
In the 2024 crop season, two local dryland cotton plots were planted on sandy soils in Evans and Candler counties, Georgia, as part of a trial aimed at identifying cotton varieties that perform well under these challenging conditions. This project, coordinated by Ross Greene, the Candler-Evans County Agricultural and Natural Resources (ANR) Agent, involved collaboration with Bird Farms of Metter, GA, and Mark Glisson of Claxton, GA. Ten cotton varieties were selected by seed companies to represent options that could thrive in less productive soils, with three replications at each location. The results will help guide future variety selection for dryland farming in the region. Another location of this plot was planted in Candler County with results to come at a later date.
Variety List :
Dyna Gro 3799, Dyna Gro H959, Phytogen 475, Phytogen 545, Stoneville 5091, Stoneville 6000, Delta Pine 2055, Delta Pine 2141 NR, Armor 9831, and Armor9371.
Rank | Variety | Per Acre Yield (Lbs) | Gin Out Percentage | Lbs Above/Below Average | Lbs Behind the Leader |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | DG H959 | 954.91 | 42.06% | 154.73 | – |
2 | PHY 545 | 875.27 | 43.30% | 75.09 | 79.64 |
3 | PHY 475 | 852.51 | 40.91% | 52.33 | 102.4 |
4 | AR 9831 | 850.92 | 43.28% | 50.74 | 103.99 |
5 | DG 3799 | 836.36 | 42.50% | 36.18 | 118.55 |
6 | ST 6000 | 818.04 | 45.83% | 17.86 | 136.87 |
7 | ST 5091 | 797.61 | 43.27% | -2.57 | 157.3 |
8 | DP 2055 | 741.45 | 43.57% | -58.73 | 213.46 |
9 | DP 2141 NR | 691.87 | 41.52% | -108.31 | 263.04 |
10 | AR 9371 | 582.87 | 41.88% | -217.31 | 372.04 |
Field Average Yield | 800.18 | – | – | – | – |
This plot went through some extreme weather conditions this season. This plot endured 30 plus days of extreme drought during the month of June that severely stunted some of the less aggressive varieties. Tropical Storm Debbie dumped over 15-17 inches of rain in this area that the entire field standing in water for around 5 days after the storm. This was followed by another hot dry period that was tough because the plant roots were stressed from excess water. After Hurricane Helene brought 90 miles per hr wind gusts and then another 6 weeks with no rain. These extreme conditions could skew the perfomance of a cotton variety’s performance in a more less stressful year so keep that in mind and always look at multiple year cotton data when making variety selection.