On-Farm Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Stacked-Gene Cotton Cultivars In the Coastal Bend Region of Texas

Because of the rapid introduction of new cultivars/technologies into the marketplace today, growers and practitioners are forced to make cultivar selection decisions with less information than in the past.  In most cases, decisions are based upon single-year information from academic/public sources, and sometimes the only information available is derived from seed company reports.  Due to the rapid turnover of cultivars (three to four year life-cycle), multiple-year testing has virtually become a “thing-of-the-past.” 

Traditional small-plot cultivar testing programs are inadequate in scale and design to investigate the economic impact of new cultivars/technologies.  Generally, small-plot testing programs are not managed under field-scale, grower conditions.  Agronomic management of weed, insect and plant growth regulator use and harvest operations will not be reflective of the commercial system.  Consequently, an on-farm, large-plot cultivar testing program was developed by Texas AgriLife Extension cotton agronomists with the goal of providing growers and practitioners with information necessary in making cultivar decisions.