EFFECTS OF COTTON VARIETY SELECTION AND IRRIGATION LEVEL ON ECONOMIC RETURNS: TEXAS SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS

As technology increases and new varieties are released for cotton production, producers have more options when choosing inputs and input levels. Studies have been conducted at the Agricultural Complex for Advanced Research and Extension Systems (AG-CARES) research facilities at Lamesa, Texas to determine the agronomic impacts of variety selection and applied irrigation level on cotton production. This study analyzes the effects of variety selection and irrigation level and allocation of limited irrigation water for irrigated cotton producers in the Texas Southern High Plains. For this study, the authors considered three varieties with three irrigation levels. The results show that newer indeterminate picker type varieties yielded higher, had greater response to irrigation, and produced larger profit margins than traditional determinate stripper type varieties