Cotton Varietal Performance in Relation to Plot Width During Yield and Fiber Evaluation Trials in a Cotton Breeding Program

Through a review of literature spanning the last 100 years, it became apparent that the optimum total row length is approximately 50m in cotton.  It is decidedly less clear whether a two or four row configuration for individual plots would provide an advantage over the other.  To address this issue, we conducted a replicated split-block experiment with 20 commercial cotton varieties in two locations during the 2007 & 2008 growing seasons.  Each location consisted of a two and a four row block.  Yield and fiber data were used to compare individual varietal performance between blocks.