Evaluation of the agronomic performance of new cotton varieties (Gossypium hirsutum L.) introduced in the Senegalese cotton basin

Abstract

In view of the inter- and intra-annual variability of rainfall in the Senegalese cotton zone, improving productivity depends largely on the strategy of choosing and disseminating high-performance plant material adapted to the zone. Thus, a comparative study of the agronomic performance of four new cotton varieties according to the different agro-climatic zones of the Senegalese cotton basin was initiated. The experimentation was carried out between 2015 and 2016 in three Multilocal Experimentation Antennas (AMEX). A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Observations focused on earliness at flowering, earliness at boll maturity and yield and its components. The results showed that the varieties FK 37 and FK 64 are at the same level of earliness as the popularized control (Stam 129) and have good production levels (seed cotton and lint). The variety IRMA-L484 was characterized by a late maturity and a low fiber production. IRMA-L457 has a productive capacity in seed cotton and lint, but presents a late maturity. In addition to agronomic performances, the study of the technological characteristics of the fiber could reinforce the criterion of choice of the varieties in substitute of the one popularized in the cotton zone.

Keywords: Production, Variety, Yield, Seed cotton, Cotton zone, Senegal