Jason S. Bergtold, Kipling S. Balkcom, Randy L. Raper, Francisco J. Arriaga, Andrew J. Price, and Ted S. Kornecki. USDA-ARS, 411 S. Donahue Drive, National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Auburn, AL 36832
Given fluctuating market prices for cotton and increased production costs over the past few years, cotton quality is playing an increasing role in determining if a farmer will earn a profit or a loss in a given year. Furthermore, firms are willing to pay a premium for stronger cotton with less variation in micronaire, improved uniformity in fiber length and lower levels of contamination. Newer varieties of cotton promise to offer higher yield with improved quality, which has historically been seen as a trade off in the past. Farmers have traditionally selected high yielding varieties with slightly lower quality characteristics due to their potential to provide higher net returns. On the other hand, some farmers have moved away from transgenic varieties to conventional varieties due to an improvement in lint quality and no technology fees. A number of agronomic factors, such as variety selection, water usage, fertilization methods and temperature regulation, influence cotton quality and in turn can be influenced by the choice of tillage system. While a limited amount of research has examined the relationship between cotton quality and tillage system using experimental data, no effort has yet been undertaken to examine this relationship using actual on-farm and ginning data for different varieties. The purpose of this research project is to examine the effect conservation tillage systems and variety selections have on cotton quality attributes. Data for the project was obtained from a cotton gin in northern Alabama. Data was be used to conduct statistical analyses of the probability of earning a premium given the use of conservation tillage systems, variety selection, quality attributes, and other farm characteristics. Such information may be useful to help producers and gins maximize profits by providing guidance on variety selection and production decisions that improve cotton lint quality.
