Managing Modern Cotton Cultivars

Johnie N. Jenkins


 
ABSTRACT

We grew 8 cultivars of cotton for 2 years and mapped where the harvestable bolls were produced. From 65 to 70% of all harvestable bolls were produced at position one sites on sympodia branches. Second position sites accounted for 14 to 18% of yield and all other sites accounted for < 5% of yield on sympodial branches. The monopodial branches accounted for 3-11% of the yield. Fruiting charts are presented which show the value of bolls for each site on the plant. The modern cultivars exemplified by 'DES 119' and 'Deltapine 20' produced significantly more lint at nodes 6-14 than the older cultivar 'Stoneville 213'. This calls for a different management strategy with the newer cultivars. It is suggested that the plant diagrams showing yield by fruiting sites should be used as a blueprint to guide management decisions and should be very useful in conjunction with plant maps during the growing season. A plant diagram showing the probability of various fruiting sites producing a harvestable boll is presented as an average of the 8 cultivars. Since first position sites produce the majority of the lint on all cultivars, the crop should be managed to provide optimum opportunity for these sites to set and mature bolls. The newer cultivars also have the genetic capability to produce more lint from nodes lower on the plant and should be managed to assure this genetic potential is realized.



Reprinted from 1990 Beltwide Cotton Production Conference pp. 51 - 57
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998