U.S. cotton acreage may have taken a hit recently due to improved economics for corn and soybeans, but cotton breeders and technology companies have stepped up efforts to narrow the gap through advancements in yield, quality and resistance to pests.

The list of new cotton varieties below is not complete, as several seed companies are still in the process of evaluating experimental lines for release in 2010. Any descriptions of the varieties below are provided by seed companies. Some varieties included are in a second year of release and/or may have only been offered in introductory quantities.

Pytogen

PhytoGen is offering these new cotton varieties for 2010:

PHY 367 WRF — This early maturing variety has excellent early season vigor, root knot nematode tolerance, high yield potential and good fiber quality. It is another variety stacked with both WideStrike and Roundup Ready Flex.

PHY 565 WRF — A mid- to full-maturing variety with high yield potential, PHY 565 WRF is a new variety selected for broad adaptation and good-to-excellent fiber quality. This option for growers is stacked with WideStrike and Roundup Ready Flex.

PHY 525 RF — Is a mid- to full-maturing variety selected for broad adaptation, high yield potential and good-to-excellent fiber quality. This variety should appeal to growers looking for a Roundup Ready Flex-only variety.

PHY 375 WRF — Although availability was limited in 2009, PHY 375 WRF has become a leading upland variety across the Cotton Belt. In fact, it was the No. 1 planted variety in the Delta region in 2009. PHY 375 WRF is a WideStrike and Roundup Ready Flex stacked variety. This indeterminate, early maturing line has the capacity to keep growing in stressful environments and matures quicker than other varieties when the crop is protected from early season insects. The excellent vigor and growth habit leads to a high degree of yield stability and fiber quality atypical of early maturing cotton varieties.

Find data specific to your area at www.PhytoGenYields.com, or call (800) 258-3033 for more information.

Dyna-Gro

Dyna-Gro is a proprietary seed brand offered by Loveland Products, Inc., and sold to farm customers through both Crop Production Services distribution retail locations and through other seed retailers that desire to market this premier brand of seed. Visit www.dynagroseed.com for more information.

Dyna-Gro is offering one signature variety for 2010:

DG 2570 B2RF — An early mid-maturity upland variety that has shown excellent seedling vigor. It is smooth leaf cotton that has an open architecture with an associated robust plant growth. It is a medium-tall variety averaging about 42 inches in height. This variety has medium size bolls averaging about 6 grams. DG 2570 B2RF has shown very good drought tolerance and good storm resistance. It has also shown excellent tolerance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt. Overall in all trials, gin turnout has ranged from 39-42 percent, fiber uniformity has ranged from 83percent to 85 percent, micronaire has ranged from 4.4 to 4.9, fiber length has ranged from 1.12 to 1.15 inches, and strength has ranged from 29 to 31 grams per tex.

Overall plant performance of this variety was determined to be very adaptable throughout most of the cotton growing regions and especially well on lighter soils under heat stress and droughty conditions. Limited data has show very favorable yield responses on clay soils. No-till production practices also compliment this variety. DG 2570 additionally responds very well to irrigation for enhanced yields.

Americot

Americot, Inc., offers Americot and NexGen brand cotton. Americot is developing new varieties for the Mid-South that will be released over the next two to three years. The next generation of Americot varieties will be improvements on current varieties, with better fiber traits and yield potential.

One of the most popular Americot varieties is AM 1550 B2RF, which will be planted more extensively in the 2010 season. It is targeted for the North Mississippi River Delta area. This Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex cotton has an early-mid maturity and is a semi-smooth leaf cotton. Its average staple length is 35.6; strength, 27.5; and micronaire, 4.5. It offers excellent yield potential and a solid fiber package. AM 1550 B2RF is widely adapted, performs well in the Mid-South and is well-suited for irrigated, high input acres.

For more information on AM 1550 B2RF and other cottons from Americot, Inc., go to www.americot.com.

Bayer CropScience

Bayer CropScience is evaluating four Bollgard II/Flex and four LibertyLink/Bollgard II varieties for 2010 release. According to Jeff Brehmer, the LibertyLink technology can address the growing glyphosate-resistance issue in cotton fields east of Texas. “We look to enhance or expand what we’ve found in FM 1845LLB2 and FM 1735LLB2. The LibertyLink system with Ignite herbicide has proven to be very successful. One of the key things we see is that farmers spraying the right rate at the right time are highly satisfied with the results.”

Brehmer added, that FM 1845 LLB2 “was in the top 20 percent of all the varieties tested in the South.”

Croplan Genetics

Croplan Genetics is offering the following five existing cotton varieties for 2010:

CG 3020B2RF — A very early-maturity, smooth leaf picker variety with excellent yield potential and premium fiber quality. Best adapted for lighter textured soils in a dryland to low water management system. Micronaire 4.1, staple 36.1, strength 27.6.

CG 3520B2RF — An early-maturity, semi-smooth leaf picker variety with excellent yield potential and premium fiber quality. Fits well in medium to heavier textured soil types and performs well in both dryland and irrigated systems. Micronaire, 4.2, staple 37.3, strength 27.5.

CG 4020B2RF — An early- to mid-maturity, smooth leaf picker variety. Broadly adapted across soil types in irrigated systems and on heavier soils in dryland systems. Micronaire, 4.2, staple, 37.6, strength, 28.

CG 3220B2RF — An early- to mid-maturity, smooth to semi-smooth leaf picker variety. Broadly adapted across soil types in dryland and irrigated systems. Micronaire, 4.4, staple 36.7, strength 28.8.

CG 3035RF — An early- to mid-maturity, smooth to semi-smooth leaf picker Roundup Ready Flex broadly adapted across soil types in dryland and low-irrigated systems. Micronaire 4.5m staple 35.8, strength 29.2.

For more cotton variety information, see http://www.croplangenetics.com.

Deltapine

Deltapine 2010 cotton lines will be released in January. According to Dave Albers, cotton technology development manager, the company is evaluating 13 experimental lines from which three or four new varieties could be released in 2010.

“From the data we’ve gathered so far, we’re seeing another nice yield step over the class of 2009 and competitor checks. We’re pushing the lint percent, or turnout, without going to a smaller seed size. We need to keep a good seed size for seed vigor.”

Visit www.deltapine.com for more information.

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