Americot’s expanded Research and Development team have been busy this season working a number of research trials throughout their assigned regions. These trials are designed to gather in-depth data on a number of NexGen varieties, both on current commercial varieties, as well as pre-commercial ones in the final stages of testing prior to commercial launch.

“We’re looking at specific data including water efficiency, seed treatments, PGR management, heat tolerance, seedling vigor and emergence this year, which allow us to really understand how to best manage our products in specific regions,” says Dr. Doug Jost, Director of Research and Cotton Germplasm. “These trials allow us to provide the very best in cottonseed for NexGen growers now, and into the future.”

Americot continues to invest in the cotton industry and is committed to supporting growers throughout the Cotton Belt. All we do is cotton. All the time.

DOUG JOST, PH.D. Director of Research & Cotton Germplasm | South Plains/Rolling Plains, Texas

This year has been challenging season to say the least. Many growers in the region had to opt out of planting cotton due to extremely dry conditions. Those that were able to get a crop in still struggle with receiving ample rainfall. That said, the NexGen varieties planted have performed very well to-date. Many comments have been received from growers regarding outstanding vigor from our commercial varieties. In years like this, vigor has become key in establishing an acceptable stand and our new experimental varieties are really holding up well in this season’s heat. I am very optimistic that our water efficiency trials will provide tremendous information this season, enabling us to place the best varieties in the toughest environmental conditions in West Texas. At this point, we continue to pray for rain and time to finish this year’s crop.

SHANE HALFMANN Central & South Texas

In my trials this season, I’m keeping my eye on NG 3729 B2XF. It looks promising in tough conditions throughout the Blacklands. This variety has produced an impressive plant for the conditions and was able to set fruit early before the extreme drought. It also looks good in areas where moisture was not a big issue. Late-season rains have proven very beneficial for our fuller season varieties in Coastal Texas. NG 5711 B3XF has responded very well to these rains and will finish very strong. Fields at or close to cutout were able to continue growing and add fruiting positions. I’m excited about several of the experimental BG3 varieties we’re testing in my region. We’ll be able to get very good data from all the trials across South and Central Texas. The trials are very representative of the different conditions across the region and we should see some excellent separation between not only NexGen varieties, but the competition as well. Due to the wide range of environmental extremes that my region has experienced this year, varieties that perform in yield and quality will be very important moving forward. We want varieties that can be as versatile as possible.

Our irrigated crop looks good across my region. Most started blooming mid-July with good to excellent fruit set and retention. There were some fleahopper damage issues, but minimal. The dryland crop is a total mixed bag, depending on rainfall – the dryland acres north and east of Amarillo caught some good rains and fields look pretty good. To the south and west, dryland acres are poor. NG 3780 B2XF is really showing well in plots thus far and I’m thrilled about the earliness it’s showing. NG 4777 B2XF also looks great with really good yield potential. August is a great time to note any disease issues, such as Verticillium wilt or bacterial blight, and will aid in choosing varieties for next year. NexGen has several varieties with excellent disease packages for growers noticing late-season disease pressure and want to pursue more tolerant varieties for next year. Also, keep an eye out on late-season fertility, especially late-season nitrogen, as an excess of N can delay maturity.

Our bloom dates are on schedule (mid-July) except for the bad spots. Overall, fruit retention in the Mid-South has been incredibly high! If we can hold on to what we had in July, Mississippi, Arkansas and West Tennessee will have really, really good crops. NG 3729 B2XF, NG 5007 B2XF, NG 3522 B2XF & NG 3780 B2XF all look great across the region. NG 3699 B2XF looks great further north in the boot-heel of Missouri and Northeast Arkansas. NG 4689 B2XF also looks stellar in the Delta and more southern part of the Mid-South Cotton Belt. Several of the new BG3 experimental varieties are looking very good with great tests across the region, of which we’ll have a ton of data to learn from. In mid-July we were 6-10 NAWF so be sure and stay active with PGR management on later-maturing varieties.

Yuma NexGen varieties were at cutout and preparing for defoliation in mid-July. Boll load and fruit retention standouts in this region include NG 3406 B2XF and NG 3729 B2XF. Hot temperatures combined with humidity produced Level 1 and Level 2 heat stress in the low desert growing zones, beginning on the 4th of July. NG 4777 B2XF and NG 4792 XF withstood Level 2 stress that can result in pollen sterility and fruit loss in other varieties. Heat stress data collection of the Americot advanced strain entries at the Maricopa Agriculture Center are suggesting tolerance within varieties, creating advantages for Arizona cotton growers.

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