Cotton growers can earn sizable quality premiums due to the Acala-like fiber quality of the company’s leading Upland varieties — PhytoGen brand varieties PHY 444 WRF, PHY 333 WRF and PHY 312 WRF.
Fiber quality premiums translate to higher profitability for growers already operating on tight margins. “Quality counts. It makes a lot of difference to the bottom line. PhytoGen has done that better than any other brand I’ve seen,” says cotton producer Dean Hansen of El Campo, TX.
Improved profitability is also important to Rayville, LA, brothers Bill and Greg Gibson. “When I sold the cotton from PHY 444 WRF, I received a 5-cent premium,” Bill Gibson says. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen grades that good. The color was excellent, 11s and 21s. The staple length was long, and the mic was perfect with no highs and no lows.”
The long-term breeding goal of PhytoGen to bring Acala-like quality to the Upland cotton market is stressed by Steve Brown, Ph.D., PhytoGen cotton development specialist.
“PHY 444 WRF is certainly leading the charge with unmatched staple, micronaire and strength,” Brown says. “By earning premiums of 3 to 5 cents per pound, producers across the Cotton Belt could see a significant difference to their bottom line.”
The combination of high fiber quality and high yield potential is further verified by University Extension Official Variety Trials (OVTs). PHY 444 WRF had the highest staple length in several 2015 OVTs, with a 40 staple and better. It also ranked No. 1 or No. 2 for yield in those same trials.
A mid-season variety, PHY 444 WRF fits well in the Cotton Belt’s southern regions including the South Delta, South Texas, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. It is a top yielder in both dryland and irrigated production. PHY 333 WRF and PHY 312 WRF both offer high-quality fiber in earlier-maturing varieties. PHY 333 WRF broadly fits many geographic locations from Texas to Virginia, but has found particular success in Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.
According to Brown, PHY 333 WRF also exhibits strong seedling vigor. “It’s at the top of the list among anything available in the marketplace,” he says.
Work smarter with excellent weed control
In addition to improved fiber quality, PhytoGen offers tools to help growers work smarter, especially in weed control. In 2016, PhytoGen released the first commercially available cottonseed with the Enlist trait, PhytoGen brand PHY 490 W3FE. Hansen, who planted PHY 490 W3FE in 2016, says the ability to have a varied herbicide program during the growing season will help him realize the full potential of his seed investment.
“I’m excited to be on the forefront of a new weed control system that will offer us an effective, alternative control of resistant weeds — in a variety that delivers the early season vigor, quality and yield that I’ve
come to expect from PhytoGen,” Hansen says.
Hank King, U.S. leader for PhytoGen cottonseed, says additional PhytoGen brand varieties with the Enlist trait will be available to plant in the 2017 season. Growers can expect a portfolio of PhytoGen varieties with Enlist in a range of maturities and adaptations across the Cotton Belt.
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