Slide 1: New Varieties and U.S. Cotton Quality
Thank you David for that introduction. Serving as chairman of the National Cotton Council, I have faced many challenges this year, dealing with our industry’s issues as well as those on my farm back in Mississippi. Fortunately, we now have a good farm bill that will be in the best interest of both U.S. cotton farmers and our good customers.
Like many other U.S. farmers, I’m dealing with increasing costs, changing insects, weed outbreaks, dry weather during the growing season and rain during harvest. These challenges remind us that we all need to work together. We want to provide our customers with the fibers you need at a price you can afford and at a level that will provide me with a reasonable return.
That brings me to the subject I have been asked to address today--new varieties being developed for U.S. cotton farmers with an emphasis on fiber quality.
Slide 2: U.S Cotton Production Map
Varieties planted in the U.S. are as diverse as our geography and climate. The U.S. climate varies from the humid weather of the Mid-south to the arid weather of the west. Soils are just as variable--from light sands to heavy clays.
My farming operation is near the center of the Cotton Production area of the Cotton Belt in Mississippi.
Slide 3: Perthshire Farms in the Mississippi Delta
It is located on the western edge of the state adjoining the Mississippi River as shown in this inset. The climate during the cotton-growing season is characterized as hot and humid. On average, we typically get more than 130 cm of rainfall each year. Unfortunately, adequate rainfall is not always assured, and I must use irrigation during those periods when rain doesn’t fall.
Slide 4: Variety Selection
My assignment this afternoon is to discuss new varieties under development in the U.S. and how those will affect fiber quality.
When it comes to quality, seed genetics is the most important parameter. Genetics establishes the bounds of a range of fiber quality.
Fiber will never be better than its genetic potential. And external stresses such as nutrient deficiency, insects, weeds, or excessive heat will result in lower fiber quality than its potential.
Slide 5: Cotton Quality
The greater the ability to anticipate threats to the crop, such as dry weather, insect, weeds and plant disease, the greater the likelihood I can manage to minimize those effects. I can choose seed variety but not weather. My seed variety and the weather will determine, to a large extent, the pest problems faced during the growing season. Lastly, managerial skills play a large role in mitigating plant stress and producing the fiber quality closest to the genetic potential of the seed.
Slide 6: Variations in Quality due to the Environment
Once basic genetics are determined in a variety, variations will occur. Environment is the greatest contributor to these variations. Over 80 percent of annual variations of yield and fiber length are due to extremes in temperature, moisture and sunlight. About 45 % of fiber strength variations are due to environment and nearly 70 % of micronaire variations are due to environmental stresses.
Unfortunately, these stresses can be additive. For example, factors that cause shorter staple length often produce higher micronaire.
While we cannot control the weather, we can take some actions to reduce its effects. For example:
Slide 7: New Management Technology Anticipates Crop Needs
We are developing new technology to deal with the extremely complex nature of the cotton plant. New information, equipment and management technology is an important part of my operation.
Slide 8: Technologies Used in Precision Farming
On my farm I am using various forms of precision agriculture to help manage my crop.
Beginning with aerial images, I obtain maps of my fields--not just regular maps but one of spectral images from wave lengths not visible to the naked eye. Looking at various spectral bands with special filters I can get clues as to what may be happening to my crop.
At this stage, a great effort is placed on making sure the images give me good information.
Slide 9: Remotely Sensed Stress Image and Yield Map
Each color on this map represents a different stress level of my crop. These images are taken from high altitude aircraft but eventually may be collected from satellites. Collecting and analyzing data automatically is the key to my being able to manage for optimum yield and fiber quality.
Slide 10: Spatially Variable Insecticide Application
This is an example of a field in which we were using aerial imagery to detect where plant bugs would likely be. Operationally, we will review these maps, and generate map coordinates into our computer on the sprayer. As a result we treat only those areas where insecticides are needed. This allows a significant reduction of chemicals yet allows us to protect the crop from yield and quality robbing insects.
Slide 11: Irrigation Scheduling
Management of irrigation also is important for maintaining fiber development and quality.
Therefore, an important factor in managing my crop is the ability to anticipate when my crop will be under drought stress.
Slide 12: Varieties Vary Widely across the United States
Other techniques may be more applicable in different parts of the United States. Because of the diversity of growing conditions, the U.S. produces a wide range of fiber qualities.
Slide 13: Wide Diversity of Choices
U.S. cotton is as diverse as its culture. Staple lengths will range from as short as 1 inch or less to more than 1 7/16 inch for extra long staple cottons. A wide range of values is present for strength, micronaire and length uniformity. The U.S. has a pool of practically any type cotton you may desire.
Slide 14: 2002 U.S. Cotton Quality
The harvest of the 2002 crop is underway now, being interrupted in some areas like mine with excessive rains. However to date, 75 percent of the U.S. crop has graded at white grades, average mike is 4.6, staple length is more than 1-1/16 in and strength is 28 grams/Tex.
Slide 15: U.S. Map
The next few slides will show typical fiber properties of upland cotton in the four major regions of the U.S. Cotton Belt. The climate, soil and growing conditions in each area are all different so we can expect the varieties and qualities to vary.
The Far West includes California, Arizona and New Mexico.
The states of Texas and Oklahoma represent the southwestern region and typically are planted to varieties suitable for stripper harvesting.
The mid-south are those states bordering the Mississippi River, and the Southeast is made up of those states in the eastern part of the country.
I will briefly discuss typical fiber properties from these regions.
Slide 16: Average Mic 2001 Crop
In 2001, micronaire ranged from about 4 Mic units in the southwest to 4.5 for the West.
Slide 17: Average Length Uniformity Index 2001 Crop
Length uniformity ranged from about 80.3 in the Southwest to 81.7 in the West.
Slide 18: Average Strength 2001 Crop
Far-Western cottons have the highest strength at more than 30.6 g/tex; whereas the other regions average about 27 g/tex.
Slide 19: Average Staple Length 2001
The West also produces the longest staple upland cottons averaging nearly 1 1/8 inch. These averages do not include Extra-Long-Staple cotton which is of course is much longer.
I reiterate, with these ranges of qualities we are able to supply practically any textile need.
It is our goal to increase the fiber length and strength, while reducing the average micronaire. As we look to the future, we see many new varieties under development that will move us toward those goals. I’ll discuss a few of them today.
Slide 20: Emerging Trends in Variety Development
Seed companies are investing in research and development to produce new higher yielding and higher quality varieties.
Competition among seed companies is increasing. We have at least six major suppliers of cottonseed genetics in the U.S. and many smaller ones. Competitive pressure among seed breeders encourages variety improvement.
Slide 21: New Varieties in Development
New variety development is being driven by need. Textile mill requirements are changing as new spinning and weaving technologies are introduced. But we still need fibers for traditional ring and rotor systems.
Grower economics makes it necessary to increase yields while improving fiber quality.
Slide 22: New Varieties Moving into Market
Developing new varieties takes many years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains the most comprehensive germplasm collection in the world with nearly 10,000 different types of cottonseeds from the exotic to the common. These seeds are made available for breeders all over the world.
The end goal of course is to develop strains having good yield with good fiber properties. Without good yields, farmers won’t purchase the seed.
Slide 23: Comparison of Experimental Variety with Current Popular Variety
The next few slides will show how we are working to improve yields and meet fiber quality goals. In these, we will compare the properties of new varieties with some of the most popular varieties being planted now.
This slide compares an experimental variety with a known variety. The experimental variety shows improvement in staple length of about 3 %, improvement of strength of 4%, and lowering the micronaire almost 9%.
Slide 24: Early Season Variety with Current Popular Early Season Variety
Early season cottons have been predominant types for higher latitudes. The most popular variety for the upper Mississippi Delta for the past 2 years has been noted for its short staple and high micronaire. When we look at a new variety in the pipeline that will likely replace it, we see considerable improvements in all three of the basic properties--length, strength and micronaire.
Slide 25: New Full Season Variety vs. Popular Full Season Variety
This slide represents a new full season variety. This variety is suitable for lower latitudes where the growing season is long. When this new variety is compared with its commercial counterpart, we see yield improvement of more than 15% while the staple length remains at a little longer than 36 32nds. Strength is about 30 g/tex and mike goes to about 4.4; uniformity goes to about 81.
Slide 26: New Conventional Variety vs. Popular Conventional Variety
One last comparison: Both of these conventional varieties--the old and the new one--have good yield characteristics and excellent fiber profiles. But they do not have the desirable transgenic factors such as insect resistance and Roundup tolerance. They will have some popularity with farmers where quality premiums offset the additional management risks of planting conventional cotton.
It is my understanding that companies are working to backcross Bt and Roundup tolerant genes into these varieties.
Slide 27: Biotechnology
The final part of my report deals with biotechnology and cotton. Over 75% of U.S. cotton varieties include some type of improvement through biotechnology. The field on the right side of the screen is Bt cotton, whereas the one on the left shows cotton that has been virtually destroyed by insects. Neither side of the field received any insecticide treatment. Predominant transgenic varieties include Bt which provides insect protection from worms, and Roundup technology which makes the plant tolerant to glyphosate, a good, safe broad-spectrum herbicide that kills weeds but does not hurt Roundup ready cotton.
Slide 28: Has Biotechnology Affected Fiber Quality?
There are some people who believe that inserting a new gene in cotton has decreased fiber quality. In order to answer that question, our technical staff compared the quality data of hundreds of plantings in which each transgenic variety was planted in the same plot as its recurrent parent.
Slide 29: How Do Transgenic Varieties Compare With Their Conventional Counterparts
We addressed the question: How do transgenic varieties compare to their conventional counterparts? All transgenic plants and their parents were grown in the same fields under the same environment, inputs and cultural practices. The only difference in the parent and the transgenic is that the transgenic lines had the Bt or roundup gene inserted.
Slide 30: Official Variety Trials
University scientists in 16 different states conducted test over 6 years. We reported these data at the ICAC meeting in 2001 and also at the Bremen Fiber Test Conference in March of this year.
Slide 31: Yield: Transgenic Variety vs. Recurrent Parent
A slight yield increase was detected in Bt and stacked BT/Roundup Ready and a slight decrease in BXN. Increases in yield are likely due to greater insect protection of Bt.
Slide 32: Fiber Strength: Transgenic vs. Recurrent Parent
Only slight changes in fiber strength were observed, with a decrease of about 1/3-gram per tex for Bt.
Slide 33: Staple Length: Transgenic vs. Recurrent Parent
Staple length was unchanged for Bt and a very slight decrease for stacked and roundup-ready (about 1/100 inch.). There was a very slight increase for BXN.
Slide 34: Micronaire: Transgenic vs. Recurrent Parent
Micronaire was slightly improved for Bt, stacked and roundup ready varieties--averaging about 1/10 of a micronaire unit. BXN increased by about the same amount.
Slide 35: Length Uniformity: Transgenic vs. Recurrent Parent
As with other parameters, there is little detectable change in length uniformity index.
This is a comprehensive study and proves to me that transgenic technology in and of itself has no negative effect on fiber quality. If there were changes they would have been detected through this rigorous analysis.
Slide 36: Conclusion
In conclusion, I’m happy to report the outlook for new varieties is promising.
We know that producers and textile mills are in similar circumstances. We both must be efficient to stay in business and we both must get the best materials we can at reasonable prices. We want to be your supplier.
Beginning next year, we can expect to see increases in staple length and strength and reduced micronaire. And we can anticipate even greater improvements in following years. The genetic background is surely improving and by employing modern technology and management, we can maximize its potential.
