* May rollovers heat up ahead of delivery next week
* China's cotton acreage seen falling in 2012

NEW YORK, April 20 (Reuters) - Cotton futures ended mixed
Friday, with the spot May contract off over 1 percent as
rollovers heated up ahead of its delivery period next week and
investors sought further clarity on China's plantings.
Cotton posted its second-straight week of gains in choppy
trade, recovering from Monday's 4-cent daily limit plunge to a
near four-month low to bounce limit-up on Wednesday, back above
the 90-cent level.
The July cotton contract on the ICE Futures U.S.
exchange rose 0.29 cent to end at 91.01 cents per lb, after
moving between 90.03 and 91.24 cents.
On a benchmark basis, the spot May contract has been mired
in a range between 87 and 94 cents since the start of March,
Thomson Reuters data showed.
This week's volatility was driven in part by the prospects
of a busier delivery period in the May contract, said Mike
Stevens, an independent cotton analyst in Louisiana.
"The prospect for excitement in May cotton deliveries lost
most of its suspense this week when a big volume of open
interest disappeared," he said.
Open interest in the May contract plummeted 6,790 lots on
Wednesday. Another 2,858 lots were shed on Thursday, bringing
total interest in May to 4,538 contracts.
"What happens in the May delivery will dictate how much
cotton there is left to tender on July and either build a fire
under the July/Dec or defuse it."
Friday's estimated volume slowed to about 13,500 lots, down
more than half the 30-day norm, according to Thomson Reuters
data.
Prices, especially new-crop December, have been
pushed and pulled by uncertain prospects regarding China's
planting intentions.
According to a survey by the country's Agriculture Ministry,
Chinese cotton sowings may fall some 4 percent in 2012. The
China Cotton Association has said it expects cotton acreage to
drop by 16.7 percent.
(Graphic: link.reuters.com/tad45s )
Open interest rose 185,487 lots as of April 19, from the
prior day's 184,636 lots, ICE Futures U.S. exchange data showed.