Reliable Varieties, Proven Yields Lead The Way in 2026

On the Texas coast, every season brings opposing extremes: spring storms threaten planting, followed by the looming threat of a summer drought. If growers make it to August unscathed, the season ends with a good chance of hurricane rains at harvest.

On top of weather challenges, volatile prices and market instability exacerbate the pressures of growing cotton. How can producers plan for the future with so many uncertainties?

For Wharton County producer Josh Marek, the way forward this season focuses on controlling variables within his reach to produce consistent high yields and excellent fiber quality. Consistency is the guiding principle, and Marek says that begins with PhytoGen^® cottonseed.

“Weather is never consistent – we could get too much rain or not enough rain, even in the same season. Price is not consistent – you never know what the market will do. With those variables, we need something we can count on,” Marek said. “We’ve planted PhytoGen brand varieties for 20 years because they provide the high yields and good grades we need to get a profitable return on investment.”

During those two decades, Marek has planted a long list of PhytoGen brand varieties, with newer products bringing a level of yield consistency and reliability he hasn’t found with other cottonseed brands. PhytoGen^® brand PHY 400 W3FE has been the top-performing variety on his farm for the last several years. He typically aims for 1,500 pounds per acre, and PHY 400 W3FE continually exceeds that expectation – with several fields yielding more than 3.5 bales to the acre in 2025.

“We’ve planted a lot of great PhytoGen varieties that have performed well for us,” Marek said. “For several years now, PHY 400 W3FE has been our best variety. It’s a very consistent yielder, and I would put it against any variety from any cottonseed company.”

While PHY 400 W3FE is a farm favorite, Marek said PhytoGen^® brand PHY 415 W3FE and PHY 136 W3E1 also produce high yields, with several fields topping 3 to 3.5 bales per acre last year. He’s even more excited about new additions to the portfolio. As a PhytoGen Horizon Network member, Marek plants a trial evaluating new products each year. Last season, PhytoGen^® brand PHY 357 W3FE – a new variety for 2026 – was the top-yielding variety in the trial, winning by 64 pounds per acre.

“PHY 357 W3FE looks like it’s going to be a good variety for us. I was excited when I ran the picker through it. There was a lot of cotton in the field,” Marek said. “PHY 357 W3FE yielded 1,716 pounds per acre, and the grade was excellent with a 57 cent loan value.”

Consistency From Texas to the Deep South

 Mississippi producer Parker Adcock tells a similar story about his success and high yields with PhytoGen brand varieties. Adcock started planting PhytoGen cottonseed in 2024 after hearing reports of neighbors making top-end yields with varieties such as PhytoGen^® brand PHY 411 W3FE. The first year, he planted PHY 411 W3FE alongside a Deltapine variety, and PHY 411 W3FE outyielded the competitor variety by 100 pounds.

“A 100-pound yield increase will get your attention fast, so we decided to switch to 100% PhytoGen brand varieties the next season,” Adcock said. “That’s a no brainer. At today’s prices, 100 pounds more is $65 an acre which makes a real difference on 3,000 acres. It doesn’t take a big lint increase across a lot of acres to make a big difference on your bottom line.”

In 2025, he again saw strong yields, even with an extremely wet spring and late-planted cotton. He began planting in late April but was soon rained out. He didn’t get the rest of his cotton planted until May 20 to 25. With cotton planted so late, he didn’t have high hopes for exceptional yields. But to his surprise, PHY 411 W3FE again proved itself reliable, even breaking yield records on his farm.

“I have a field that has historically yielded about 1,250 to 1,300 pounds per acre with perfect planting conditions and a really good year,” Adcock said. “Even planted two to three weeks late, PHY 411 W3FE picked 1,655 pounds per acre – we’ve never had a yield that high on that farm. The yields with PHY 411 W3FE really surprised us.”

Always preparing for the future, Adcock planted a variety trial in 2025 that included two new products: PhytoGen^® brand PHY 357 W3FE and PHY 433 W3FE. Both varieties produced better than Adcock expected, yielding more than 3.8 bales to the acre. PHY 433 W3FE took the No. 1 spot in the trial with more than one ton to the acre – a massive yield for his farm. Even so, Adcock thinks PHY 357 W3FE could contend for the No. 1 spot with the right management program.

“PHY 433 W3FE was the highest yielder in our trial with 2,082 pounds per acre,” Adcock said. “PHY 357 W3FE yielded 1,826 pounds per acre, which is great, but I think it could yield as good or better than PHY 433 W3FE with the right PGR program. I’ll plant both of them with PHY 411 W3FE next year.”

To learn more about PhytoGen cottonseed for your farm, go to PhytoGen.com/Varieties.

 

 

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