Fiber properties and textile performance of transgenic cotton versus parent varieties

In 1998, Monsanto / Delta and Pine Land Company contracted with the International Textile Center to evaluate the differences in measurable fiber properties and in textile performance between selected cotton varieties and the existing transgenic variants of these 'parent' varieties. (Parents and variants comprise a 'family.') Due to recent interest about the impacts of genetic modifications on fiber properties, Monsanto requested that the International Textile Center release a report on the results of its evaluation. The experimental design, growing and delivering of the ginned cotton samples were done independently by the Delta and Pine Land Company. All processing, testing and evaluation of the cotton fibers were done independently by the International Textile Center. No statistically significant differences were detected in fiber properties or in yarn and fabric quality for the genetically cottons versus the parent varieties. There were some statistically significant interaction effects between genetic variants and families and between genetic variants and locations; however, none of these appeared to be useful for differentiating the variants. Furthermore, attempts to impute meaning to the interaction effects would tend to favor the genetically modified variants.