PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY FIBER IN VARIETIES ANCIENT AND MODERN COTTON

Abstract

Seed and lint yield have been the main selection criteria in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) breeding. So far the effect of these criteria on earliness, yield components and fiber properties is not known. Therefore an experiment was established in 1986
at La Laguna Experimental Station, State of coahuila, to study six Deltapine cultivars released at different years. A complete randomized blocks design with four replications was used. The highest seed and lint cotton yields were showed by the most recently released cultivars, Deltapine 90, Deltapine 16 and Deltapine 80, which outyielded the oldest genotype (Deltapine 15-A) by 37, 30
and 15%, respectively. Total seed yield showed a positive correlation with seed cotton yield in the first harvest, boll number/m2 and
fiber fineness. Correlation values between seed cotton yield and fiber percentage, seed index, seed number/ boll and length and fiber strength were low and non significant.