March 22, 2021
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Key stakeholders from across the Southwest considering final variety selections recently attended the annual Cotton Connections, virtual for the first time. Growers, Extension specialists and consultants saw company and university data illustrating the performance of key competitors in each region.
Ken Lege, Ph.D., one of three PhytoGen® cotton development specialists (CDSs) in the Southwest, presented data from the collective CDS team. The wealth of regional data about PhytoGen brand varieties came from on-farm trials with varieties in late-stage development, as well as university research.
“We suggest producers not limit themselves when it comes to data. It’s best to review multiple trials from several seasons, similar water availability and growing season, to get the right varieties for your farm,” Lege said.
Strong performance across Southwest regions
Averaged across four of the Texas A&M AgriLife irrigated and dryland Official Variety Trials, PhytoGen cottonseed had 7 of the top 10 performers, and 9 of the top 15. Going from north to south of the Southwest Plains, Lege presented recommendations for varieties spanning across the region.
For example, PhytoGen brand PHY 350 W3FE shines in many locations across the Southwest. It’s a very stable performer that fits on tougher ground and can produce some nice, top-end yields on dryland, but it is also widely adapted for irrigation.
“PHY 350 W3FE is aggressive growing, so it may need more management on irrigated acres,” Lege noted.
In the greater Lubbock area on the Caprock, the relatively new PhytoGen brand PHY 394 W3FE proves to be a contender. It’s a short-stature variety bred in Lubbock, Texas, by the PhytoGen breeding program and is highly resistant to vert wilt. It’s early to midmaturing, with excellent yield and excellent fiber length.