Fruiting distribution patterns among three cotton varieties under irrigated conditions

A field experiment was conducted at the UA Maricopa Agricultural Center (MAC) to determine the fruiting distribution patterns of two commonly grown Upland varieties, DP 33b and DP 5415, and one American Pima variety, Pima S-7. Results indicate that cotton plants (G. hirsutum L. and G. barbadense L.) produce total yield at fruiting branches one through 18, with the majority of yield occurring at fruiting branches one through 12. Among these fruiting branches, the majority of yield is occurring at fruiting positions one and two. These results indicate that the bulk of the yield is produced early in the season and declining as the season progresses, in general with the highest yields occurring at fruiting branch one and then declining at subsequent fruiting branches.