INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 14, 2022 — PhytoGen® cottonseed, the U.S. cottonseed brand of Corteva Agriscience, announces two new varieties for 2023. The company advances PhytoGen® brand PHY 415 W3FE and PhytoGen brand PHY 861 RF to complement its OVT-winning portfolio of Upland and Pima varieties.
These varieties bring next-level yield potential to the variety lineup that has catapulted PhytoGen cottonseed to the second-most-planted brand in the Cotton Belt. The sustained growth comes from a focus on yield and a drive to continually push for innovations that help producers get more from each acre.
“The PhytoGen portfolio is better than it’s ever been as far as yield potential, fiber quality and yield protection traits — with maturities for every part of the Cotton Belt,” said U.S. Cotton Portfolio Manager Joel Faircloth, Ph.D. “PHY 415 W3FE and PHY 861 RF give cotton producers even more options to increase yield and profits on their farms.”
PHY 415 W3FE is a broadly adapted, mid-maturing Upland variety with a medium plant height and moderate PGR requirements. Resistant to both root-knot nematodes and bacterial blight, PHY 415 W3FE brings genetic diversity to the 400 series, which includes some of the most popular cotton varieties in the United States. For example, PhytoGen brand PHY 400 W3FE was the No. 1 most-planted variety in Texas in 2021 and 2022.1
“PHY 415 W3FE will be a great companion to varieties such as PHY 400 W3FE and PHY 411 W3FE,” Faircloth said. “Compared with PHY 400 W3FE, PHY 415 W3FE is taller, with a more aggressive growth habit — very similar to PHY 411 W3FE, but with improved fiber quality potential.”
Early yield results from university trials show PHY 415 W3FE winning big against competitive varieties. PHY 415 W3FE was planted as an experimental in the Texas A&M Monster Cotton Variety Trials in both 2021 and 2022. In seven Texas trial locations spanning from the Rio Grande Valley to the Upper Gulf Coast, PHY 415 W3FE outyielded the top two competitive varieties by 181 lb./A and 238 lb./A, respectively, with higher loan values.2 That performance in third-party Extension trials is driving excitement and demand for newer PhytoGen® W3FE varieties.
But Faircloth is quick to point out that growers get much more than high yield potential. All PhytoGen W3FE varieties come with the Enlist® cotton trait and WideStrike® 3 Insect Protection to help manage weeds and lepidopteran insects.
“The Enlist weed control system is growing in popularity with producers because it is more compatible with Cotton Belt crops and provides superior weed control,” Faircloth said. “With Enlist herbicides, producers get better weed control, near-zero volatility, and the ability to minimize physical drift by following application guidelines.”
Continuing Pima Leadership
PHY 861 RF brings another jump in yield and fiber quality potential to market-leading Pima varieties, such as PhytoGen brand PHY 807 RF and PhytoGen brand PHY 881 RF. PHY 861 RF includes Roundup Ready® Flex for weed control and excellent tolerance to Fusarium Race 4 (FOV4).
Faircloth noted that the Pima breeding program is focused on meeting the unique needs of cotton producers in California and Arizona, especially relating to improved yield potential and the extra-long-staple desired by the Pima supply chain.
“PhytoGen started in the Pima business more than 40 years ago, and we are the No. 1 most-planted Pima cottonseed in the United States,” Faircloth said. “Our commitment to Pima producers is a foundation of our business. We will continue our leadership in this market, even as we expand on that experience to better serve Upland producers across the Cotton Belt.
“We want to help all U.S. cotton producers achieve more on their farms, whether that means higher yields, improved fiber quality or better management options that save time and inputs,” Faircloth said. “Every farm, every acre, every producer is different, so we continually think about how we can better serve our customers. These new varieties represent our push for more — that PhytoGen will never settle when it comes to finding solutions to help our customers, next season and for the future.”
PhytoGen® cottonseed continues its push to help producers achieve even higher yields and fiber quality with the advancement of two new varieties for 2023: Upland variety PhytoGen® brand PHY 415 W3FE and Pima variety PhytoGen brand PHY 861 RF.
