On-Farm Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Variety Evaluations Under Incidence of Verticillium Wilt

Cotton varieties were planted at two locations in the Tennessee Valley region and evaluated for symptoms relating to Verticillium Wilt disease in 2016. Disease ratings were taken just prior to first crack boll. Ten feet sections of rows in selected areas of the field replicated 4 times were observed for total plant number and disease severity ratings of foliar symptoms evaluated on a scale of 1-5 with 1 having no foliar disease symptoms, 3 having interveinal chlorosis and necrosis of the leaves, and 5 having complete plant defoliation and plant death. Stems of each plant within the markated 10 feet sections were longitudinally cut to asses disease incidence. Yield data was collected for each variety at the respective on-farm locations to correlate observed disease injury to any reduction in cotton lint yields.