Cotton Nematode Management
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MANAGE NEMATODES AND DISEASE PRESSURE WITH CONFIDENCE
Get traits that help protect yields across acres for peace of mind all season long.
Cotton nematodes and diseases like bacterial blight can limit yields across entire fields. Many growers face recurring pressure from root-knot nematodes (RKN), reniform nematodes (REN), bacterial blight, Verticillium wilt, and Fusarium Race 4 — issues that reduce yield, can be costly, difficult to manage, and unpredictable season to season.
PhytoGen® cottonseed is bred to help you take control of these challenges. With both root-knot and reniform nematode resistance, bacterial blight resistance, and tolerance to key soilborne diseases, PhytoGen® brand varieties offer 24/7 built-in protection that helps simplify management and support crop health from emergence through harvest.
This built-in trait package helps you manage cotton nematodes and diseases with protection that won’t fade through the season, unlike relying solely on expensive chemical treatments. Plus, since these traits may reduce certain inputs, you can factor that into field-level ROI calculations.
- NEMATODES
- BACTERIAL BLIGHT
- VERTICILLIUM WILT
- FUSARIUM RACE 4
HOW PHYTOGEN BREEDING TRAITS PROTECT AGAINST NEMATODES
PhytoGen is an industry leader of advanced traits for cotton nematode problems. In fact, you’ll find more PhytoGen brand varieties with stacked RKN and REN resistance than any other brand.
What are root-knot and reniform nematodes?
RKN and REN are microscopic wormlike organisms that can cause exponential damage to the root systems of cotton plants.
What do root-knot and reniform nematodes impact?
RKN drains plants’ photosynthate and nutrients, and can be responsible for up to a 75% loss in yield. In sandy, droughty soils, losses can approach 80%.
REN can stunt plant growth and vigor by feeding on the roots. Reniform damage is also a stress multiplier — making your plants less resilient against other challenges in the field. Damage from REN can result in yield losses of up to 50%.
Who’s at risk for root-knot and reniform nematodes?
The highest densities of RKN are found in the Midsouth, Southeast, and West Texas.
REN are found across the Cotton Belt from Texas to the Carolinas.
Stacked root-knot and reniform nematode resistance
Growers like you choose PhytoGen cottonseed for proven performance backed by science — not tradition. PhytoGen was the first brand with stacked resistance to both root-knot nematodes and reniform nematodes. And that helps you improve soil health and support plant vigor for a yield you can count on.
Scientific proof:
- Cotton fields planted to PhytoGen brand varieties with both RKN and REN traits increased yields from 175 to 502 pounds per acre compared to other brand varieties without both nematode resistance traits.
- PhytoGen brand varieties with both REN and RKN resistance traits were also shown to reduce reniform populations by 73%. (Mississippi State University, 2024)
Planting PhytoGen brand varieties with REN and RKN resistance can reduce nematode populations and improve field health. That means increased cotton yield potential, as well as improved soybean production, the following season.
These traits help reduce:
- Cotton nematode problems in areas where sand or mixed soils are infested
- Early-season cotton nematodes that restrict root growth
- Long-term nematode buildup across rotations
Understanding Root-Knot Nematode
Understanding Reniform Nematode
WHAT GROWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PHYTOGEN NEMATODE RESISTANCE
HOW PHYTOGEN BREEDING TRAITS PROTECT AGAINST DISEASES
PhytoGen brand varieties are bred to protect your yield potential from bacterial blight cotton diseases, and diseases caused by soilborne fungi like Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt race 4.
Bacterial blight resistance
All Upland PhytoGen brand varieties include industry-leading bacterial blight resistance. And because there are no chemical options to prevent bacterial blight, this built-in protection is the only reliable defense for season-long plant health. The result: plants that hold structure, retain fruit, and stay vigorous to support strong yield potential. With bacterial blight resistance in place, you gain greater peace of mind that your cotton crop is positioned to support strong yield potential.
What is bacterial blight?
Bacterial blight is a dangerous threat to your cotton that can lead to seeding blight, leaf spot, black arm, and boll rot.
What does bacterial blight impact?
It has a tremendous impact on your production and profitability by reducing both quality and yield.
Who’s at risk for bacterial blight?
All cotton regions are at high risk. Field infestations seem to come out of nowhere and linger. The bacteria can survive in crop debris, and strike next growing season.
"Bacterial blight protection is important in the years when I need it. You never know when it’s going to hit, so it’s good insurance. It’s just part of the PhytoGen package that contributes to the yield and quality."
Doug Scott, Missouri
Verticillium wilt tolerance
Verticillium wilt can reduce plant vitality, weaken stands and impact crop performance, especially in fields with a history of soilborne disease. With no preventive chemical control for Vert wilt, built-in protection is your go-to strategy to protect stands and top-end yield potential from the disease. Select PhytoGen brand varieties include tolerance to Vert wilt, helping plants stay healthier and more resilient through mid- and late-season stress. This tolerance supports more stable performance across diverse environments, particularly in soils where disease pressure is common.
What is Verticillium wilt?
Vert wilt is a soil-borne fungus that can cause extensive crop damage. With the ability to survive in the soil for extremely long periods of time, it attacks the roots of the cotton plant and spreads through the plant vascular system.
What does Verticillium wilt impact?
With the ability to kill the plant and diminish yield, Vert wilt has been characterized as the most economically important disease in the Southern High Plains.
Who’s at risk for Verticillium wilt?
The highest density of Vert wilt is found in West Texas, but it is also prevalent in other areas of the Cotton Belt.
Fusarium Race 4 tolerance
Fusarium Race 4 (FOV Race 4) can threaten stand establishment and limit fiber quality potential in affected fields, and there are no chemical treatments to prevent it. That’s why genetic tolerance is the only effective defense. Select PhytoGen brand varieties with FOV Race 4 tolerance helps protect developing seedlings and support healthier plant growth in challenging conditions. This genetic advantage provides growers with confidence when managing fields with known disease history or variable soil environments.
What is Fusarium Race 4?
FOV Race 4 is a soil-borne disease that is particularly challenging because it can survive in plant debris and soil. That means the spores can stay in your field for years, threatening future yield.
What does Fusarium Race 4 impact?
Once cotton plants are infected, the fungus spreads through the xylem, partially blocking water intake. This can lead to yield losses and reduced fiber quality.
Who’s at risk for Fusarium Race 4?
Currently FOV Race 4 is found in Pima and Acala varieties in California. Because it is so pervasive, containment of an outbreak is essential.
Understanding Bacterial Blight
Understanding Verticillium Wilt
Understanding FOV Race 4
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT NEMATODE AND DISEASE CONTROL
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