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Plant growth regulators are routinely used in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production to reduce plant height and hasten maturity. The objective of this research was to determine the response of several cotton cultivars to mepiquat pentaborate (MPB) application in environments accumulating different levels of heat units. Four MPB application regimes were imposed on three cultivars in Virginia and South Carolina in 2005 and 2006. Total MPB season rates of 0.0, 54.9, 85.3, or 121.9 g ai ha -1 applied at the five-leaf stage, pin-head square, match-head square, and early bloom were used. The cultivars were: Deltapine (DP) 444 BG/RR, an "early-maturing" cultivar; Fibermax (FM) 960 BR, a "medium-maturing" cultivar; and DP 555 BG/RR, a "late-maturing" cultivar. In South Carolina in 2006, FM 960 BR July plant height was reduced by 25% with MPB application compared to only 12 and 13% for DP 444 BG/RR and DP 555 BG/RR, respectively, although actual plant height reductions were not different among cultivars. Mepiquat pentaborate applications decreased plant height at harvest by 8 to 34%, height-to-node ratio by 10 to 32%, enhanced maturity as measured by nodes above white flower for all cultivars, and decreased lint yield by 3.7 to 8.5% compared to untreated cotton. Higher seasonal totals and earlier initiation of MPB application resulted in the greatest decrease in lint yield.

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate weed control and cotton response to glyphosate or glufosinate applied alone or with residual herbicides applied in the last POST-directed application (LAYBY) in glyphosate- and glufosinate-resistant cotton. Glyphosate (0.86 kg ae/ha) or glufosinate (0.47 kg ai/ha) were applied alone over the top of glyphosate- or glufosinate-resistant cotton early POST (EPOST) followed by (fb) late POST (LPOST) fb one of the herbicides applied either alone or with a residual herbicide at LAYBY. Glyphosate- and glufosinate-based treatments were applied only to glyphosate- and glufosinate-resistant cotton, respectively. Residual herbicides evaluated included prometryn (1.12 kg ai/ha), fluometuron (1.12 kg ai/ha), diuron (1.12 kg ai/ha), oxyfluorfen (1.12 kg ai/ha), pendimethalin (1.0 kg ai/ha), prometryn + trifloxysulfuron (1.33 kg ai/ha + 12 g ai/ha), or linuron + diuron (0.56 + 0.56 kg ai/ha). Glyphosate-and glufosinate-based weed management systems with and without residual LA...

In developing management strategies for hemipteran pests in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), it is important to understand the potential of plants to compensate for loss of the fruiting structures. Because of its northern latitude, Virginia has fewer available heat units relative to other cotton-producing states. Therefore, there may be limited opportunity for compensation relative to more southerly production areas. Previous work in Virginia demonstrated that cotton can sustain relatively high levels of first position square loss with no yield loss. This study evaluated the impact of a single event loss of 10–14-d-old bolls via mechanical removal on cotton lint yields with the premise that boll loss would have greater impact than square loss as less time and fewer heat units are available for compensation. Field experiments examining four levels of boll removal (0, 5,15 and 20%) were conducted in 2001,2002 and 2003. Each boll removal level was imposed at three different dates, beginning 2 wks after first flower and at 3- to 5-d intervals thereafter. Yields ranged from 1103–1422 in 2001, 909–1124 in 2002, and 843–1015 kg lint per ha in 2003. There were no significant differences in lint yields among the boll removal dates or removal levels. The results of our study showed that cotton in Virginia, which approaches the northernmost latitude for cotton production, is capable of sustaining losses as high as 20% of 10–14-d-old bolls at a single removal event without affecting lint yield. Results were consistent despite the wide variation in rainfall and temperatures during the 3 study years.

The timing of certain cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) management practices varies according to the yield potential and quality characteristics associated with a variety. A defoliation timing study was performed to (i) determine if certain cultivars respond differently to defoliation timings and (ii) compare the use of the open boll percentage at defoliation (OBPD), nodes above cracked boll (NACB), and micronaire readings at defoliation for their effectiveness in timing defoliation. The study was conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Treatments consisted of two proprietary cultivars (ST 474 and DP 5409), each defoliated on the basis of OBPD measurements. At the time of defoliation, NACB was recorded and lint samples were retained for later high volume instrumentation (HVI) analysis. Neither variety produced consistently higher yields than the other in this study. In 2000, delaying defoliation from 40 to 60 OBPD would have resulted in a significant addition of approximately 75 kg lint ha -1 for either variety. Stoneville 474 micronaire was highest in all years suggesting that timely defoliation is more critical to ST 474 cotton compared with DP 5409 in years when overall conditions are favorable for high micronaire. DP 5409 fiber length (UHM) values were consistently higher than ST 474 and UHM was unaffected by changes in OBPD values regardless of variety. Stoneville 474 had higher uniformity index (UI) values in all three years and delaying defoliation produced mixed results. The data demonstrate that proper defoliation timing strategies aimed at optimizing quality can vary across varieties. Proper defoliation timing in the two varieties examined in this study varied little with respect to yields. Both NACB and micronaire readings taken at defoliation were more effective for timing defoliation to optimize micronaire readings than OBPD.

Stresses during cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) square and boll formation can result in fruit abscission from several continuous nodes, resulting in a fruiting gap on the plant. This gap may cause a shift in benchmarks for timing various agronomic practices aimed at maximizing cotton yield and optimizing quality. A cotton defoliation timing study was performed in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to (i) see if the creation of a fruiting gap would influence defoliation timing and to (ii) compare the use of the open boll percentage at defoliation (OBPD), nodes above cracked boll (NACB), and micronaire readings at defoliation as tools for timing defoliation. In late July or early August each year, a fruiting gap was created by physically removing fruit from several continuous nodes on plants. Plots were defoliated on the basis of various OBPD values. Upon defoliation, OBPD and NACB were taken and lint was retained to determine the micronaire at defoliation. In both 1999 and 2000, there was a yield advantage to delaying defoliation beyond 60 OBPD in treatments containing a gap. However, in 2001 there was no yield advantage to delaying defoliation. This may have been due to optimal late-season growing conditions experienced in 2001. In years when micronaire readings are high, data suggested cotton not containing a fruiting gap is more likely to be above discount levels for high micronaire and should not be defoliated past 60 OBPD. In both 1999 and 2000, trends confirmed a direct relationship between OBPD and both yield and micronaire. Overall, these studies demonstrated that in some years, where no fruiting gaps exist, it might be possible to terminate cotton before the 60% open boll recommendation without sacrificing yields. These results would allow farmers to shift defoliation, and hence harvest, to a time when there are fewer risks of quality-based discounts. While a significant interaction prohibited the examination of the use of micronaire at defoliation as a technique for timing defoliation, there did not appear to be a significant advantage to using either NACB or OBPD for timing defoliation.

Field experiments were conducted in 1997–1999 in Washington Co., NC, to examine how cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, is affected by thrips species composition and abundance, environmental factors, and insecticide applications. Populations of adult and juvenile thrips were monitored in seedling cotton treated with insecticide applications of either imidacloprid as a seed treatment, acephate as a foliar spray, or aldicarb applied in-furrow. The number of plants per 3.05 row-m, location of the first fruiting branch, number of open bolls per 1.52 row-m, yields, accumulated degree-d 60′s (DD60′s), and accumulated rainfall were recorded each year the studies were conducted. Aldicarb and acephate provided better thrips control than did imidacloprid in all 3 yrs. Thrips species ratios differed among years. In 1997, the aldicarb treatment resulted in a better “earliness profile” (lower fruit set and more early opening bolls) than either acephate or imidacloprid, while in 1998 and 1999 there were few differences in these plant parameters. In 1997, all insecticide treatments resulted in statistically higher yields compared with the untreated check. Accumulated DD60′s were consistently higher in 1998 and 1999 than in 1997 after the first thrips sampling date. Cumulative rainfall appeared to be inversely associated with juvenile thrips populations.