Evaluating Performance of Cotton Varieties In Georgia Based on Vegetative Growth, Fruiting Distribution, and Maturity

In 2011, the Georgia cotton crop will be planted without DP 555 BR, which has dominated acreage for several years.  Newer varieties have shown excellent yield potential, but most have noticeable differences in growth characteristics.  These characteristics may impact the consistency of their performance in fields without irrigation where drought stress is a common occurrence.  Experiments were conducted in 2009 and 2010 to examine the growth potential, maturity, and fruiting distribution of newer varieties along with DP 555 BR in irrigated and non-irrigated production situations.