In addition to yield, fiber quality is an important component to the value and marketability of cotton in our state and should be considered when selecting varieties. The tables in the link below illustrate fiber quality results for both the trials that included all technologies as well as Xtend-only trials. In both sets of trials, the tables illustrate the average fiber quality values for each variety across all on-farm trials in each category during 2025. Parameters include lint percentage, micronaire (MIC), fiber length (LEN), fiber strength (STR), length uniformity (UI), color grade, leaf grade, and trash.
Newsletter - 2025 On-Farm Fiber Quality
Varieties in the tables above are sorted according to Lint percentage (gin turnout). As you can see, fiber quality for essentially all varieties in this program was quite good. Despite the dry August across most of the state, temperatures were quite a bit cooler than normal for most of August which continued into September and October. As such, micronaire was noticeably lower than normal. Although a rare occurence in North Carolina, micronaire values were within the premium range for several varieties and in multiple trials. There was only one incidence (1 variety in 1 trial) where micronaire reached the discount level for high micronaire, but there were several incidences of low micronaire, which is even more rare in North Carolina. There were no cases of short staple, and average fiber length was excellent for the most part. Color and leaf grades were par for what we generally expect, with some varieties resulting in slightly lower leaf grades compared to recent years. In the large majority of trials, several varieties resulted in fiber quality that was well within the acceptable ranges, which is something to be celebrated.
Again, results from the on-farm program along with OVT will be discussed in much greater detail during the upcoming winter meetings, so be sure to attend one near you. Also, we want to again reiterate our appreciation to all of our leadership organizations (NC Cotton Producers Association, NCDA&CS, NC State, Cotton Inc.) our participating Seed Companies, and TAMA for their efforts and support in this program for the benefit of all North Carolina cotton growers, as well the diligence and hard work that our county agents, consultants, and cooperating growers put into this program during 2025. This program was a success again in 2025 due to the efforts of all involved and we look forward to another year of this program in 2026!
