Fans will wrangle over rankings, but there’s no debate on this one: PhytoGen® brand PHY 499 WRF is the No. 1-planted upland variety throughout the Delta region for the third consecutive year.
“We’re very appreciative that growers have made PHY 499 WRF a continued favorite,” says Chris Main, PhytoGen cotton development specialist for the north Delta.
Producers across the Midsouth have experienced great success with it, says Brooks Blanche, cotton development specialist for the south Delta.
“PHY 499 WRF is our flagship variety,” Blanche says. “And it’s still one of the strongest performers on heavy clay, non-irrigated soils.”
PHY 375 WRF is another first stringer that again performed well this year in the north Delta.
Other strong performers include one of the newest releases, PHY 333 WRF, an extremely high-yielding variety. Its characteristics include early maturity, good growth potential and an outstanding fiber quality package.
“PHY 333 WRF has a very low micronaire value, an important characteristic that helps avoid costly discounts,” Blanche says. “PHY 333 WRF is a great complement to 499 and performs extremely well on good cotton ground. This is one for your best soils.”
North Delta producers should consider PHY 333 WRF for prime acres, Main adds. He says PHY 333 WRF has a yield potential as good as or better than PHY 499 WRF.
“It’s the early-maturing equivalent of 499,” Main says. “You can plant it early on dryland acres or later on high-yielding acres. It has the maturity to fit the north Delta.”
PhytoGen Adds to Strong Lineup
Blanche reports that producers in the south Delta have seen improved cotton bollworm control this year with PhytoGen brand PHY 495 W3RF, the first three-gene Bt product on the market. They’ve also seen high yield and great quality, he says.
“PHY 495 W3RF is an excellent option for producers concerned with yield losses due to cotton bollworm,” Blanche says.
“If there is one thing growers can understand, it is resistance,” Main says, “We’re looking to prevent Bt resistance with PHY 495 W3RF. It provides trait durability.”
Another early to mid-maturing option in the PhytoGen cottonseed portfolio is PHY 339 WRF. Characteristics include excellent fiber quality and high-yield potential especially on irrigated, fertile soils. PHY 339 WRF adds full resistance to bacterial blight and is an excellent choice for producers concerned with yield loss due to this disease.
Also this year, PhytoGen introduced the first-of-its kind RKN protection with dual-gene resistance in PHY 427 WRF.
