effects of environment on the relationship between cotton fibre properties and yarn characteristics

Cotton fibre samples from three different localities were commercially processed into 15 and 30 tex ring spun yarns and 20, 30 and 50 rotor spun yarns. Multiple regression analyses were used to relate yarn tenacity and irregularity to the different fibre characteristics for all five yarn types. Multi-collinearity amongst fibre properties suggested that micronaire and fibre fineness and maturity should not be used simultaneously in a multiple regression analysis. The high correlation between 2,5% span length and 50% span length also required that only one of these two measured fibre properties be used as an independent variable. With backward stepwise regression analysis highest R 2 values were realized for the samples from Loskop. A larger percentage of the variation in yarn tenacity and irregularity was explained by the independent X-variables in the case of Loskop samples than was the case with samples from Rustenburg or Vaalhartz. Fibre maturity and fibre fineness gave better results as independent variables than micronaire units. Breeders should be able to obtain maturity and fineness evaluations on a routine basis.