Western Farm Press Logo

As Pima producers consider varieties for 2022, PhytoGen® cottonseed builds on market leadership with increased yield potential and improved FOV4 tolerance.

3 Min Read
Worth Farms Pima 1540x800.jpg
Submitted by PhytoGen cottonseed

California and Arizona Pima acres are set to increase this year, if cotton prices remain strong going into the 2022 season.

With an increase in cotton acres comes a greater interest in newer Pima cotton varieties.

“The current Pima price is very attractive, and many growers are looking toward planting cotton next season,” said Jennifer Vallat, cotton development specialist for PhytoGen® cottonseed in California and Arizona. “There is more interest in cotton for this season, and growers are asking what Pima varieties they should plant.”

Vallat said high yield potential is still the No. 1 factor growers consider when selecting cotton varieties. But tolerance to Fusarium Race 4 (FOV4) is increasingly important to Pima producers.

The benefit of FOV4 tolerance became even more evident last season, when many fields experienced higher pressure from the disease.

“Last season, we saw more FOV4 in California, especially in competitive cotton varieties with lower tolerance,” Vallat said. “We had cool, moist planting conditions, which increases seedling disease pressure. When plants are distressed, FOV4 can really take off.”

PhytoGen cottonseed was the first brand to offer varieties with FOV4 tolerance nearly two decades ago. FOV4 tolerance research is a continued breeding priority now that PhytoGen is the U.S. cottonseed brand of Corteva Agriscience. Varieties are tested and developed for FOV4 tolerance at the company’s breeding and research station in Corcoran, California.

Leading varieties, always improving

PhytoGen is the market leader in Pima cotton with varieties that set the standard for yield and FOV4 tolerance. According to the last USDA Cotton Varieties Planted Report in 2020, PhytoGen® brand PHY 881 RF was planted on more than 81% of U.S. Pima acres and has been the variety of choice for U.S. Pima growers for several years.

“PHY 881 RF is a top performer, a workhorse,” Vallat said. “It has proven itself season after season, and it’s consistent year in and year out. It performs very well on a lot of acres, and growers are familiar with it.”

But Vallat is even more excited about the brand’s newest Pima variety, PhytoGen brand PHY 807 RF, as well as several experimental varieties currently being tested in the breeding pipeline.

“PHY 807 RF slightly outyields PHY 881 RF in most areas, with a very similar fiber package — a little better micronaire,” Vallat said. “Both varieties have similar FOV4 tolerance when you look at vascular ratings, but PHY 807 RF offers an improvement in foliar ratings, resulting in better overall plant health.”

In 2020 California Extension trials, PHY 807 RF yielded between 102% and 115% of PHY 881 RF, and Vallat said she saw a similar yield advantage on growers’ farms in 2021.1 These top-performing varieties allow Pima producers an opportunity to diversify cotton acres between two proven varieties in 2022.

As cotton is planted later this spring, Vallat said she and the PhytoGen breeding team will continue to evaluate experimental Pima varieties for yield, fiber quality and FOV4 tolerance.

“We are looking at several experimentals that all have great attributes, and we’ll test them for another year to tease out the differences,” Vallat said. “We’ll move forward with the one that ticks the right boxes for Pima growers and provides higher yield potential than our current varieties.”   

To get more information on PhytoGen brand varieties for your region, go to PhytoGenCottonseed.com/facts.

1 University of California, Pima Cotton Variety Trials, 2020.

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. © 2022 Corteva.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like