Cotton farmers in the past planted extra seed then thinned to a stand. Labor costs now prohibit this practice. When planting conditions are ideal, many producers now have plant stands which are excessive. If seed quality could be accurately determined and a good weather forecast were available, growers could do a better job of planting to a stand.

We compared the warm (86F) and cool (64F) germination tests for a total of 74 seed lots at two planting dates in 1983-1985. Field emergence percentage of seed lots were taken at several dates. A relationship between seed quality and heat units following planting was developed.