Armor Making a Name Across the Cotton Belt

One year in following a name and brand change, it looks like Armor cotton is taking hold in the Cotton Belt. And two new varieties introduced in 2021 are helping lead the way.

“When a variety performs, growers are a lot more accepting of a brand change,” says Robert Cossar, Cotton Product Manager for Armor. “We’re thankful that we’ve had some good varieties that have performed on the farm and that growers are making money off of them this year.”

Armor came to market with a strong foundation variety in Armor 9608 B3XF, which has a strong fit across the Cotton Belt with excellent fiber and excellent turnout. And Armor 9210 B3XF still has a home in the north Mississippi Delta, West Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas, and parts of Texas.

Strengthening the portfolio this year were Armor 9371 B3XF and Armor 9831 B3XF – both of which quickly found homes in fields from the Carolinas to West Texas.

“We’ve had really good luck this year with Armor 9371 B3XF in the Carolinas, Georgia, the Mid-South, Coastal Texas, and parts of West Texas,” says Cossar. “It’s a broad acre fit with early-mid maturity and a really nice fiber and yield package.”

Last year, the variety topped the company yield trials and was also at or near the top of university OVT trials.

“I really feel good about its competitiveness from a yield standpoint, and we’re not giving up anything on fiber,” adds Cossar. “It’s consistently 38 staple. It’s as competitive as any other variety on the market.”

Armor 9831 B3XF is a full season variety targeted to the southern areas of Georgia and Alabama, but also found some traction in the Concho Valley near San Angelo, TX. It’s bacterial blight resistant and performs extremely well on sandier and lighter soils.

“This variety has a nice wide appearance and does a great job covering wide rows,” notes Cossar. “It’s easy to manage, doesn’t get real growthy and levels off nicely. It’s just one of those varieties that cotton farmers like to see. It looks good and yields good, too.”

Both new varieties had limited supplies for 2021, but that won’t be the case for 2022. “Available quantities of 9371 and 9831 are going to be very good,” says Cossar. “I hope we run out.”

In testing for 2022 and beyond, Armor has two new varieties for West Texas – one B3XF line and one XF only line. Both will likely come to market in 2022. In addition, the company is developing multiple lines featuring the ThryvOn technology.

“They look really good, and we have them in trials with major university cooperators this year,” says Cossar. “We’re really excited about that technology and about what it’s going to bring in terms of early season vigor for these plants.”

The brand shift to Armor prior to the 2021 season may have left some longtime CROPLAN growers scratching their heads, but Cossar says it’s been all for the best.

“The Armor brand is a Southern brand, and that’s helped because some growers often saw CROPLAN as a national brand for corn,” he says. “This is now a Southern focus from a cotton perspective. Growers can now say, ‘I really like my CROPLAN corn, but I’ve got my Armor cotton.’”