Glycoconjugate analysis is being used to monitor growth and development of cotton fibers. Environmental stress has been detected by glycoconjugate analysis. The present study was undertaken to compare developing bolls at different stages of development under identical environmental conditions. Prior to this study developmental samples have only been obtained from tagged flowers or from bolls at the same stage of development. The differences in glycoconjugate profiles between bolls at the same age could have been due to differences in individual plants due to soil characteristics within the field. In this study glycoconjugate analysis documented the developmental profile of glycoconjugates in bolls of different ages collected from the same plant at the same time to eliminate variability due to individual plants or field soil characteristics.