Variety SelectionSelecting productive cotton varieties is not an easy task,
especially in Oklahoma where weather can literally make or
break a crop. Producers need to compare several characteristics among many different varieties, then key the characteristics to typical growing conditions. The growing environment
from year to year cannot be controlled, but varieties can be
selected based on desired attributes. It is very important to
select and plant varieties that fit specific fields. Do not plant
the entire farm with a single variety, and try relatively small
acreages of new varieties before extensive planting. When
it comes to variety selection in Oklahoma, several factors are
important to consider.
Maturity (Earliness)
Scrutinizing the relative maturity rankings provided by
seed companies will be beneficial. Don’t expect a mid- to
full-season cotton variety to perform well in a short-season
environment, where an early or early- to mid-season variety
might work best. Many longer season cotton varieties are better adapted to areas with longer growing seasons, although
significant gains in yield may sometimes be obtained in years
with warm September and October temperatures. Longer
season varieties will typically do much better when planted
earlier, then provided an excellent finish. For later plantings,
early- to mid-season maturity varieties may be better. For late
plantings or replant situations, early maturity varieties may be
better. Relative maturity for most varieties gets compressed
when moisture stress occurs. With drought stress, maturity
of longer season varieties will not be expressed to the degree
that would generally be noted when under high water and
fertility regimes.
Pounds
Yield potential is probably the single most important agronomic characteristic, because pounds do drive profitability and
provides for the safety net of higher actual production history
(APH) in case of catastrophic loss of acres. The benefit this
can provide from the crop insurance perspective is important
in our high risk area. Yield stability across environments is going to be important, and finding a variety that has the ability
to provide high yield across varying water inputs is critical.
Fiber Quality
Producers should also consider lint quality. Progress has
been made in terms of fiber quality during the last several
years. Significant improvements have been seen in overall fiber quality packages associated with modern varieties. Staple
is generally good to excellent for most new varieties. Many
things can affect crop micronaire, including overall environment, planting date, variety, early season fruit loss with later
compensation, excessive late season irrigation or rainfall,
seedling disease, early season set-backs due to hail damage,
blowing sand, thrips, etc. Fiber strength has also significantly
improved and many newer varieties tend to be at least 30 g/
tex. Length uniformity can be affected by staple, maturity
and harvest method (picker harvested is typically higher than
stripper harvested). Higher maturity fiber generally results in
better uniformity. Leaf grade can be affected by density of leaf
hairs on specific varieties in some years. Generally, cool, wet
fall conditions can lead to lower quality leaf grades for varieties which tend to be hairy. In drier harvesting environments,
these differences tend to diminish.
Color grades are basically a function of weathering or
exposure of the fiber on the plant to wet conditions. The highest quality that a cotton boll can have is on the day that it
opens. After that, if conditions favor microbial growth (warm,
wet conditions). An early freeze can affect immature cotton
by reducing its color grade. Bark contamination is generally
also driven by significant late season rainfall followed by a
freeze. In some years, this can’t be easily managed if stripper harvested. Conversely, picker harvesting can significantly
reduce or eliminate bark contamination.