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

Two on farm, replicated short staple variety demonstrations were established in 1994. Fifteen varieties were evaluated on the Layton farm in Thatcher and eighteen varieties were evaluated on the Colvin farm in Eden. Several new varieties were planted in both studies. Stoneville 324 and HS 46 were the highest yielding varieties with yields of 1060 and 975 pounds of lint per acre at the Thatcher and Eden locations, respectively.

Fifty five short staple varieties were grown in a replicated field trial on the Safford Agricultural Center. Germain's GC 9033, a variety with the same apparent maturity as DP 90 was the top variety for seedcotton yield but came in third place in lint yield behind two varieties from Australia. Average yields were about 200 lbs per acre lower than 1993, which were about 200 pounds per acre lower than in 1992. HW data for the varieties in the trial are included in this report.

Nine short staple cotton varieties including five New Mexico acalas, four California acalas were tested in the 1994 variety study. The highest yielding variety was 1517-91 with a lint yield of 1009 pounds per acre. The average yield was nearly 200 pounds per acre higher than the previous three years. In addition to lint yields; percent lint, plant heights, height to node ratios and plant populations are shown. A lint yield comparison for 1991, 1993 and 1994 is included in this paper.

Variety trials were grown at two locations and with two different sets of short staple varieties. One dial on the Robbs farm, north of Kansas Settlement, tested eight acolas varieties from New Mexico and California. The other trial on the Curry farm, southwest of Kansas Settlement and north of Sunsites, tested twelve upland varieties as part of the statewide testing program. The latter trial was grown under drip irrigation. Yields were exceptionally high at these high elevation trials due to the record breaking heat experienced during the summer. Top yielding varieties were Prema in the acala trial and DP 5409 in the upland trial with lint yields of 892 and 1791 pounds per acre, respectively.

Two short staple cotton variety trials were conducted in the Colorado River Basin. One trial was located in the Parker Valley and one in the Mohave Valley. Ten varieties from various seed companies were entered in each test. Yields varied considerably among varieties and locations. However, these trials among others provides evidence that current variety choices are viable components of Arizona cotton production.

Forty eight , non -commercially available advanced strains cotton varieties were tested in 1994 on a commercial farm in Gila Bend, AZ. D &PL 5415 and Sure Grow 501 were included as commercial checks for comparison purposes. Ten participating cotton seed breeding companies entered five lines each of materials which were felt to show promise for potential commercialization. Lines were specifically chosen for their potential for yield performance under low desert environmental conditions. Each plot was six rows wide by 38 feet long replicated four times. The test was planted on April 1, 1994 and harvested on November 17 and November 29, 1994 for both the first and second pick respectively.

Thirty -six upland cotton advance strains were grown in a replicated trial at the Maricopa Agricultural Center. Lint yield, boll size, lint percent, plant population and fiber property data are presented in this report.

Twenty six short staple advanced strains/varieties were grown in a replicated field trial on the Safford Agricultural Center. SureGrow SGX247 was the highest yielding cultivar in the trial with a lint yield of 1628 pounds per acre. The exciting feature of this trial is that the top two swains exceeded the highest yield in the Regional variety trial by 100 to 150 pounds of lint. This is the first time that so many advanced strains were tested in a given year. The site at Safford gives cotton breeders an insight as to how their advanced strains or new varieties will perform in the high deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. HVI data for the varieties in the trial indicate that the average fiber length was greater than 1.11 inches and the average fiber strength was greater than 30 grams/tex.

Eleven field experiments were conducted in major cotton growing areas of Arizona in 1997 for the purpose of evaluating Upland cotton varieties in terms of adaptability and performance. Six commercial cottonseed companies participated in the program. A maximum of two varieties were submitted by each company at each location. Experiments were conducted on a commercial level on grower-cooperator fields in most cases. Locations used in the program spanned the range of conditions common to cotton producing areas of the state from about 100 ft. to 4,000 ft. elevation. Results indicated a broad range of adaptability and competitiveness. Each of the participating seed companies offer a compliment of varieties that can serve to match various production strategies commonly employed in the state. Many varieties commercially available performed well at several locations demonstrating good adaptation to Arizona conditions.