This season, cotton producers from Texas to the Carolinas faced historic and extreme weather patterns that threatened yields and production. Despite record abandonment of the crop in Texas and flooding in the South, much of U.S. crop, especially outside of Texas, held up fairly well, a tribute to the cotton plant’s resiliency. Soon, another harvest season will be in the rear view mirror, and planning for next season will begin. Here’s an early look at what’s new in cotton seed and technology for 2012 for the Mid-South, Southeast and Southwest regions. We’ll provide more detail on new varieties in the spring. Information was provided by seed companies.

Americot, Inc. – Americot and NexGen brands

Americot, Inc. is introducing two new varieties for the Mid-South and Southeast:

AM 1511 B2RF(field tested as AMX 001 B2RF) is a Bollgard II, Roundup Ready Flex variety that features excellent yield potential and an excellent fiber package with a staple range of 36-37, strength 29-30 and micronaire (mic) 4.4-4.8. This early-mid maturity variety is a medium- to-tall plant and a semi-smooth leaf cotton. AM 1511 B2RF has performed very well in the Carolinas, Georgia, the north Mississippi River delta and Virginia. AM 1511 B2RF has excellent seedling vigor and provides proven Fusarium wilt tolerance and moderate Verticillium wilt tolerance.

AM UA48was developed by the University of Arkansas and is well suited for the northern cotton growing areas of the Mid-South. This early maturing variety offers an excellent fiber package with a staple range of 39-41 and a strength range of 34-35 and good yield potential. AM UA48 also has excellent tolerance to RKN/Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight.

As for existing varieties, Americot AM 1550 B2RF continues to be the company’s workhorse in the Southeast and Mid-South. Offering consistent, outstanding yield potential, AM 1550 B2RF was planted more extensively in the 2011 season. 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 Southeast and Mid-South.

For more information, go to www.americot.com

Americot offers these new NexGen varieties for Southwest cotton producers.

NG 2051 B2RFis a Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex cotton. “This new NexGen variety represents Americot’s commitment to continued developing and marketing of early-maturing varieties for the northern High Plains of Texas and western Kansas.” says Terry Campbell, Americot general manager. “NG 2051 B2RF offers growers excellent yield potential, excellent fiber package and excellent seedling vigor in a storm proof variety.  NG 2051 B2RF compliments NG 1551 RF in an area that’s no stranger to high yields.” 

NG 2051 B2RF is an early-maturing cotton with medium plant height and averages 36-37 staple, 3.7-4.7 mic and 29-30 strength. NG 2051 B2RF willperform under either irrigated or dryland production systems and is well-suited to the northern production areas of the Texas High Plains, northern Oklahoma, and Kansas or in any situation where the growing season is limited.

AM 1511 B2RF(field tested as AMX 001 B2RF) is a Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex cotton for growers in central and south Texas. Itfeatures excellent yield potential and an excellent fiber package. It has a staple range of 36-37, strength 29-30 and micronaire 4.4-4.8.  The early-mid maturity variety is a medium to tall plant and has a semi-smooth leaf. “After several years of testing variety candidates in this growing region, Americot is introducing AM 1511 B2RF to growers in central and south Texas, where it has performed very well in research trials,” says Campbell.

  For more information on cottons from Americot, Inc., go to www.americot.com.

All-Tex

All-Tex Seed, Levelland, Texas, will offer nine new cotton varieties in 2012, including five conventional offerings, one of which is a new Pima cotton variety.

Rapid (2359) B2RFis an early maturing, semi-hairy picker variety with staple averaging from 1.14 to 1.17, strength at 29 to 31 and micronaire running from 3.8 to 4.8. It offers excellent yield potential and premium fiber from Lubbock north.

Edge (81227) B2RFis an early-late, semi-smooth picker variety with premium quality characteristics and high yield potential for Texas producers. Strength ranges from 28 to 32; Mic is 3.7 to 4.8, and staple runs 1.10 to 1.20.

Dinero (81220) B2RFis a medium, semi smooth leaf picker type cotton with exceptional fiber qualities and high yield potential for Texas. Strength ranges from 29 to 33; mic is 3.6 to 4.5 and staple is 1.14 to 1.23.

81144 B2RFis a medium, semi-smooth leaf, picker cotton is with a 3.5 to 4.4 mic range, 1.17 to 1.26 staple and strength at 29 to 37.  It is adapted to both irrigated and dryland conditions and offers a superior fiber and yield package.

A102is a medium-early conventional cotton variety with mic ranging from 3.5 to 4.9, staple at 1.07 to 1.19 and strength at 25 to 31. A102 is a semi-smooth leaf variety adapted to irrigated and dryland production in the Texas Gulf Coast, Texas High Plains and Oklahoma. It is semi-storm tolerant and similar in maturity to FM 958.

OL220is a semi-smooth, okra leaf, medium maturity variety with a high turnout. It is adapted to dryland or irrigated conditions over a wide geographical area. Quality characteristics include; mic, 3.5 to 4.8; staple, 1.10 to 1.17; strength, 28 to 31.

LA122is a medium, smooth leaf picker cotton with excellent yield potential and good fiber characteristics. It is storm tolerant and widely adapted to Texas, Mississippi (Delta and hills) and Georgia. Quality figures include micronaire at 3.5 to 4.9; staple at 1.08 to 1.20 and strength at 26 to 31.

7A21is a  new medium maturity, semi-smooth picker variety with excellent fiber quality and storm tolerance as well as good tolerance to Fusarium and Verticillium wilt and is widely adapted to Texas, Mississippi Delta and irrigated acreage in Georgia. Characteristics include a 3.5 to 4.8 micronaire range; 1.11 to 1.21 staple and strength at 29 to 32.

P-203is a new Pima cotton with a medium maturity, semi-smooth leaf cotton with exceptional length, strength and yield potential. Characteristics include: 44-46 strength, 4.0 to 4.44 mic and 1.42 to 1.48 staple.

Bayer CropScience – FiberMax and Stoneville brands

Bayer CropScience offers these new Stoneville varieties for the Mid-South and Southeast.

ST 4145LLB2 offers the newest Stoneville germplasm in a LibertyLink/Bollgard II variety with tolerance to Ignite herbicide and proven to perform under a wide range of environmental conditions with excellent yield potential. This is an early-maturity variety with moderate height and growth characteristics and is easily managed with PGRs.

ST 4145LLB2 is an important asset for growers who have glyphosate-resistant pigweed populations. Ignite is labeled for over-the-top use on all LibertyLink crops, including cotton, corn canola and soybeans. Visit Bayer for more information on Stoneville cotton varieties.

The introduction of LibertyLink/Bollgard II in the Mid-South and Southeast “is just the first phase ,” said Jeff Brehmer, U.S. FiberMax and Stoneville marketing manager. “When we move into 2013, we’ll be looking at evaluating the GlyTol/Liberty Link varieties with either Bollgard II or our own proprietary insect gene. That will become the standard, giving producers the ability to spray the right herbicide to control weeds.”

Bayer CropScience offers four new cotton varieties for the Southwest:

FM 2011GT is well-adapted to the High Plains and Rolling Plains of the Southwest and has exhibited excellent yield potential. FM 2011GT features GlyTol glyphosate-tolerant technology. With its wide application window and optimal crop tolerance for over-the top applications of glyphosate, GlyTol offers cotton growers more freedom in their weed management decisions.

FM 9250GL is the first commercial cotton variety with dual herbicide tolerance to both glyphosate and Ignite herbicide adapted to the High and Rolling Plains. This GlyTol/LibertyLink variety offers growers in this area excellent yield potential and fiber quality. Agronomic characteristics are similar to FM 9058F with a compact plant type and large, storm-tolerant bolls.

FM 2989GLB2 is a medium maturity GlyTol/LibertyLink/Bollgard II variety with dual herbicide tolerance to both glyphosate and Ignite herbicide. It has demonstrated excellent adaptation to the Southwest. It has a medium/bushy plant type with excellent yield potential and good fiber quality.

FM 2484B2Fis a medium maturity Roundup Ready Flex/Bollgard II variety with a moderate growth habit that can mature later in high-moisture and late-planted situations. Additionally, it offers outstanding yield potential and excellent fiber quality.

GlyTol LibertyLink is the first-ever cotton with full tolerance to both glyphosate and Ignite herbicides. This innovation gives growers two nonselective herbicide modes of action to increase the spectrum of weed control, fight resistant weeds and reduce the potential for future development of weed resistance. Visit Bayer for more information on FiberMax varieties.

Croplan Genetics

Ample supply of these varieties will be available for the 2012 growing season. CG 3006 B2RF is a very early variety that has performed exceptionally well on irrigated acres in the northern Texas High Plains. It offers excellent seedling vigor and emergence, top-end yield potential and premium fiber package. A determinate type variety, CG 3006B2RF fits in those areas that struggle to accumulate heat units in an average growing season.

CG 3156B2RF is an early-mid maturity, medium-tall variety with excellent seedling vigor and early-season emergence. It has demonstrated outstanding yield potential along with excellent fiber properties and very good storm tolerance. It is adapted across regions, but has shown its best fit in west Texas north into Kansas. CG 3156B2RF delivers consistent yields on both dryland and irrigated acres. It is moderately tolerant to Verticillium wilt and is bacterial blight resistant.

CG 3787B2RFis a medium-tall, late-mid maturating variety adapted for dryland production systems, but will also deliver excellent yields on irrigated soils. CG 3787B2RF has excellent seedling vigor and early season emergence and excellent fiber qualities. It fits extremely well across the Cotton Belt from west Texas through Georgia. For more cotton variety information, go to Croplan Genetics.

Dow AgroScience’s PhytoGen brand

PhytoGen cottonseed is offering a lineup of early- to full-maturing varieties in 2012 that provides cotton growers with multiple high quality, high yielding choices for their farm. Among these is a new variety with broad adaptability.

PHY 499 WRFis an early to mid-maturing, semi-smooth variety with excellent seedling vigor and exceptionally high yield potential. PHY 499 WRF has performed well in official variety trials throughout the Cotton Belt, showcasing its ability to be broadly adapted. It will be available in limited supply in 2012.

Other varieties available for 2012 include PHY 375 WRF, which was the top selling cotton variety in the country in 2011, planted on 10.7 percent of all upland acres; PHY 367 WRF, which performs well in west Texas under pressure from Verticillium wilt; PHY 565 WRF, grown from Georgia through Mississippi and Louisiana and into South Texas; PHY 440 W, which has shown to be an especially effective variety in Texas’s Coastal Bend; and PHY 485 WRF, which performs well in the south Delta. Find data specific to your area at PhytoGen.

Dyna-Gro

Dyna-Gro is releasing this variety for the Southwest region:

DG 2595 B2RFis a mid-maturity upland variety that has shown excellent seedling vigor. It is semi-smooth leaf cotton that has an open architecture with an associated robust bushy plant growth. Plant growth regulators should be considered for in-season plant growth patterns. It is a medium-tall variety averaging about 40 inches in height. This variety has small to medium sized bolls averaging about 4.5 grams. DG 2595 has shown very good storm resistance. It has also shown good tolerance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt. Overall in all trials, gin turnout has ranged from 38-42 percent, fiber uniformity has ranged from 82-85 percent, micronaire has ranged from 4.7 to 5.0, fiber length has ranged from 1.13 to 1.17 inches, and fiber strength has ranged from 28 to 31 grams per tex.

Overall plant performance of this variety was determined to be primarily adaptable to the Southwest cotton-growing regions and especiallyon sand to silt loam soils under well managed production systems. The best lint yield responses occur in the Southwest regions. Lint yield analysis has shown that the variety is most stable when grown in irrigated environments. Dryland production is discouraged. Limited data has show favorable yield responses on specific clay soil series. No-till production practices also compliment this variety. DG 2595 responds very well to irrigation for enhanced yields in other cotton growing regions.
Visit Dyna-Grofor more information on varieties.

Monsanto’s Deltapine brand

Farmer demand is expected to be strong in 2012 for both DP 1133 B2RF and DP 1137 B2RF, two Deltapine Class of 11 cotton varieties launched on a limited basis in 2011 and showing strong yield potential this fall.

DP 1133 B2RFis a mid-maturity variety with smooth leaves that offers a great combination of yield potential and fiber quality for the lower Mid-South and east and central Texas markets. When planted in vigorous growing conditions, DP 1133 B2RF is a bushy-type plant that will need PGR applications beginning at the 8- to 10-node stage. It is typically easy to manage with PGRs. The plant height is similar to DP 0912 B2RF, and it appears to handle stress conditions very well.

DP1137 B2RFis a mid-maturity variety with smooth leaves that has demonstrated outstanding yield potential for dryland situations in the upper Southeast, the dryland acres of north Alabama and the dryland hills of the Mid-South. This variety has excellent early-season vigor when planted in good growing conditions, but its best fit is the droughty regions of the Carolinas and north Alabama. Under stress conditions, DP 1137 B2RF can develop desired stalk size and produce outstanding yield. It will need some moderate to heavy PGR management early in its growing stage if good growing conditions occur.

The new Deltapine Class of 12 cotton varieties will be announced in December. The Deltapine Class of 12 variety candidates were grown and evaluated in the New Product Evaluator (NPE) trials across the U.S. Cotton Belt this season.

“We’re excited about the improvements we see from the Class of 12 candidates,” said Dave Albers, U.S. cotton germplasm manager. “These candidates offer potential for some real yield and fiber quality improvements over current commercial lines.”

To learn more about Deltapine cotton varieties, go to www.deltapine.com.

Seed Source Genetics

Seed Source Genetics is offering two new cotton varieties for the Mid-South, Southeast and Southwest in 2012. Seed-Source Genetics is a family owned corporation that was formed in December of 2004. It purchased the inventory and marketing rights of the cold tolerant cotton from Douglass King Seed Company of San Antonio, Texas. The descriptions are provided by the seed company.

SSG UA 03is an early, okra leaf, high yield picker-type variety with a staple length of 36-39, micronaire, 4.2-4.5, and strength, 31-33 grams per tex. The variety will be available in limited quantities.

SSG UA 22 is a mid-early, semi-smooth, high yield picker-type variety with a staple length of 36-39, micronaire, 4.0-4.5 and strength, 31-33 grams per tex. The variety will be available in limited quantities.

Other varieties the company has available in ample quantities include

SSG HQ110CT, an early variety, SSG HQ210CT, a mid-early variety, SSG HQ211CT, a mid-early, SSG HQ212CT, a mid-early, SSG CT310CT, a mid-maturity and SST CT Linwood, a mid-early, hairy-leaf variety. 

Public breeding programs 

University of Georgia

GA 230is a conventional, full-season cotton variety with an excellent staple length (39-41), strength (29-33), and mic (mid-4) package. In regions with longer growing seasons, it is very competitive with the best varieties in yield; it can have a very strong top crop. GA 230 yields relatively better in dryland conditions. It is smooth-leaf and has a normal, upright growth habit that may need PGRs to control growth.