Archives

PIMA VARIETY TRIALS IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

 

The objectives of these studies with Pima cotton are primarily to evaluate new, approved, and high interest varieties under different environmental conditions and management regimes practiced at REC sites and grower fields across the San Joaquin Valley region of California. Variety evaluations for yield and quality performance for varieties submitted into these trials are initially the responsibility of the San Joaquin Valley Cotton Board. The farm advisors extend these evaluations by adding some continuing field testing of newly-approved and high interest varieties to the Pima tests of the SJV Cotton Board. Pima acreages continue to change. The reason for continuing changes in acreages is overall reductions in planted cotton acreage in California in recent years, but part is also related to increasing shifts to Pima. There are tradeoffs in shifting to Pima (typically reductions in yields) and in shifts to non-Acala Uplands (typically lower price for lint), and growers need reliable, unbiased information regarding expected lint yields and fiber quality in order to make reasonable, lower-risk decisions. Acreage will continue to be volatile with changing input costs and disparities in cotton prices between non-Acala Upland, Acala and Pima cottons…

 

Download full copy of Research here