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.

Thirty four upland cotton varieties were grown 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 are presented in this paper.

Twenty four upland cotton varieties were grown at the Marana Agricultural Center. 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 planted in 1997. Twelve varieties were evaluated on the Carpenter farm in Central and on the Colvin farm in Eden. Several new varieties were planted in both studies, including 2 transgenic varieties, DP 35B and BXN 47, 2 varieties from Australia and four other varieties seen for the first time. DP 35B and Stoneville 474 were the highest yielding varieties in Central and the Australian variety, IF 1003, had the highest yield in Eden with yields over 2 bales per acre. Other agronomic data from the varieties and 11111 values from the lint are also included in this report.

Twenty five short staple varieties were grown in a replicated field trial on the Safford Agricultural Center. Yields were reduced from what was seen in 1996, with the highest yielding variety, MAC 95 producing less than 2.5 bales per acre. It was followed closely by SG 1001, and DP 90, varieties that have been strong varieties throughout the 1990's. Agronomic values for the plants at harvest and HVI data for lint quality are tabulated in this paper.

Upland cotton advanced strains and commercial check comparison varieties were evaluated in replicated field studies at five locations in 1997. The test sites include Parker, Az., Gila Bend, Az., Buckeye, Az., Maricopa, Az., and Safford, AZ. Ten seed companies submitted a maximum of five advanced strains entries. Three commercial check varieties were used at each site for comparison purposes and included DPL 5415, SG 125, and STV 474.

Variety trials were grown at two locations and with two different sets of short staple varieties. One trial on the Robbs farm, north of Kansas Settlement, tested one acala variety from New Mexico two varieties from Australia and SureGrow 125, the highest yielding variety in Curry trial in 1996. The other trial on the Ed Curry farm, near Sunsites, tested twelve upland varieties as part of the statewide testing program. The highest yielding variety in the Robbs trial was SG 125 with a yield approaching 1.7 bales per acre. In the Curry trial, SureGrow 404, the highest yielding variety in the 1995 trial, had the highest yield approaching 2.5 bales per acre.

In 1996 transgenic Bt cotton was first grown on a commercial level in Arizona. In 1997 transgenic Roundup and Buctril herbicide resistant cotton varieties were introduced and grown on commercially in Arizona. Furthermore, in 1997, four new heat tolerant non- transgenic cotton varieties for commercial release in 1998 were available for University field tests. Prior to 1997, the agronomic characteristics of these new cotton varieties had not been evaluated inside by side replicated field comparisons beyond the level of the developing companies. Field tests were conducted in La Paz and Mohave Counties in 1997 examining agronomic characteristics of new transgenic Bt ( Deltapine 5415 vs. Deltapine 32 B and 33B) and herbicide resistant (Paymaster 1220 BGRR vs. 1244 BGRR and Stoneville 474 vs. BXN 47) and non transgenic heat tolerant (SureGrow 125 vs. 180 and 821, Stoneville 474 vs. 468, and Germain's GC 9230) cotton varieties.

Six short staple cotton varieties including two New Mexico acalas varieties and one advanced strain, two Australian varieties and a SureGrow variety with higher yield potential were tested in this study. The SureGrow variety, SG 125 had the highest lint yield with a yield of 875 pounds of lint per acre, out producing the following varieties by 80 pounds per acre. The average yield was about 100 pounds per acre lower than the previous year, and 50 pounds less than the 5 year average due to a cold spring and an early frost. In addition to lint yields; percent lint, plant heights, height to node ratios, plant populations and lint hvi values are shown. A lint yield comparison for 1993 through 1997 is included in this paper.