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ARC-IIC: 2013 National Cotton

Cultivar Trials

During the 2012/2013 season a total of seven trials were planted at the following localities: Loskop (Mpumalanga),
Makhathini (Kwa-Zulu Natal), Marydale, Upington and Vaalharts (Northern-Cape) and Weipe (Limpopo) (all irrigated)
and one dryland trial at Roedtan.

he Department of Agriculture and Land Reform: Northern The growing season at Loskop resulted in record cotton yields for
Cape planted the trials at Marydale and Upington. The trial the past season.
Tat Marydale could not be used due to poor stand. The trial Makhathini
at Roedtan did not receive any rain and therefore the trial was
discarded. Eight to ten cultivars were tested at each test site (See At Makhathini, the cultivar, PM 3225 B2RF produced the highest seed
Table 1). The National Cotton Cultivar trials provide many segments cotton yield of 3202 kg ha-1 followed by the cultivar, 13 P3001B2R2
of the cotton industry with unbiased data on yield, fiber quality and with 3155 kg ha-1 . Makhathini experienced a very wet season (Figure
agronomic performance of commercially available varieties. Several 2).
seed companies enter the varieties they feel have the best chance of Upington
producing high yields of good quality fiber.
The cultivar, OKRA gave the highest seed cotton yield of 7791 kg ha-1,
followed by PM 3225 B2RF with 7134 kg ha-1 (Figure 3). Exceptionally
Origin of cultivars: good yields were also obtained in Upington.
Monsanto DeltaPine: DP 210 BRF, Delta 12 BRF, PM 3225 B2RF, Weipe
13P3001B2R2 and OKRA.
The cultivar, Candia B2RF gave the highest seed cotton yield of 5816
ARC-IIC: Gariep VERTOL1, Gariep VERTOL2 and A3. kg ha-1, followed by cultivar 13P3001B2R2 with 5317 kg ha-1 (Figure
4). The trial at Weipe was an irrigation trial but when the river is too
Bayer: Candia B2RF and Candia BG2D
low, the irrigation pumps cannot work, and therefore the trial was
only planted in December.
RESULTS The complete report with fibre qualities will be available at the
end of August from CottonSA. The ARC-IIC wishes to thank all its
Groblersdal Irrigation
collaborators for their assistance in these trials and CottonSA for its
At Loskop Experimental Station, the cultivar PM 3225 B2RF financial support and fibre quality analysis.
produced the highest seed cotton yield of 7586 kg ha-1 (Figure 1).
The cultivar 13P3001 B2R2 gave the second highest yield of 7381 kg By: Tilla Pretorius and Piet Maja. Agricultural Research Council-Institute
ha-1. Candia B2RF produced the highest fibre percentages of 45%. for Industrial Crops, Rustenburg.

Table 1. Entries used in the di erent trials at the di erent localities.
Loskop Makhathini Marydale Weipe Roedtan
(Irrigation) (Irrigation) Vaalharts (Irrigation) (Dryland)
Upington
(Irrigation)
DP 210 BRF PM 3225 B2RF DP 210 BRF DP210 BRF DP 210 BRF
Delta 12 BRF Delta 12 BRF Delta 12 BRF Delta12 BRF Delta 12 BRF
PM 3225 B2RF 13P3001B2R2 PM 3225 B2RF PM 3225 B2RF PM 3225 B2RF
13P3001B2R2 OKRA 13P3001B2R2 13P3001B2R2 13P3001B2R2
Okra A3 OKRA OKRA OKRA
A3 Gariep VERTOL1 Gariep VERTOL1 A3 A3
Gariep VERTOL1 Gariep VERTOL2 Gariep VERTOL2 Gariep VERTOL1 Gariep VERTOL1
Gariep VERTOL2 Candia BG2D Candia B2RF Gariep VERTOL2 Gariep VERTOL2
Candia B2RF Candia B2RF Candia B2RF Candia B2RF
DP 210 BRF CandiaBG2D

Katoen SA Cotton 16 September-December 2013