Cooperator: AG-CARES – Lamesa Cotton Growers/Texas Agricultural
Experiment Station/Texas Cooperative Extension, Lamesa, TX – 2002
John Farris, Tommy Doederlein,
Randy Boman, Mark Kelley and Mark Stelter
County Extension Agent-Agriculture, Dawson County,
Extension Agent-IPM, Dawson/Lynn Counties,
Extension Agronomist-Cotton and Extension Assistants-Cotton
Dawson County
Summary: Significant differences were noted for most parameters measured (Table 1 and Table 2). Lint turnout ranged from 25.1% to 30.8%. Lint yields varied from a low of 820 lb/acre to a high of 1067 lb/acre. Lint loan values varied from a low of $0.4600/lb to a high of $0.5577/lb. Micronaire ranged from a low of 4.3 units to a high of 5.0 units. After adding lint and seed value, total value/acre for varieties ranged from a low of $516.14 to a high of $625.66. When subtracting ginning and systems costs, the net value/acre among varieties ranged from a high value of $500.53 to $416.01, a difference of $84.52. These data indicate that substantial differences can be obtained in terms of net value/acre due to variety selection. It should be noted that some inclement weather was encountered in this trial prior to harvest. Some picker type varieties did experience some preharvest losses due to weather conditions, however, high intensity rainfall and/or high wind events were not excessive.
Objective: The objective of this project was to compare yields, gin turnout, fiber quality, and economics of conventional and transgenic varieties in cooperator fields.
Materials and
Methods:
Varieties: AFD 2050, AFD Raider 202, All-Tex Atlas RR, FiberMax 958, FiberMax 989, FiberMax 989BR, Paymaster 2344BG/RR, Paymaster 1218BG/RR, Paymaster 2266RR, Paymaster 2326RR, Stoneville 4793R, Phytogen GA-161, and Syngenta NK 2165C
Experimental design: Randomized complete block with 3 replications
Seeding rate: 15 lb seed/acre in 40-inch row spacing ( John Deere Max Emerge vacuum planter)
Plot size: 4 rows by variable length due to circular pivot rows (340-810 ft long).
Planting date: May 10
Weed management: Treflan was applied preplant incorporated at 1 pt/acre across all varieties on March 10. No Roundup herbicide was applied on Roundup Ready varieties due to insufficient weed pressure.
Irrigation and rainfall: LEPA irrigation
April: 1.00″
May: 3.05″
June: 1.25″
July: 3.28″
August: 4.10″
September: 1.23″
Rainfall
April: 1.69″ July: 1.60″
May: 0.16″ August: 0.17″
June: 1.03″ September: 1.55″
Total moisture: 20.11″
Insecticides: Temik was applied at 3.5 lb/acre in-furrow at planting. Orthene was applied on June 6, at 2.3 oz/acre for thrips. Karate was also applied on June 10, at 2.0 oz/acre for bollworms. This location is in a active boll weevil eradication zone, but no applications were made by the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Program.
Fertilizer management: Preplant fertilizer of 10-34-0 was applied at 100 lb/acre on April 17. An additional 90 lb N/acre (32-0-0) was fertigated in 30 lb N/acre increments during the season.
Harvest aids: Harvest aids included Boll’d (6-lb ethephon/gal) at 1 pt/acre plus Ginstar at 6 oz/acre applied at 70 percent open bolls on September 18, with a follow-up application of Gramoxone Max at 16 oz/acre on October 25.
Harvest: Plots were harvested on October 14 using a commercial John Deere 7445 with field cleaner bypassed. Harvested material was dumped into a weigh wagon with integral digital scales to determine individual plot weights. Plot yields were adjusted to lb/acre.
Gin turnout: Grab samples were taken by plot and ginned at the Texas A&M Center at Lubbock to determine gin turnouts.
Fiber analysis: Lint samples were submitted to the International Textile Center (ITC) at Texas Tech University for HVI analysis, and USDA loan values were determined for each variety by plot.
Ginning costs Ginning costs were based on $2.25 per cwt. of bur cotton and $95 per ton
and seed values: for seed value. Ginning costs do not include checkoff.
Systems costs: Systems cost was determined by variety per acre using manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for seed, and appropriate technology fees for Bollgard and/or Roundup Ready based on the 15 lb/acre seeding rate.
Results and
Discussion: Significant differences were noted for most characteristics measured (Table 1 and Table 2). Lint turnout ranged from 25.1% to 30.8%. Lint yields varied from a low of 820 lb/acre to a high of 1067 lb/acre. Lint loan values varied from a low of $0.4600/lb to a high of $0.5577/lb. Lint Loan values were generally very high, with the exception of discounts for high micronaire in some replications of Stoneville 4793R (average 5.0). Micronaire ranged from a low of 4.3 units to a high of 5.0 units. After adding lint and seed value, total value/acre for varieties ranged from a low of $516.14 to a high of $625.66. When subtracting ginning and systems costs, the net value/acre among varieties ranged from a high value of $500.53 to $416.01, a difference of $84.52. These data indicate that substantial differences can be obtained in terms of net value/acre due to variety selection. It should be noted that some inclement weather was encountered in this trial prior to harvest. Some picker type varieties did experience some preharvest losses due to weather conditions, however, high intensity rainfall and/or high wind events were not excessive. These losses were more associated with the open boll picker-type varieties (FiberMax 989, FiberMax 989BR, Paymaster 1218 BG/RR, Phytogen GA161, Stoneville 4793R, and Stoneville 4892BR) and the less-stormproof stripper type (AFD 2050). Additional multi-site and multi-year applied research is needed to evaluate varieties across a series of environments.
Acknowledgments: Appreciation is expressed to Danny Carmichael, Research Associate – AG-CARES, for his assistance on this project and to Dr. John Gannaway, TAES, Lubbock for his cooperation.
Disclaimer Clause: Trade names of commercial products used in this report are included only for better understanding and clarity. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Texas A&M University System is implied. Readers should realize that results from one experiment do not represent conclusive evidence that the same response would occur where conditions vary.
