What to Look for When Selecting a Cotton Variety
November 20, 2023 Variety selection is perhaps the most important decision a producer makes. Once planted, no amount of worry, work, or money can make up for a poor decision. Variety selection for yield and quality, as well as desired technology traits, forms our foundation to build yield and quality potentials.
There are many sources of information, including word of mouth from neighbors, personal evaluation of new varieties on your farm, large-plot evaluations of select varieties conducted by industry and/or University Extension, and small-plot evaluations of many varieties in the Official Variety Trial (OVT) conducted by University Extension or researchers. Experimental varieties are evaluated initially in small-plot tests, which can become commercial varieties.
Varieties that perform well over all locations of the OVT of your state’s program will generally possess wide adaptation. Specific adaptation may be found for varieties that do particularly well at individual locations. These differences could be based on many things including, but not limited to, soil types, disease pressures, and length of growing season. Reported parameters in OVT’s may include information on each variety regarding their specific yield adaptation, how their yields were attained (i.e., yield components), maturity, relative need for growth regulators, fiber quality, plant hairiness, and response to diseases and other pests.
Results from large-plot tests provide more information on specific adaptation of varieties. When choosing a variety, producers should first examine results (yield and fiber quality) of a large-plot test that most closely matches their geographical and cultural conditions. Then, they should examine results from multiple years of small plots for consistency of performance. Finally, variety selection can be fine-tuned by examining pests, yield components, and morphological features from small-plot tests.
Yield Prevails
Yield is still the ultimate measure for a cotton crop, although the ever-increasing demand for higher fiber quality makes this factor a close second in priority. When selecting varieties for planting, don’t simply choose the top–yielding variety at any single testing location or year, but look at the averages of several seasons. Varieties that consistently produce yields near the top are often easier to manage than those that produce at the top in some locations and in the middle or near the bottom at others.
Each variety has strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is to identify these characteristics and adjust management strategies to enhance strengths while minimizing the weaknesses. Ultimately, the best experience is based on first-hand, on-farm knowledge.
Evaluate yield and quality parameters of unbiased testing programs to learn more about new varieties. Three-year averages are much more meaningful in evaluating the performance of a variety. If three-year averages do not exist for the varieties in which you are most interested, evaluation across locations can be useful.
Producers should try new varieties on some of their land. However, planting the entire farm in new varieties is not recommended. Plantings of new varieties should be limited to no more than 10% of the farm. Consider planting the bulk of the farm to three or four proven varieties of differing maturity to reduce the risk of weather interactions and to spread harvest timings. Be very cautious in terms of acres planted to newer varieties if multi-year testing is not available. A cookie-cutter approach to variety selection based on what your neighbor does can often result in adequate yields but can limit your ability to produce great yields, as everyone’s management styles differ.
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