Leaf Osmotic Potentials of Selected Cotton Varieties Under Different Irrigation Regimes in Southwest Texas

With the rapid development of new cotton varieties, producers need the updated information about drought tolerance capacity of the available cotton varieties. In this study, we measured leaf osmotic potential of selected 12 cotton varieties in southwest Texas. The measurements were made three times at early flower, peak flower and boll development stages. Measured leaf osmotic potentials, together with selected other leaf (specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content) and canopy (temperature and NDVI) characteristics, as well as final cotton yield, were used to assess drought tolerance capacity of the selected cotton varieties. The relevance of the this first-year measurement for dryland and irrigated cotton production in southwest Texas is discussed.