Twenty long staple 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 HA 195 with a yield of 1419 pounds of lint per acre. This interspecific hybrid was the highest yielding variety in the 2001 study also (1). DP 340, one of Olvey’s varieties, was the highest yielding non-hybrid variety in the study; it yielded over 1200 pounds of lint per acre. Yield and other agronomic data as well as fiber quality data are contained in this paper along with estimated values of the lint.

Tobacco budworm (TBW), Heliothis virescens (F.), larvae were highly susceptible to feeding on Bt cotton leaves or flower buds with 100% and 96% mortality occurring within 4 days, respectively, compared to an average mortality of 95% for cabbage looper (CL), Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), and 57% for beet armyworm (BAW), Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), after 14 days feeding on Bt leaves. Larval weights, of CL and BAW after 7, 10, or 14 days of feeding on Bt leaves were lower compared with those feeding on non-Bt cotton leaves. BAW, CL, and TBW larvae consumed significantly less Bt leaf area per feeding day compared with DPL 5415.

Season-long protection from pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), damage has been outstanding each year, since 1996, in NuCOTN 33B7 (Bt) commercial cotton plantings in Arizona. Cotton is a perennial plant and whether or not the insect toxic protein was expressed in overwintered Bt cotton was unknown. This could be a consideration in Arizona Bt resistance monitoring in the field since occasional overwintered volunteer cotton plants may occur. In 2002 we studied Cry1Ac levels in overwintered volunteer Bt cotton plants and determined their effects on PBW and tobacco budworm (TBW), Heliothis virescens F., larval mortalities. No TBW larvae survived three-day feeding periods on Bt leaves compared with < 3% TBW larval mortality feeding on DPL 5415 leaves. PBW larval mortality after three-day feeding on flower buds or seven-day feeding on Bt cotton bolls exceeded 98% compared with 40 to 41 % mortality feeding in DPL 5415 fruiting forms. Cry1Ac toxic protein in leaves, flower buds or cotton bolls of overwintered Bt cotton was not significantly different compared with 2002 seeded cotton.

Conservation or reduced tillage practices in cotton-based crop rotation systems were studied in field experiments initiated at Marana, Coolidge and Goodyear by planting barley cover and grain crops in the fall of 2001. In the 2002 cotton season, conservation tillage practices reduced the number of cultural operations required to grow a cotton crop. Adequate cotton weed control was achieved in conservation tillage systems using only postemergence herbicides; weedsensing, intermittent spray technology reduced the amount of herbicide spray volume used for weed control. Cotton yields in conservation tillage systems were similar to the yields in conventional tillage systems at two sites and greater at one site.

The focus of our 2002 field study was to answer a fundamental question in insect control. Once spraying has begun for a particular pest, when should it stop? In this case, we are faced with the question of when to discontinue sprays for Lygus hesperus in cotton. Cotton is susceptible to Lygus any time there are productive squares on the plant. This study developed a series of worst-case scenarios in which to provide information on timing of the latest possible sprays of economic benefit. By late planting (30 May) varieties from three different maturity groups, we were able to examine Lygus control dynamics just prior to, at, and after cutout — initiation of cut-out was defined as NAWF = 5. We found large differences in yield among the four Lygus chemical termination (LT) treatments. The earliest termination (LT1, 2 weeks prior to cut-out) suffered the largest losses to Lygus, ca. 20–50% of the maximum yield. Conversely, extending Lygus chemical control 1–3 weeks after cut-out (LT3 & LT4) provided no yield benefit whatsoever, regardless of the variety examined. Maximum yields and maximum profits were gained in the LT2, where Lygus controls were continued up to 1 week prior to cutout. Given that there was only 1 week separating the LT1 and LT2 timings, it is clear that timing is absolutely critical. The timing used in this study corresponds with previously established threshold guidelines; treat when there are at least 15 total Lygus with at least 4 nymphs per 100 sweeps. Levels far exceeded this threshold late in the season, yet additional chemical controls after cut-out provided no additional yield or control benefits. Further, we have confirmed that nymphs are the life stage of major concern with, by far, the most capacity to reduce yields. Nymphal reductions were well-correlated with yield enhancement. The best timing (LT2) achieved ca. 93% reduction in nymphal densities during the critical 3- week period around cut-out. In contrast, adult numbers were reduced by only 16% during the same period. These results establish an upper bound for treatment of Lygus, no later than 1 week prior to cut-out; however, more work is necessary to identify if earlier cessation is possible under more normal planting conditions.

We summarize information on the performance of Bt cotton against pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella, in Arizona following six years of use of this new technology. Monitoring of PBW susceptibility to Bt toxin Cry1Ac was conducted annually since 1997 by collecting insects from ten to 17 cotton fields, culturing strains in the laboratory, and measuring susceptibility to Cry1Ac in diet-incorporation bioassays. Based on survival in discriminating concentration bioassays of 10 μg Cry1Ac/ml of insect diet, resistant PBW were detected in low frequencies at 10 out of 17 Arizona locations sampled in 2001 and ranged from 0.0 to 4.0%. Though significantly more abundant than in the previous three seasons, resistant PBW were statistically less abundant in 2001 than they were in 1997. One collection from Paloma, AZ, had 4.0% survivors (uncorrected, actual survival) in bioassays of 10 μg/ml and samples from Coolidge, Maricopa, and Parker Arizona yielded • 1.0% survivors of this concentration. Susceptibility of a limited numbers of 2001 collections of PBW from California, New Mexico and Texas is also reported. Bioassays of 2002 collections are underway at the time of this writing. In a parallel effort, field efficacy of Bt cotton against PBW was documented at five to 39 Arizona locations per year since 1995 by collecting cotton bolls at seasons’ end and counting PBW and exit holes. In 39 pairs of adjacent Bt and non-Bt fields evaluated in 2001 by the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council, mean end-of-season pink bollworm infestation levels were > 15% for non-Bt fields and were < 0.15% in adjacent Bt fields. Thus, field observations indicated that performance of Bt cotton continued to be excellent throughout Arizona in the 2002 season.

A series of experiments were conducted in 2003 in the Upper Gila River Valley in Safford, AZ to evaluate several different formulations of the plant growth regulator (PGR) Pix manufactured by BASF. Two experiments were conducted at the Safford Agricultural Center (SAC) while the third was conducted on a grower-cooperator field in the same valley. Experiments conducted at SAC involved evaluating the four formulations of Pix (Pix, Pix Plus, Pix Ultra, and Pentia) in a standard (STD) treatment regime and a low rate multiple (LRM) regime. The untreated control plots in both the LRM and STD experiments produced higher yields than any of the other PGR formulations. Comparing only the PGR formulation treatments the Pentia treatment produced the highest yield in both the STD and LRM experiments. No significant differences were observed in fiber quality for either the LRM or STD experiment. The third experiment conducted on a growercooperator field was a Pentia demonstration experiment. Three treatments including a control, a standard, single Pentia application, and an aggressive split application of Pentia were employed. The highest yield was produced in the most aggressive Pentia treatment. Results from this set of experiments demonstrate the importance of incorporating information from plant monitoring techniques when making decisions about PGR applications.

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 2003, a total of 11 trials were planted. Two in the Yuma region (Yuma County), two in the western region (La Paz and Mohave counties), four in the central region (Maricopa and Pinal counties), one in the southern region (Pima county), and two in the eastern region (Graham, Greenlee, and Cochise counties). We tested eight to fourteen commercially available varieties at each test site. This article presents the results of the 2003 variety tests conducted at each location.

A field experiment was conducted during the 2002 and 2003 growing seasons to evaluate a central Arizona grower’s method of addressing high cotton fiber micronaire based on the management and timing of agronomic inputs. In-season management and irrigation termination combined with defoliation methods has led to consistent production of premium fiber micronaire in recent years. Steps to accomplish crop defoliation and the subsequent mixing of seed cotton from the top (younger) and lower (older) bolls achieved at harvest are intended to keep the micronaire at premium levels and further prevent discounts on the crop. A companion study was conducted in 2002 at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center (MAC-1,175 ft. elevation) in an effort to duplicate the grower’s late season crop management operations. This study consisted of two treatments, a control (conventional) which received an application of 10 oz. Ginstar combined with 1/2 pt. surfactant in 20 gal./acre carrier and a treatment which received the conventional treatment in addition to a predefoliation of Accelerate and a post-defoliation of Gramoxone, consistent with the grower’s methods. At the grower’s location, data was collected during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In 2002 and 2003, plant growth and development measurements taken in-season revealed that height to node ratio (HNR) and fruit retention (FR) levels tracked well and were similar for both sites and years (grower’s fields and MAC study). Lint yield estimates indicated no difference between conventional defoliation and the treatment receiving additional compounds at MAC in 2002. Average yield estimates were high for the cooperator-grower fields in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Results of the analysis performed on final micronaire data indicated no significant difference in micronaire values between the two methods of defoliation and late season management at MAC. In addition, fiber micronaire values exceeded the premium level (>5.0) for both treatments at MAC. In contrast, the data of 2002 and 2003 obtained from the cooperator-grower gin records revealed consistent results for average fiber micronaire for all of the fields monitored in this project which were at premium levels (<5.0).

A single field study was established to evaluate the effects of planting date (PD) on the yield and fiber quality characteristics of several cotton varieties commonly grown in the Upper Gila River Valley of Safford. Eight varieties selected for evaluation in 2003 ranged from medium to medium-full varieties. These varieties included two Delta and Pine varieties (DP555BR and DP655BR), two Fiber Max varieties (FM989BR and FM991BR), two Stoneville varieties (ST5303R and ST5599BR), one CPCSD variety (Riata), and one variety from the Arizona Cotton Growers Association breeding program (AG3601). These eight varieties were planted on three separate planting dates (1 April, 23 April, and 12 May; 341, 525, and 779 heat units accumulated after January 1, respectively) in a split-plot within a randomized complete block design with four replications. Overall analysis of variance revealed significant differences due to main effects (PD; OSL=0.00043), sub effects (variety; OSL=0.0029), and interaction effects (PD*variety; OSL=0.0266). Extremely cool conditions surrounding the first PD resulted in significantly lower yields that the other two planting dates. Yields for PD 1 ranged from 506 lbs. lint/acre to about 850 lbs. lint/acre with DP555BR producing the highest and CPCSD Riata producing the lowest yield. Conditions surrounding the second PD were much improved over PD 1. However, soil temperatures still hovered near to and below the optimum temperature of 65oF. Yields were dramatically higher in PD 2 when compared to PD 1, ranging from a low of 847 lbs. lint/acre (AG3601) to 1139 lbs. lint/acre (FM991BR). PD 3 resulted in the best conditions for seedling emergence and stand establishment and produced the highest yield. Yields ranged from a low of 945 lbs. lint/acre (CPCSD Riata) to 1465 lbs. lint/acre (FM991BR). Fiber quality data demonstrated a couple of interesting trends. Micronaire tended to increase with later plantings for most varieties while fiber length had an inverse relationship with PD. Micronaire levels tended to be high enough to be discounted for every variety in at least one and usually two PDs, except for Riata. Riata had the lowest micronaire, and the longest and strongest fiber grades. These results are consistent with other evaluations of the high fiber quality associated with many of the California Acala varieties. However, relatively lower yields for this variety currently make it an unsuitable variety for this region despite the high fiber quality. Results from this evaluation demonstrate the importance of monitoring soil temperature and keeping a close eye on local weather forecasts when making planting date decisions regardless of the calendar date.