Measured crop performance cotton 1957

Research Report No. 8 December, 1957

Measured crop performance

COTTON

1957

F. W. BRITTAIN, Research Instructor

In Charge of Variety Testing

Department of Field Crops N. C. State College

INTRODUCTION

Variety evaluation trials are conducted annually on farmer s' fields by

the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. This report presents the

records of performance of cotton varieties in general use, as well as those

that may be released by the breeder.

TEST LOCATIONS

The te sts were conducted at four locations in 1957, two in the Coastal

Plain Area and two in the Piedmont.

The testing agency recognizes the cooperative spirit and civic-minded

service rendered by the farmers who furnished the land, prepared the soil,

cultivated the crop and aided in harvesting. The agency also recognizes the

fine cooperation of the County Agents who assisted in locating. test sites and

observing these tests.

The trials were conducted at the following locations:

Union County - farm of R. W. Howey. Waxhaw, Route 1. County Agent Jim Marsh and assistants cooperating.

Hoke County - farm of Bobby Gibson, Red Springs. County Agent W. C. Williford and assistant cooperating.

Upper Coastal Plain Research Station, Rocky Mount. Warren Bailey, Superintendent, cooperating.

Piedmont Research Station, Salisbury, Route 6. J. W. Hendricks, Superintendent, cooperating.

AGENCIES SPONSORING ENTRIES

Coker Pedigreed Seed Company, Hartsville, South Carolina

North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station

MANAGEMENT OF TEST FIELDS

Cultural practices, such as seedbed preparation, date of planting

ferti-lization, cultivation and boll weevil control measures were in accord with good

farming practices and were the same for all entries in a given test.

Planting, thinning, picking and yield measurements were directly

su-pervised by personnel of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.

Samples for number of bolls per pound, lint percentage, and staple

length were obtained about two weeks prior to picking except for the Union

County test. These samples were taken from the machine-picked cotton.

Samples for these determinations were processed in the research

lab-oratorie s of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.

CRITERIA USED FOR EVALUATING COTTON VARIETIES

Yield of seed cotton per acre was obtained by picking six replicates of

each variety. The size of plots were Union County, 378 square feet; Rowan

County, 162.5 square feet;and Edgecombe County, 150 square feet .

.~lnt perc~I?-tage_ was determined from three sample s of seventy-five bolls each for each variety.

Pounds of lint per acre were calculated statistically by using the mean

lint percentage of each entry and converting the pounds of seed cotton per plot

to pounds of lint per plot.

Number of bolls required to make ~poundof seed cotton was

-Staple length was determined on ginned samples by licensed cotton

classers of the Cotton Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U. S. D. A.

SEASONAL CONDITIONS

Seasonal conditions were quite variable within the state in 1957.

Plant-ings were delayed by a cool wet spring, and the Hoke and Union County plots

were replanted.

The Hoke County plots were damaged by excessive rain in early June

with portions of the soil being waterlogged for several days. About one-half

of the plants were severely damaged and were unable to recover. Therefore,

this test was not harvested.

The weather conditions at the Piedmont Research Station, Rowan

County, varied from very dry in July and August to very humid during normal

opening time. The high humidityt plus disease organisms, retarded or

pro-hibted a large percentage of the lint from fluffing.

The weather, in general, was more favorable for cotton production in

Edgecombe and Union Counties with moisture being somewhat limited.

PERFORMANCE RECORDS

Records of the 1957 cotton trials are given for three locations, two in

the Piedmont and one in the Coastal Plain.

One year's record at a single location may not portray the true

per-formance of a variety over a wide range of seasonal conditions. Records of

longer duration are usually more dependable. Therefore, records on the

DIFFERENCES IN YIELDS

Small difference s in yields should be considered cautiously since it

is not possible to determine absolute performing ability.

The size of difference that may have been due to chance has been

com-puted and listed. at the end of each table of 1957 yield date as IIL.S.D."

mean-ing "least significant difference ", A similar value is not listed for records

of longer duration, but the level for significance will be somewhat smaller.

The measures of chance difference should remind the reader not to

over emphasize small differences.

CHOOSING A COTTON

Cotton producers should be constantly on the alert for varieties that

excell in yield and other characteristics that influence more profitable

pro-duction. However, individuals and communities should consider carefully

the performance records before changing or bringing in new and untried

varietie s ,

In choosing a cotton variety that is most likely to produce superior

yields and qualities, a number of characteristics must be considered. For

example, varieties that possess little or no wilt resistance may be very

un-desirable if the soil is infested. with wilt organisms.

WILT RESISTANCE

Four replicates of each variety listed below were planted in root

Clayton, N. C. Wilt severity was determined by rating 50 individual plants

per replicate for disease symptoms as shown by stem discoloration. Disease

severity ranged from 40/0 to 620/0.

Entries

Plains

Empire

Coker 100 Wilt, 1957 BRS

Coker 124, 1957 BRS

Deltapine Fox

Deltapine Smooth Leaf

Pope

Deltapine 15

Disease Severity Rating*

4.2

13.9

17.0

35.6

41.9

52.2

53.6

62.2

SUMMARY OF COTTON DATA

MEAN OF EIGHT TESTS

1955-1956-1957

Lint Seed Staple

Entries Lint

lbs/A Cotton Length

lbs/A Percent 32nd

In.

Pope 534 1346 39.7 33.0

Coker 100 Wilt BRS 525 1419 37.0 34.0

Plains 513 1379 37.2 33.4

Coker 124 BRS 509 1349 37.7 33.7

Empire 466 1248 37.3 33.4

SUMMARY OF COTTON DATA - 1957

Edgecombe, Union, and Rowan Counties

Lint Seed Lint Staple Bolls/lb

Entries Cotton of Seed

lbslA Percent Length

lbs/A 32nd In. Cotton**

Coker 100 Wilt, 1957 BRS 498 1289 38.3 32.7 78

*Coker 100 Wilt, 54-58 500 1303 38.6 32.3 74

~:CCoker 100 Wilt, 54-45 465 1223 38.0 32. 7 81

~.cCoker 100 Wilt, 54-33 483 1237 38.6 32.7 81

Plains 473 1257 37.4 32.7 69

-c

Coker 124, 1957 BRS 464 1218 38.0 32.7 83

*Coker L.H. 54-101 471 1209 38.5 32.0 77

Deltapine Fox 410 1092 37.2 32.7 93

Pope 475 1216 39.0 32.0 84

~cDeltapine 1279 428 1112 37.8 32.7 80

*Deltapine Fox 0253 418 1105 37.3 32.7 81

*Coker L. H. 58M 433 1167 36.8 32.7 76

Deltapine Smooth Leaf 425 1073 39. 1 32.7 92

PERFORMANCE OF COTTON ENTRIES

Edgecombe County

1957

Lint Seed Lint Staple Bolls/lb

Entries

lbslA Cotton Percent Length of Seed

lbs/A 32nd In. Cotton

Coker 100 Wilt, 1957 BRS 752 1925 39.0 33 72

*Coker 100 Wilt 54-58 726 1844 39.4 33 71

~:<:Coker 100 Wilt 54-45 711 1806 39.4 33 72

~.c:Coker 100 Wilt 54-33 706 1800 39.2 34 73

Plains 662 1766 37.5 33 62

*Coker 100 Wilt 54-35 711 1763 40.3 32 64

Coker 124, 1957 BRS 662 1742 38.0 33 72

~:~Coker L. Ho 54-101 659 1670 39.4 32 74

Deltapine Fox 627 1635 38.4 33 78

Pope 630 1612 39. 1 32 82

*Deltapine 1279 630 1597 39.4 33 71

~:C:Deltapine Fox 0253 613 1591 38.5 33 74

~.c:Coker

r.,

Deltapine Smooth Leaf 627 1548 40.3 33 83

Empire 595 1545 38.6 33 61

Deltapine 15 555 1379 40.3 32 75

PERFORMANCE OF COTTON ENTRIES

Rowan County

1957

Lint Seed _Lint Staple Bollsllb

Entries _{Cotton Length of Seed}

lbs/A

lbs/A Percent 32nd Ina Cotton

Pope 340 925 36.8 32 86

*Coker 100 Wilt 54-48 322 893 36. 1 32 76

Plains _{294 839 34.9 33 76}

Coker 100 Wilt 1957 BRS 294 823 35.8 33 83

Coker 124 1957 BRS 287 777 36.9 32 93

~~Coker L. H. 58M 259 756 34.3 33 82

*Coker 100 Wilt 54-33 268 745 35.9 32 89

-c

~:cCoker L. H. 54-101 254 697 36.4 32 79

~.cDeltapine 1279 232 676 34.4 33 88

):CDeltapine Fox 0253 231 662 34.9 33 87

Deltapine Fox 231 649 35.6 32 105

Deltapine Smooth Leaf 239 643 37. 1 33 101

Empire 222 625 35.6 33 73

*Coker 100 Wilt 54-35 229 622 36.8 33 87

Deltapine 15 195 544 35.9 33 87

L.S.D. (. 05) 57 159

PERFORMANCE OF COTTON ENTRIES

Union C ounty**

1957

Lint Seed

Staple

Entries Cotton Lint Length

lbsl A _lbs/A Percent _{32nd In.}

Empire _{548 1351} 40,.6 32

>'.cCoker L.H.54-101 499 1259 39.6 32

*Coker 100 Wilt 54-35 510 1244 41.0 32

~.cCoker L. H. 58M 456 1178 38.8 32

~~Coker 100 Wilt 54-58 452 1172 40.2 32

*Coker 100 Wilt 54-45 440 1167 39.3 32

Plains 463 1167 39.7 32

>'.cCoker 100 Wilt 54-33 475 1165 40.7 32

Coker 124, 1957 BRS 442 1135 39.0 33

Coker 100 Wilt 1957 BRS447 1118 40.0 32

Pope 456 1112 41. 1 32

*Deltapine 1279 422 1062 39.7 32

~~Deltapine Fox 0253 410 1062 38.6 32

Deltapine Smooth Leaf 410 1028 39.9 32

Deltapine Fox 372 993 37.5 33

Deltapine 15 364 887 41.0 32

L.S.D. (. 05) 65 151

>'~Experimentalentrie s