Glycoconjugate analysis is being used to monitor growth and development of cotton fibers. Environmental stress has been detected by glycoconjugate analysis. This study presents glycoconjugate profiles for developing fibers from bolls taken from different fruiting branches on the same day from two fields with identical irrigation schedules up to the end of June 1996. After that date one field was not irrigated. The glycoconjugate profiles from the developing fibers taken from bolls of plants that were not irrigated show a number of peaks that are present after a retention time of 16 minutes which are not predominant in the fibers from the irrigated plants. In addition, there is a difference in the peaks at 14 minutes. The working hypothesis is that these are cell wall precursors which are not utilized in cell wall synthesis or that the inhibition of a rate limiting step in cell wall synthesis results in their accumulation