ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial variability in measures of cotton fiber quality. This study was conducted in a 98-acre field near Plainview, Texas in 2001 and 2002. Seed cotton samples were collected from the field (with GPS locations), ginned, and analyzed for micronaire, length, strength, and uniformity using HVI. Commercial HVI classing results from the bales produced in the same field were compared to the field sample testing results. Both types of results showed that micronaire and short fiber index exhibited the greatest variability, while Uniformity Index showed the lowest variability. Results of fiber quality testing from the samples collected in the field and from the commercial bales were nearly identical, showing that our sampling methodology effectively represented the field. Nevertheless, results from our sampling method also provided information about the fiber quality spatial distribution in the field, which potentially provides opportunities to improve the fiber qualities using site-specific crop management techniques.