Rk. Boman et al., LONG-TERM NITROGEN-FERTILIZATION IN SHORT-SEASON COTTON - INTERPRETATION OF AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS USING STABILITY ANALYSIS, Journal of production agriculture, 10(4), 1997, pp. 580-585
Lint yield and many other agronomic characteristics of cotton (Gossypi
um hirsutum L.) are greatly influenced by environment, The objectives
of this work were to evaluate the use of stability analysis on various
agronomic characteristics of cotton and to assess some of the environ
mental factors that influence their response. Lint yield, gin turnout,
picked lint percentage, and micronaire data from a single-site, long-
term, soil fertility experiment on cotton conducted in the field under
irrigated, short-season conditions were analyzed using conventional s
plit-plot in time analyses of variance. Stability analyses (linear reg
ression of a response variable (e.g., lint yield) for a specific treat
ment on the location/year environment mean for the same response varia
ble) were also used to investigate the treatment by environment intera
ctions. Stability analyses suggested that applied N had no effect on l
int yield in low-yielding environments (defined as <500 lb/acre). Appl
ied N resulted in significant increases in lint yield in high-yielding
environments (>500 lb/acre). No significant yield advantage was detec
ted for applying more than 40 lb N/acre in low or high yielding enviro
nments. Applied N at 80 and 120 lb/acre reduced gin turnout in all env
ironments, Higher N rates resulted in greater reductions in gin turnou
t in high gin-turnout environments. Micronaire was reduced by applied
N in low-micronaire environments, but was increased by applied N in hi
gh-micronaire environments. Only in 2 of 11 yr did N fertilization inf
luence micronaire of the cultivars tested. Stability analyses were use
ful in detecting subtle treatment effects over multiple environments i
n agronomic characteristics of cotton and for partitioning treatment b
y year interactions. This information was enhanced by having a minimum
of 10 yr of data for all characteristics evaluated.