Six New Mexico and California Acala cotton varieties were tested along with three upland varieties with good quality and excellent yield potential 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 DP 655BR with a yield of 1367 pounds of lint per acre. The next highest variety was Fiber Max 989. This latter variety, while not officially classified as an Acala, produced the longest fiber in the study. Yield and other agronomic data as well as fiber quality data are contained in this paper.

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 2001, we planted a total of 12 trials, one in the Yuma region (Yuma county), two in the western region (La Paz and Mohave counties), five in the central region (Maricopa and Pinal counties), one in the southern region (Pima county), and three in the eastern region (Graham, Greenlee, and Cochise counties). We tested seven to twelve commercially available varieties at each test site. The purpose of this report is to present the results of the 2001 tests conducted in the Yuma, western, central, southern, and eastern regions of Arizona.

Upland cotton advanced strains and commercial check comparison varieties were evaluated in replicated field studies at three locations in 2001. The test sites include Yuma, AZ., Maricopa, AZ., and Safford, AZ.. Nine seed companies submitted a maximum of six advanced strains entries per location. Four commercial check varieties were used at Maricopa and Safford-DP5415, NuCOTN33B, SG747, and ST474. Five commercial check varieties were used at Yuma-DP5415, DP33B, SG747, ST474, and DP451BR.

Thirty-six upland cotton varieties were grown in a replicated trial at the Maricopa Agricultural Center as part of the National Cotton Variety Testing Program. Lint yield, boll size, lint percent, gin turnout percent, plant population and fiber property data are presented in this report.

Variety trials were grown at two locations and with two different sets of short staple varieties. One trial, north of Kansas Settlement, tested nine acalas and one rust resistant variety from Mexico. The other trial, south of Kansas Settlement and east of Pearce, tested three acalas and nine upland varieties. Top yielding varieties were Maxxa, in the acala trial and DPL 2056 in the upland trial. Yields were lower than expected due to adverse weather conditions, including hail.

Ten short staple cotton varieties including four New Mexico acalas, one New Mexico experimental acala, three California acalas, one hybrid acala and a rust resistant variety from Mexico were tested in the 1993 variety study. The highest yielding variety was Maxxa with a lint yield of 832 pounds per acre. In addition to lint yields; percent lint, boll weights, plant heights and plant populations are shown. Average boll weights are compared between this location and three other elevations varying from 1400 feet to 4100 feet above sea level.

Ten field experiments were conducted across the cotton growing areas of Arizona in 1993 for the purpose of evaluating Upland cotton varieties in terms of adaptability and performance. Five commercial cottonseed companies participated in the program. Two varieties were submitted from each company at each location. Experiments were conducted on grower -cooperator fields in each case. Locations used in the program spanned the range of conditions common to cotton producing areas of the state from about 500 ft. to 4,000 ft. elevation. Results indicated a broad range of adaptability and competitiveness on the part of each of the participating companies and their representative varieties. Each of the companies offers a compliment of varieties that can serve to match various production strategies commonly employed in the state as well as showing a strong capacity to be regionally adaptive.

Two on farm, replicated short staple variety demonstrations were established in 1993. Twelve varieties were evaluated in one location and fifteen varieties were evaluated at the other. Delta Pine 90 was the highest yielding variety at one location with a yield of 1387 pounds of lint per acre and Stoneville LA 887 was the highest yielding variety at the other location with a yield of 1134 pounds of lint per acre.

Fifty three short staple varieties were grown in a replicated field trial on the Safford Agricultural Center. HS SAL 10, a long season variety, was the highest yielding variety in the trial with a lint yield of 1772 pounds per acre. Average yields in this trial were lower than in 1992, even though there were more heat units during the growing season. HVI data for the varieties in the trial are included in this report.

Ten field experiments were conducted in many of the cotton growing areas of Arizona in 1994 for the purpose of evaluating Upland cotton varieties in terms of adaptability and performance. Seven commercial cottonseed companies participated in the program. Two varieties were submitted from each company at each location. Experiments were conducted on grower- cooperator fields in each case. Locations used in the program spanned the range of conditions common to cotton producing areas of the state from about 500 ft. to 4,000 ft. elevation. Results indicated a broad range of adaptability and competitiveness on the part of each of the participating companies and their representative varieties. Each of the companies offers a compliment of varieties that can serve to match various production strategies commonly employed in the state as well as showing a strong capacity to be regionally adaptive.