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RESULTS
The year was very warm and planting was completed earlier than normal. Seedling disease reduced stands and the early vigor. The crop tended to be taller than normal. Boll weevil numbers were low. Thrips were present in very high numbers in the early part of the season. The year was very warm with 400 DD60's more than normal.
Senath is the southern most location with a silt loam soil. The growing season was excellent. The trial was irrigated as needed. Tobacco budworms were controlled with several applications of insecticides, however there was much worm damage in the upper part of the plant. The yields were reduced in the non-Bt varieties.
The Clarkton location has a sandy soil. It was irrigated as needed.
The Sikeston trial is on a silt loam. The trial was planted late due to excessive moisture in early May. The field was irrigated as needed. The location is so near the northern end of the Cotton Belt that it should be a good indicator of early maturing varieties, especially with the late planting date.
The Portageville silt loam location was irrigated as needed. It is on a field that has been in continuous cotton for over forty-two years.
The Portageville clay trial is on a very heavy clay soil that was a former lake bottom. It was irrigated.
The Roundup Ready trial was on a silt loam and Roundup was applied over the top early before the fifth true leaf and directed later in the growing season.
The results of all of the trials should give very reliable results when planting date and warm growing season is considered.
Weather summary for growing season at Portageville, MO in 2002
| Month | DD-60 | Rainfall |
| May | 255.85 | 5.19 |
| June | 571.3 | .47 |
| July | 687.35 | 3.51 |
| August | 622.3 | 3.4 |
| September | 428.6 | 4.8 |
| Total | 2565.4 | 18.37 |
Averages over 2 and 3 years at all locations should be a good indicator of stability. Using this data along with yields at a nearby location should give a reasonable estimate of expected yield potential.
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