By Tommy Horton
Editor
Cotton producers will once again have many options when it comes to choosing cotton varieties in 2014, but that still means a lot of studying will be necessary before a final decision is reached. Gone are the days when a farmer and his consultant could observe a new variety for two or three years and then decide to plant it. In today’s environment where seed companies roll out new varieties nearly every year, it behooves farmers to tap into every source of information.
Fortunately, farmers know the value of on-farm trials where they can see how a new variety will fare on several acres before making that final decision. And they’ll continue to study university Official Variety Trial data as they’ve done for many years.
Here is a quick look at what the major seed companies will offer in 2014:
All Tex
This Texas-based company was recently purchased by Crop Production Services (CPS) and will offer a wide selection of RR Flex, RR Flex BG2 and conventional varieties.
The newest RR Flex BG2 varieties include:
- Rapid B2RF
- Edge B2RF
- Nitro-44 B2RF
All of these varieties are picker types with excellent yield and fiber quality potential. Dinero B2RF is another RR Flex BG2 variety that will return to the lineup in 2014.
The company will offer several conventional varieties, including:
- 1203
- A102
- OL220
- LA122
- 7A21
- (Pima) P-203
Two Roundup Ready Flex varieties from last year will return in 2014 – Epic RF and Patriot + RF.
Cody Poage, operations manager for All-Tex and Dyna-Gro seed, says CPS’s acquisition of All-Tex is a “win-win situation for all parties.”
“It certainly gives our All-Tex seed brand an expanded presence in the Cotton Belt, and we feel good about that,” he says.
Americot
This seed company, which began as a small operation in Texas, continues to offer producers numerous choices in the Lone Star state as well as other areas such as the Mid-South and Southeast.
Seven NexGen varieties will be offered in 2014, including:
- NG 1511 B2RF
- NG 2051 B2RF
- NG 4010 B2RF
- NG 4012 B2RF
- NG 3348 B2RF
- NG 2549 B2RF
- NG 5315 B2RF
In addition, NexGen will offer three RR Flex varieties – NG 4111 RF, a straight Flex sister line to NG 4010 B2RF, as well as NG 1551 RF and NG 1572 RF.
The Americot brand will have two varieties – AM 1550 B2RF and AM 1532 B2RF.
Americot will again offer one conventional variety, AM UA48, which was developed by Dr. Fred Bourland at the University of Arkansas and is well suited for the northern cotton areas of the Mid-South and Southeast.
FiberMax/Stoneville
FiberMax will offer 10 varieties in 2014, and all are characterized by high yield potential and good fiber characteristics. The varieties being offered are:
- FM 2011GT
- FM 9250GL
- FM 1740B2F
- FM 9180B2F
- FM 9170B2F
- FM 2484B2F
- FM 1944GLB2
- FM 2989GLB2
- FM 8270GLB2
- FM 1845LLB2
FM 2011GT is a potentially high yielder with root-knot nematode tolerance in the High Plains. Meanwhile, several other varieties are stacked with GlyTol and Liberty Link traits – FM 9250GL, FM 1944GLB2, FM 2989GLB2, FM 8270GLB2 and FM 1845LLB2.
Meanwhile, Stoneville will introduce two new varieties for 2014. They are ST 4946GLB2 and ST 6448GLB2.
ST 4946GLB2 is an early to medium maturing variety that is broadly adapted across the Belt. It also has root-knot tolerance. ST 6448GLB2 is a full-season variety with improved fiber quality and root-knot nematode tolerance.
PhytoGen
Of the 12 varieties that PhytoGen will release for 2014, six are new and include:
- PHY 222 WRF
- PHY 333 WRF
- PHY 417 WRF
- PHY 427 WRF
- PHY 495 W3RF
- PHY 599 WRF
The PHY 427 WRF and PHY 417 WRF varieties are root-knot nematode resistant and have high yield potential.
The other PhytoGen varieties that will return to the lineup include:
- PHY 339 WRF
- PHY 367 WRF
- PHY 375 WRF
- PHY 440 W
- PHY 499 WRF
- PHY 575 WRF
Deltapine
Deltapine will announce most of its new varieties for 2014 at its New Product Evaluator meeting on Dec. 13-14 in Charleston, S.C. However, the company has already announced that a new Pima variety – DP 360 Pima – will be released next year. Other varieties on the list for commercial release in 2014 include:
- DP 1311 B2RF
- DP 1321 B2RF
- DP 1359 B2RF
- DP 1212 B2RF
- DP 1219 B2RF
- DP 1252 B2RF
- DP 1133 B2RF
- DP 1137 B2RF
- DP 1028 B2RF
- DP 1034 B2RF
- DP 1044 B2RF
- DP 1050 B2RF
- DP 0912 B2RF
- DP 104 B2RF
- DP 174 RF
- DP 340 Pima
- DP 357 Pima
- DP 358 RF Pima
- DP 360 Pima (new)
Deltapine officials are particularly positive about the release of several of their varieties that are resistant to root-knot nematodes. Another top variety is DP 1044 B2RF, which is the No. 1 planted variety in Texas, according to the USDA-AMS 2012 and 2013 Cotton Varieties Planted Report.
Dyna-Gro
Of the five varieties that Dyna-Gro will offer in 2014, three are new – DG 2285 B2RF, DG 2530 B2RF and DG 2610 B2RF. The other two on the list are DG 2570 B2RF and DG 2595 B2RF.
DG 2285 B2RF is broadly adapted across the entire Cotton Belt and is a good fit with better water sources. It also is an early season variety with high yield potential.
DG 2530 B2RF is a medium maturing variety that has the potential for good quality in the Southeast and Delta.
DG 2610 B2RF is a medium-full variety that is adapted for the Deep South and Texas.
Croplan Genetics
The company will again offer five varieties in 2014. They include:
- CG 3006 B2RF
- CG 3156 B2RF
- CG 3787 B2RF
- CG 3428 B2RF
- CG 3220 B2RF
CG 3428 is still considered a new variety because of limited seed supply in 2013.
Several of the varieties are a good fit across the Cotton Belt, including CG 3428 B2RF and CG 3220 B2RF. Meanwhile, CG 3006 B2RF has performed well in the Northern High Plains and Kansas, while CG 3156 B2RF is adapted for areas with limited water.
Hazera
Hazera Gentics was incorporated in 1999 and is active in more than 60 countries through subsidiaries in Spain, Turkey, Greece, China, Brazil, Mexico and the United States. The company will offer four Pima varieties in 2014:
- HA 211
- HA175
- HA690
- HA1432
Two of the varieties – HA690 and HA1432 – offer new opportunities for producers who grow Pima cotton. HA1432 is an indeterminate variety that features four to five lock Pima bolls with high yield potential. HA175 also offers high yield potential and can be used for double cropping.
Seed Source Genetics
This Texas-based company, owned by Ed Jungmann and his wife Jane, continues to offer cold-tolerant and conventional varieties to the Cotton Belt. Seven varieties will again be offered in 2014.
- SSG HQ110CT
- SSG HQ210CT
- SSG HQ212CT
- SSG HQ310CT
- SSG CT Linwood
- SSG UA 103
- SSG UA 222