EVALUATION OF LOCAL AND INTRODUCED COTTON (GOSSYPIUM-HIRSUTUM L) CULTIVARS IN THE NIGERIAN SAVANNA

Twenty-two local and introduced cotton cultivars were evaluated in the field at Samaru, during three growing seasons (1987-1989) for earline ss, development, yield, and disease (bacterial blight) traits. In 1987 and 1988, eight cultivars were used of which four, one, and three wer e of local Nigerian, exotic Chadian, and American origin, respectively . During 1989, four Camerounian and 11 American cultivars were evaluat ed together with six Nigerian cultivars. Based on several morphologica l characteristics, for example, the number of days to first flower app earance and bell opening, height to and number of nodes to first fruit ing branch, and plant height, seven multi-adversity resistance (MAR) c otton cultivars from the U.S.A. were consistently early maturing and m ore determinate than the Nigerian, Chadian, and Camerounian cultivars. The MAR cultivars also exhibited higher levels of resistance to bacte rial blight, and their seed-cotton yield and other yield attributes we re better than the other cultivars.