The Bayer CropScience FiberMax brand of upland cotton was the most popular planted in the United States for the 2010 growing season, according to the USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, Cotton and Tobacco Programs.

Deltapine was the second most popular followed by PhytoGen, Bayer CropScience Stoneville, Americot, All-Tex, and Dyna-Gro.

(See Cotton Varieties Planted 2010 at http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/cnavar.pdf.)

Bayer CropScience FiberMax brand varieties accounted for about 39 percent of U.S. acreage. FiberMax varieties accounted for almost 9 percent of the acreage planted in the Southeast, just over 5 percent in the Mid-South, 63.8 percent in the Southwest and 20.4 percent in the West. The most popular FiberMax varieties were FM 9058 F, FM 9160 B2F, FM 9063 B2F and FM 1740 B2F, accounting respectively for about 10.4, 5.5, 4.7, and 4.2 percent of U.S. acreage planted to upland cotton.

Deltapine brand varieties were the second most popular planted in 2010, accounting for about 25.6 percent of U.S. acreage. This brand accounted for 51.6 percent of the acreage planted in the Southeast, 28.6 percent of the acreage planted in the Mid-South, 13.7 percent in the Southwest, and 33.7 percent of the acreage planted in the West. Deltapine’s most popular varieties were DP 555 BG/RR, DP 0912 B2RF, DP 0949 B2RF and DP 0935 B2RF, accounting respectively for 4.3, 3.7, 3.2, and 2.7 percent of the U.S. upland cotton acreage.

PhytoGen brand varieties were the third most popular planted in 2010, accounting for about 12.1 percent of U.S. cotton acreage. They accounted for 26.7 percent of the acreage planted in the Southeast, 21.2 percent of the acreage in the Mid-South, just under 2 percent in the Southwest and 30.5 percent in the West. The most popular PhytoGen brand varieties were PHY 375 WRF and PHY 370 WR, accounting respectively for about 7.7 and 1.3 percent of U.S. cotton acreage planted to upland cotton.

Bayer CropScience Stoneville brand cotton varieties were the fourth most popular planted in 2010, accounting for about 11.2 percent of acreage planted. They accounted for 10.3 percent of the acreage planted in the Southeast, 38.9 percent of the acreage in the Mid-South, 2.1 percent in the Southwest, and 12 percent in the West. The most popular Stoneville varieties were ST 4288 B2F, ST 5458 B2F, and ST 5288 B2F accounting respectively for 2.6, 2.4, and 2 percent of U.S. cotton acreage planted to upland cotton.

Americot brand varieties were the next most popular and accounted for about 6.2 percent of U.S. acreage planted in 2010. Americot brands were the third most popular planted in the Southwest.

All-Tex brand varieties were the next most popular and accounted for about 2.7 percent of the U.S. acreage planted in 2010. All-Tex brands were the fourth most popular planted in the Southwest.

Dyna-Gro varieties were the seventh most popular and accounted for about 1.5 percent of the 2010 cotton acreage. Dyna-Gro brand were the fifth most popular brand planted in the Mid-South.

The Croplan Genetics brand was the sixth most popular planted in the Mid-South.

The top three upland cotton varieties by region for 2010 were:

 

• Mid-South: PHY 375 WRF, 17 percent; DP 0912 B2RF, 12.43 percent; and ST 4288 B2F, 11.5 percent;
• Southeast: DP 555 BG/RR, 16.8 percent; PHY 375 WRF, 15.6 percent; and DP 0949 B2RF, 11.5 percent;
• Southwest: FM 9058 F, 18.67 percent; FM 9160 B2F, 9.9 percent; and FM 9063 B2F, 8.46 percent;
• West: DP 164 B2RF, 17.7 percent; PHY 375 WRF, 9.1 percent; and DP 0912 B2RF, 4.72 percent.

PhytoGen was the most popular brand of American Pima varieties planted in 2010. PhytoGen variety PHY 805 RF accounted for 58.1 percent of U.S. Pima acreage and was the most popular variety planted in California (65.5 percent of California Pima acreage).

PhytoGen’s PHY 800 was the second most planted American Pima variety and accounted for 12.7 percent of the U.S. crop. Deltapine’s DP 340 was the next most popular variety and accounted for 12.5 percent of U.S. Pima acreage.

Bayer CropScience FM 958, FM 989 and ADF 2485 were the predominate varieties planted by organic cotton producers.

Estimates of the percentage of the various varieties of cotton planted in the United States for 2010 were based on informal surveys of ginners, seed dealers, Extension agents, and other knowledgeable sources.

Transgenic varieties — genetically engineered varieties resistant to worms, herbicides, or both — accounted for about 95.9 percent of upland cotton planted in the United States in 2010. Usage of transgenic varieties in 2010 varied from a high of 100 percent in Kansas, South Carolina, and Virginia to a low of 84 percent in California. Other states planted from 97 to 99 percent transgenic except for Texas (93.4 percent) and New Mexico (89.4 percent).