 2507 lb/acre for NK 2165C to 3137 lb/acre for Paymaster 2344BG/RR.  Lint yields ranged from 537 lb/acre for Paymaster HS-26 to 802 lb/acre for Sure-Grow 215BG/RR.  Loan values were lowest for Atlas RR ($0.4739) and highest for FiberMax 958 ($0.5499) (Table 8).  After calculating total value per acre and then subtracting ginning costs and systems costs (Table 11), net value/acre ranged from a low of $232.96 for Paymaster HS-26 to a high of $351.80 for FiberMax 966, a difference of $118.84/acre.  Discounts for short staple contributed to lower loan value for several varieties, and reduced the overall net value/acre.  This was especially noted for Sure-Grow 215BG/RR, which had the highest lint yield in the trial, but low lint loan value and high systems cost.

FiberMax 966, AFD Raider 271, FiberMax 958, Sure-Grow 215BG/RR, and Paymaster 2280BG/RR numerically produced the highest net values/acre compared to other varieties.  Two Bollgard transgenic varieties placed in the top five ranking.  Higher yields for these Bollgard varieties may be due to the July bollworm situation.  These data indicate that the top three varieties in terms of net value/acre were conventional types.

Location 3 – Tokio

Agronomic characteristics of varieties at this site are found in (Table 9) and (Table10).  Stoneville 2454R and FiberMax 958 had lower stand counts than most other varieties, which averaged about 54,500 plants/acre.  Some differences were noted for early season plant height (June 26), with AFD Raider 271, Sure-Grow 215BG/RR, FiberMax 989BR, and Paymaster 2280BG/RR having the largest plants.  Node of first fruiting branch values indicated that all picker varieties (Sure-Grow 215BG/RR, Deltapine 555B/RR, and FiberMax 958, 989, and 989BR) initiated fruiting branches later on the mainstem than did all stripper varieties.  Early season total node counts on June 26 ranged from 6.8 for Paymaster 2326RR, Atlas RR, and FiberMax 989 to 8.1 for Stoneville 3539BR.  Fruit retention was high for all varieties on June 26, with only minor differences noted.  Mainstem node count tended to be higher for picker varieties on July 1, with no significant differences in plant height observed.  First position fruit retention remained high and no differences among varieties were noted.  By July 16, plant height differences of up to 5 inches were observed.  No trends among variety types (picker vs. stripper) were noted.  First position fruit retention remained high, with no differences among varieties observed.  All varieties reached cutout by August 6, and only minor differences in NAWF were observed at that time.  Days to cutout ranged from a low of 81 (Atlas RR) to a high of 88 (Deltapine 555B/RR).

Economic results for this site are presented in (Table 11).  Non-field cleaned commercial turnouts ranged from a low of 24.7% for Paymaster 2344BG/RR to a high of 29.9% for Deltapine 555B/RR.  Bur cotton yields varied considerably from a low of 4829 lb/acre for Stoneville 2454R to 5610 lb/acre for Sure-Grow 215BG/RR.  Lint yields ranged from a low of 1294 lb/acre for AFD Raider 271 to 1585 lb/acre for Deltapine 555B/RR.  Loan values also varied considerably from a low of $0.4691 for Stoneville 3539BR to a high of $0.5367 for FiberMax 989 (Table 12).  Lower loan values for some varieties were mainly due to short-staple and bark contamination discounts.  Net value/acre after taking into consideration ginning costs and systems costs (Table 11) ranged from a low of $569.50 to a high of $732.63, a difference of $163.13/acre.

The first “tier” of significance included FiberMax 989, Deltapine 555B/RR, and FiberMax 989BR.   Therefore, of the top five varieties in terms of net value/acre at this site, two were transgenic (Deltapine 555B/RR and FiberMax 989BR) and three were conventional (FiberMax 989, FiberMax 958, and AFD 2050).

Summary and Conclusions

In the extremely high-yielding but shorter-season environment at the Muleshoe location, several varieties statistically produced the same net value.  FiberMax 958 and Paymaster 2326RR numerically produced the highest net values/acre.  Two of the top five varieties were conventional types (FiberMax 958 and FiberMax 819).  Paymaster 2266RR and Paymaster 2344BG/RR were also among the top five varieties for net value/acre.  Stoneville BXN 16 produced significantly lower net value per acre than all of the Bollgard plus Roundup Ready or Roundup Ready stripper-type varieties (except Stoneville 2545R and Stoneville 3539BR) and the conventional FiberMax 958 and 819 varieties.  The FiberMax BXN 5024 numerically fared somewhat better than Stoneville BXN 16.  The conventional FiberMax 958 produced statistically similar net value/acre as Paymaster 2326RR, even though the FiberMax 958 produced 90 lb/acre higher lint yield.  Due to longer staple, but low micronaire in some bales of FiberMax 958, a loan value similar to the Paymaster 2326RR was noted.  In the lower-yielding environment at Cone, FiberMax 966, AFD Raider 271, FiberMax 958, Sure-Grow 215BG/RR, and Paymaster 2280BG/RR numerically produced the highest net values/acre compared to other varieties.  Two Bollgard transgenic varieties placed in the top five ranking.  Higher yields for these Bollgard varieties may be due to the July bollworm situation.  These data indicate that the top three varieties in terms of net value/acre were conventional types.  In the high-yielding environment at Tokio, FiberMax 989, Deltapine 555B/RR, and FiberMax 989BR produced the highest net values/acre.  Therefore, of the top five varieties in terms of net value/acre at this site, two were transgenic (Deltapine 555B/RR and FiberMax 989BR) and three were conventional (FiberMax 989, FiberMax 958, and AFD 2050).

Results from the 2002 production season at three varying locations in the Texas High Plains indicate that some transgenic Roundup Ready and Roundup Ready/Bollgard stacked gene varieties were highly competitive with conventional varieties in terms of production economics.  These data indicate that substantial differences can be obtained in terms of net value/acre due to variety selection.  The differences in net value/acre when comparing the top and bottom varieties were $289, $119, and $163/acre for Muleshoe, Cone, and Tokio, respectively.

It should be noted that no inclement weather was encountered at the Cone location prior to harvest.  Up to 6 inches of rainfall occurred at the Muleshoe location after cotton was harvest ready, whereas about 3 inches of rainfall were recorded at Tokio.  Minimal pre-harvest losses were noted with the open boll picker-type varieties (Deltapine 555B/RR, FiberMax 958, FiberMax 989, FiberMax 989BR, FiberMax 819, NK 2108SS, Sure-Grow 215BG/RR) or the lesser-stormproof stripper types (Stoneville 2454R, Stoneville 3539BR, and Stoneville BXN 16).  Additional multi-site and multi-year applied research is needed to evaluate varieties across a series of environments.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the following for their support of this project:

• Plains Cotton Growers – Plains Cotton Improvement Program and Cotton Incorporated for funding
• Producer-cooperators:  David Appling, Mark Appling, Rickey Bearden, and James Brown
• Gins:  Associated Cotton Growers, Crosbyton, Randy Arnold, Manager; Muleshoe Co-op Gin, Darwin Robertson, Manager; Tokio Co-op Gin, Mark Traweek, Manager; Liberty Co-op Gin, Lubbock, Verdell Burton, Manager
• Companies: AFD, All-Tex, Bayer CropScience, Delta and Pine Land / Paymaster / Deltapine Seed / Sure-Grow, Griffin, Monsanto, Northrup King, Stoneville Texas, and Syngenta
• Texas Cooperative Extension Agents:
• Curtis Preston, CEA-Ag, Bailey County
• Cody Hill, CEA-Ag, Parmer County
• Steve Young, CEA-Ag, Crosby County
• Steve Davis, EA-IPM, Crosby/Floyd Counties
• Arlan Gentry, CEA-Ag, Yoakum County
• Jerry Warren, CEA-Ag, Terry County
• Scott Russell, EA-IPM, Terry/Yoakum Counties
• Student Workers:  Bryan Hawkins, Clay Ashley,
• and Jason Jarrell
• Texas Agricultural Experiment Station:
• Dr. John Gannaway

• Table 1
• Table 2
• Table 3
• Table 4
• Table 5
• Table 6
• Table 7
• Table 8
• Table 9
• Table 10
• Table 11
• Table 12
• Table 13
• Table 14
• Table 15
• Muleshoe 2 year
• Cone 2 year
• Tokio 2 year
• AGCARES 2 year
• Helms 2 year
• Planting Dates, Etc.