Analyzing the Components of Hybrid Cotton Yield and Its Relationship with Environment

Cotton hybrids show commercially useful level of heterosis for lint yield. Lint yield is a product of several yield components. We studied three cotton hybrids to understand the role of individual yield components associated with hybrid vigor and their interaction with environment. Three parental lines Deltapine 51, Stoneville 474 and Stoneville LA 887 representing both early and full season cultivars were used to develop three hybrids. Hybrids and their parents were studied across 8 different locations representing good as well as stressed environments. Data was collected for lint yield and lint yield components. Results will be presented to describe the role of boll number and boll retention towards increased lint yield of hybrids as compared to parents in stressed environments.