Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine seed cotton yield, yield components and fiber technological properties of four mutant cotton varieties from Azerbaijan (Agdas-3, Agdas-6, Agdas-7 and Agdas-17) and three local standard varieties (Maras-92, Sayar-314 and Stoneville-453) belonging to Gossypium hirsutum L. The study was carried out at the experimental field of Koruklu Agricultural Research Station in Sanliurfa Province (Akcakale-Harran Plain) in the South-east Anatolian Region of Turkey. The trial was established in randomized block design with four replications in four years (2001 to 2004 ). In the study, plant height, monopodia, number of sympodia and boll, weight of seed cotton per boll, ginning outturn, 100 seed weight, seed cotton yield, earliness ratio, fiber length, fiber fineness, strength and uniformity  were investigated. According to the results of four years' trials, the varieties, in all investigated characters except fiber fineness, strength and uniformity and year x variety interactions for plant height, number of bolls per plant, seed cotton yield and first harvest ratio, were found to be significant. The highest sympodial number was taken from Agdas-3 variety (13.79), the highest number of boll per plant was taken from Agdas-17 (15.41) and the highest seed cotton weight per boll was taken from Agdas-7 (5.54 g).   All Agdas varieties had less ginning outturn than local standard varieties. The highest seed cotton yield was obtained from Agdas-17 (3654.2 kg ha^-1), followed by Agdas-3 (3593.8 kg ha^-1). All Agdas varieties had more seed cotton yield than standards except Agdas-7. Among Azerbaijan varieties, Agdas-3 was the earliest maturing variety with 81.3% of first harvest ratio. All investigated varieties were similar to each other in fiber technological properties. In conclusion, it can be said that among Azerbaijan varieties, Agdas-17 and Agdas-3 had higher seed cotton yield than local standard varieties, and they are the most hopeful varieties for Southeast Anatolian Region.

Key words: Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., seed cotton yield and fiber technological properties.