Cotton Plant Varieties

Bayer Crop Science Fibermax

• Bayer Crop Science Fibermax was planted on 39 percent of U.S. cotton acreage in 2010, varying regionally from 64 percent in the southwest to 20 percent on irrigated western desert farms, 9 percent in the southern central states, and only 5 percent in the southeast. Fibermax FM 9058F variety accounted for 10.4 percent of acreage planted, compared to Fibermax FM 9160B2F, FM 9160B3F and FM 1740B2F at 5.5 percent or less each. All Fibermax varieties are outstanding in fiber length and strength, with their ideal micronaire, or fiber diameter, resulting in less "gin discount," which is fiber damage during ginning, according to the Bayer CropScience Fiber Max website.

Monsanto Deltapine

• Monsanto Deltapine was planted on 25.6 percent of U.S. cotton acreage in 2010, principally in the southeast, where Deltapine was planted on 51.6 percent of acreage. Deltapine varieties were planted on 28 percent of acreage in south central states, 13.7 percent in the Southwest and 33.7 percent in the western deserts. Deltapine varieties DP 555BG/RR, DP 0912 B2RF, DP0949 B2RF and DP 0935B2RF each accounted for less than 5 percent of total cotton acreage. Deltapine is resistant to Monsanto brand damage from herbicides and boll weevil sprays.

Phytogen

• Phytogen cotton varieties were 12.2 percent of total U.S. cotton acreage in 2010, but accounted for 27 percent in the Southeast and 30 percent in the western deserts. Phytogen's PHY 805 variety was 58.1 percent of total acreage of American Pima in the United States. Pima cotton is from Gossypium barbadense, which has a long and uniform lint, but all other commercial cotton is from Gossypium hirsutum. American Pima is most widely planted in California, where it is 65.5 percent of total Pima acreage. [See Reference 1]

Americot, All-Tex and Dyna-Gro

• Americot of Lubbock, Texas marketed 13 herbicide-resistant varieties in 2010, with 6.2 percent of U.S. cotton acreage planted in cottonseed from Americot or its subsidiary NexGen. All-Tex Seed, a family-owned business in Levelland, Texas marketed 15 varieties of genetically engineered seed that accounted for 2.7 percent of total acreage in 2010. Dyn-Gro Seed varieties were planted on 1.5 percent of total U.S. cotton acreage.

Organic Varieties

• Bayer Crop Science FM 958, FM 989 and ADF 2385 were the most widely planted varieties of organic cotton during 2010. In 2009, total United States organic cotton production reached 12,246 bales grown primarily in Texas, with smaller harvests made in Arizona, California and New Mexico. In 2009, organic cottonseed was marketed at $300 to $500 per ton, compared to $155 to $160 per ton for conventional cotton.