Upland cotton advanced strains and commercial check comparison varieties were evaluated in replicated field studies at four locations in 2000. The test sites include Yuma, AZ., Buckeye, AZ., Maricopa, AZ., and Safford, AZ.. Nine seed companies submitted a maximum of five advanced strains entries per location. Three commercial check varieties were used at each site for comparison purposes and included DP 5415, SG 125, and STV 474.

Each year the University of Arizona conducts variety trials across the state to evaluate the performance of upland cotton varieties. These tests provide unbiased data on the performance of varieties when tested side-by-side under typical production practices. In 2000, we planted a total of ten trials, one in the southwestern region (Yuma county), six in the central region (MoHave, La Paz, Maricopa, and Pinal counties), one in the southern region (Pima county), and two in the eastern region (Graham and Cochise counties). We tested six to ten commercially available varieties in each test. The purpose of this report is to present the results of our 2000 tests conducted in southwestern, central and southern Arizona. Lee Clark presents results from eastern Arizona in two companion reports in this publication. The results show that many varieties performed well at several locations, indicating good adaptation to Arizona conditions. The highest yielding varieties did not always produce the most value per acre, clearly demonstrating the importance of both yield and fiber quality in determining the value of the crop. Growers should carefully weigh the costs and benefits of yield, quality, and transgenic technology when selecting varieties.

One replicated on-farm short staple variety trial was planted in Graham County in 2000. Ten varieties were evaluated on the Larson farm in Thatcher. Several new varieties were planted in these studies, including 5 transgenic varieties, 3 varieties from Buttonwillow Research in California, and the newest acala from New Mexico. The Australian variety, FiberMax 989, produced the highest yield with 895 pounds of lint per acre. Paymaster 1560 BRR and DPL 655BRR followed close behind and were not separable statistically from the leader. Yield and other agronomic data are reported by variety along with HVI values from the lint.

Twelve varieties were tested including three New Mexico Acalas and one Acala from Buttonwillow Research in California, three roundup Ready varieties, a buctril resistant variety, a Bollgard variety and three other varieties. The highest yielding variety in the trial was 1517-99, with FiberMax 989, 1517-95 and SureGrow 521RR following in yield. Yields were considerably lower than seen in the previous year’s study (1). Several Roundup Ready varieties were included in this study. Plant mapping data and HVI data are also included in this report.

Eighteen Acala cotton varieties were tested in a replicated small plot trial on the Safford Agricultural Center in Graham county at an elevation of 2950 feet. The highest yielding variety in this study was Hazera 195-208, an interspecific hybrid from Israel, with a yield of 1387 pounds of lint per acre. It was followed closely by two varieties from New Mexico, 1517-99 and B7514. Hazera 195-208 had the highest yield in an interspecific hybrid study and 1517-99 was the highest yielding Acala variety in the Upland cotton regional variety trial in 1999 (1). The next five varieties consisted of two interspecific hybrids from Israel, a variety from Buttonwillow Research and two advanced strains from New Mexico. Yield and other agronomic data as well as fiber quality data are contained in this paper.

Each year the University of Arizona conducts upland cotton variety tests to evaluate the performance of a diverse set of experimental and commercial varieties in Arizona. One such program is the Regional Variety Test (RVT). In 2000, we evaluated a total of 61 varieties at one or more locations in Arizona. These varieties were submitted to us for testing by 13 private seed companies and three public breeding programs. This report presents the results of the trials conducted at Maricopa, Marana, Safford and Yuma.

Twelve varieties were tested including three New Mexico Acalas and one Acala from Buttonwillow Research in California, three roundup ready varieties, a buctril resistant variety, a Bollgard variety and three other varieties. The highest yielding variety in the trial was FM 989 with a yield of 1046 pounds of lint per acre. It was also the highest yielding variety in the Cochise County trial the past two years, but had not been grown in Hidalgo or Greenlee Counties before. BW 9802, a variety from Buttonwillow Research in California, came in a close second. Interesting HVI data are also included in this report.