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County Standardized Testing of Cotton Cultivars in Tennessee

Applied Research

Lindsay Stephenson
Extension Agent
University of Tennessee
Brownsville

Abstract

Poster Application for Applied Research

COUNTY STANDARDIZED TESTING OF COTTON CULTIVARS IN TENNESSEE

Stephenson, L.1, Raper, T.2, Blair, R.3

1 Extension Agent II, County Director, Brownsville, TN 38012

2 Pettigrew Cotton Specialist, Jackson, TN 38301

3 Grain & Cotton Variety Testing Specialist, Jackson, TN  38301

     The University of Tennessee Cotton Agronomy Program provides an unbiased evaluation of commercial varieties available for production in Tennessee each year through the County Standard Trials (CSTs) program. The CSTs are large plot variety strip trials located throughout the Western and Central regions of Tennessee and are composed of major commercial cultivars.  Yield and fiber quality data obtained from the UT variety trials, serve as base for seed selection for planting future years crops for area producers.  Producers request for the information prove the tests are valuable resources. For the 2024 season, 15 CSTs were planned, but only eight were successfully harvested. A challenging May weather pattern resulted in roughly one-third of Tennessee’s planned acreage being shifted to alternative crops. Sixteen different cotton varieties were submitted by their respective companies for testing. Each variety was planted in a single plot at each location and maintained according to the individual producer’s practices. Plot sizes ranged from six to eight rows wide and between 125 to 2,500+ feet in length, depending on equipment and field size.  At harvest, the plots were picked using the producer’s equipment. If a basket-style picker was used, the harvested plots were weighed by catching the cotton in a boll buggy before it was dumped into the module builder. In the case of an onboard round module picker, modules were wrapped at the end of each plot and weighed using portable scales. Regardless of the picker type, approximately six pounds of seed cotton were collected from each plot, transported to the University of Tennessee Cotton MicroGin for analysis, and used to determine turnout and fiber quality. Subsamples were ginned at the UT MicroGin and classed at the USDA Classing Office in Memphis, TN.  The 2024 data revealed significant differences in lint yield, turnout, and fiber quality across the tested varieties.

Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC

This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.

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Authors: Lindsay Stephenson, Tyson Raper, Ryan Blair
  1. Stephenson, L. Extension Agent II, County Director, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, 38012
  2. Raper, T. Pettigrew Cotton Specialist, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, 38301
  3. Blair, R. Grain & Cotton Variety Testing, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, 38301