PERFORMANCE OF SOME GENOTYPES OF COTTON UNDER CONVENTIONAL AND LATE PLANTING DATES

Planting date is one of the most important management factors involved in producing high-yielding and high quality cotton. However, cotton growers often lost the optimal planting date waiting for the harvest of preceding fullseason
winter crops. So, cotton breeders look forward in selecting some adapted genotypes for sowing at late planting date to enable cotton growers to make better land use by planting a winter crop or take frequent cuts of Egyptian clover before cotton planting. There for, the present investigation aimed to study the behavior of genotypes, general and specific combining ability under late planting date and select the suitable parents and combinations for late planting date. In 2014 growing season seven parents were crossed in a half diallel mating design at Sakha. In 2015 growing season
the seven parents and their 21 crosses were evaluated in two planting dates: the first date was in the last week of April (conventional planting date) and the second planting date was in the last week of May (late planting date). The
results showed that the parents (Suven, CB58 and Giza 93) were good combiner under late planting dates. and the best crosses were Kar.2 x G.94, Suven x { [ G.84 x ( G.70 x G.51 B ) ] x S62 }, Suven x G.93 and CB58 X G.93 for seed cotton yield under late planting date. The parent G.93 and crosses Suven x G.93, C.B58 x G.93 and { [ G.84 x ( G.70 x G.51 B ) ] TJx S62 } xG.93 exhibited the best values for fiber traits. Cotton breeders can use these hybrids to improve breeding programs in order to select the most promising genotypes for late-planting date. These crosses could be exploited in breeding program aiming to improve late-planting tolerance. It will produce valuable economic value for farmer and nation.