A comparative evaluation of five cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars for economically valuable traits was successful through competitive varietal testing during 2022–2024 at the Agricultural Experimental Station for Cotton and Melon Growing, Turkestan, Kazakhstan. Overall, the vegetation period lasted for 117–126 days, boll weight was about 5.8–6.1 g, seed cotton yield measured 4.17–4.57 t/ha, and the fiber yield ranged from 38.0% to 39.8%. The results revealed the promising upland cotton cultivars exceeded the standard cultivar M-4005 and proved valuable in increasing cotton productivity. According to fiber quality parameters, overall, the fiber length ranged from 33.0 to 33.4 mm, micronaire (4.6–4.8 mic), fiber breaking load (4.7–4.9 g/s), and fiber fineness metric number (5470–5520). For fiber quality traits, the promising genotypes also exceeded the standard cultivar M-4005. The fiber of the newly developed cotton cultivars could receive a type IV-V fiber classification, valued for a higher price in the world market.
Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.), cultivars, competitive varietal testing, growth period, seed cotton yield, fiber yield, micronaire
The promising cotton (G. hirsutum L.) cultivars’ evaluation through a competitive varietal testing program helped identify the highest-yielding cultivars with improved fiber quality traits in the Turkestan Region, Kazakhstan.