The effect of adverse weather conditions early in the growing season, especially the cool and chilling temperatures on seed germination and emergence, can have far-reaching effects on plant growth and development. In addition to the immediate effect on emergence rate, seedling development and stand establishment, chilling also may alter growth and fruiting pattern throughout the season, resulting in reduction in lint yield and fiber quality. Results from early and near-optimum planting date experiments demonstrated the importance of establishing a uniform healthy stand early in the season. Final stand was 22% higher and lint yield increased 107% for the optimum (March 15) planting date. Fiber produced under optimum planting date conditions was 0.05 inches longer, 1.8 g/tex stronger, and 0.41 lower in micronaire units, and had 0.7% higher uniformity and 0.2 higher elongation than that from the early (February 24) planting date. The study demonstrated genetic differences among cultivars and strains for yield and fiber quality in response to early season weather adversity. New advanced MAR-5 cotton germplasm has the genetic potential to withstand early season adverse weather conditions and the ability to produce high yield and fiber quality under both adverse and optimum weather conditions.