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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Structure and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #200378
Title: COTTON VARIETY ASSESSMENT FOR FIBER MATURITY

Author
item Davidonis, Gayle
item DICKSON, J - LSU
item BOQUET, D - LSU

Submitted to: Louisiana Agriculture
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/17/2006
Publication Date: 1/25/2007
Citation: Davidonis, G.H., Dickson, J., Boquet, D.J. 2007. Cotton variety assessment for fiber maturity. Louisiana Agriculture. Availability: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/our_offices/research_stations/Northeast/Features/annual_progress_reports/Cotton/Cotton+Variety+Assessment+for+Fiber+Maturity.htm

Interpretive Summary: Each year more and more cotton fiber is exported. In order to provide the best quality cotton for the domestic and export market breeders need to supply producers with varieties that have long fiber, high strength and are within a specific micronaire range. In some environments micronaire values above the targeted range occur frequently. A tool has been developed to assist breeders and producers in the selection of varieties with acceptable m;icronaire values. The selection of varietiess with micronaire values below 4.9 depends on consideration of Variety Trial data supplemented with information on fiber perimeter and cell wall thickness.

Technical Abstract: Each year scientists at the LSU AgCenter test cotton varieties at various locations throughout the state. Varieties are grown using practices that follow AgCenter recommendations and conformto commercial operations as closely as possible. One location is the Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro where cotton is grown on nonirrigated and irrigated Gigger silt loam. Cotton Variety Tests were planted in a randomized complete block design. The irrigated trials had four blocks anda the non-irrigated trials had three blocks. Prior to 2004 fifty boll samples were hand harvested. In 2004 samples for fiber analysis were harvested with a two-row mechanical harvester. Cotton was ginned on a laboratory saw gin. Fiber quality was detemined by the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station Cotton Fiber Testing Laboratory using HVI (High Volume Instrumentation) equipment and at USDA Southern Regional Research Cente rusing HVI and AFIS (Advanced Fiber Information System). A highly discriminating location is one that maximizes the observed varietal differences among cottons. Winnsboro irrigated has been designated as a discriminating environment for yield and fiber length (Blanche and Myers, 2006).