Environmental and agronomic conditions allow California cotton producers to grow Pima varieties with some of the best fiber quality in the world. A moderate climate is conducive to consistent yield and quality, but western cotton producers face unique challenges.
One of those is Fusarium (FOV) Race 4, a soilborne fungus that infects cotton plants and reduces yield. FOV Race 4 enters the roots and spreads through the vascular system. Symptoms include wilted, yellowed or dead leaves. Heavy infestations of FOV Race 4 can lead to large areas of fields with missing plants.
FOV Race 4 is particularly difficult to manage because there is no crop protection treatment once it’s in a field. For that reason, the University of California Cooperative Extension recommends planting varieties with high levels of tolerance to FOV Race 4 in fields with known infestations.1
That’s why PhytoGen provides FOV Race 4 tolerance in all its Pima varieties: PhytoGen® brand PHY 841 RF, PHY 881 RF and PHY 888 RF. With the PhytoGen Breeding Trait™ for built-in tolerance to FOV Race 4, California producers can maximize yield and quality.
1California Cotton Growers and Ginners Association. Managing Race 4 FOV in California Cotton. http://cottoninfo.ucdavis.edu/files/277633.pdf
