At harvest, cotton growers learn how much yield-robbing diseases and pests can impact fiber production. This knowledge helps them determine the best varieties to plant on their farms next season.
Diseases such as bacterial blight and Verticillium wilt are not controlled by in-season crop protection products. That means cottonseed varieties with built-in protection offer the best line of defense for top yield and quality potential.
PhytoGen Breeding Traits offer built-in protection against some of the most common pests and diseases in cotton. All PhytoGen W3FE varieties are resistant to bacterial blight. Additional protection from root-knot nematodes and Verticillium wilt are available in select upland varieties. All PhytoGen Pima varieties provide tolerance to Fusarium (FOV) Race 4.
“With PhytoGen Breeding Traits, growers get the assurance that their yield potential is protected, especially against diseases where crop protection products may not be effective,” says Ken Legé, PhytoGen cotton development specialist in West Texas. “PhytoGen Breeding Traits enable growers to have peace of mind with regard to disease and nematode pests. These traits allow growers to focus on other management decisions, such as irrigation or PGR programs.”
These diseases and pests can have significant impact on profitability. Bacterial blight infestations can start small – one infected seed out of 6,000 is enough to foster an outbreak. According to Cotton Incorporated, a major bacterial blight outbreak could lower yields as much as 5-20% in fields with heavy infestations.
Extension services recommend growers consider resistant varieties to mitigate damage of in-season pests. For example, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension says numerous factors go into variety selection, but varieties resistant to bacterial blight or root knot nematode (RKN) should be considered, especially for fields with past problems.
Some in-season management options are available for pests such as RKN, but PhytoGen Breeding Traits provide season-long protection without the added cost of crop protection applications. Jason Woodward, PhytoGen cotton development specialist in the Mid-Atlantic, says this is a major benefit for a grower’s bottom line.
“PhytoGen Breeding Traits provide protection against pests and diseases so producers have one less thing worry about during the season,” says Woodward. “These traits help producers achieve maximum yield and quality potential.”
The benefits of controlling diseases and pests often continue beyond the current season. Woodward studied the efficacy of RKN-resistant cotton varieties in his previous position as Extension plant pathologist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He confirmed that two-gene RKN-resistant varieties, such as PHY 480 W3FE, conferred residual payoffs for future seasons.
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