Irrigation Rates and Episodic Stress on Yield and Fiber Quality

This project is a combination of irrigation levels as well as the effects of episodes of water stress. Looking at six different FiberMax™ cultivars and looking at the effects on boll distribution as well as yield and fiber quality of cultivars.  At the end of year we will be going plot by plot, looking at boll retention by node and fruiting position of each cultivar over each irrigation level.  In the past we have seen differences in which cultivars produce additional bolls in either top of the plant, middle of the plant or the bottom of plant.  These effects are not necessarily associated with the maturity of plant.  Sometimes early maturing cultivars produce extra bolls at top of plant when exposed to high irrigation levels.  Sometimes you will have early season cultivars that do not produce a lot of early bolls, but produce a lot of bolls in the middle of the plant between nodes 7 and 12.  All of these are going to affect the fiber quality that you look at as well as the effect of water stress on the fiber quality.