PCG REMINDS GROWERS TO VERIFY SEED SOURCE IN PIMA COTTON DUE TO FOV4 RISK
By Mary Jane Buerkle
As planting commences on the Texas High Plains, some growers may choose to
plant Pima cotton, which raises a point of concern due to the soil-borne
fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum Race 4 (FOV4).
Before making good on that decision, growers should verify the source of
the seed they intend to plant and make absolutely sure that seed of any
Pima variety was not produced in an area such as California, the El Paso
Valley of Texas, or the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico where the FOV4 fungus
has been confirmed to exist.
Fusarium wilt is a highly virulent cotton disease caused by the soil-borne
fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum. There currently is no variety
of upland cotton that is resistant to FOV4, and once it’s introduced onto a
farm, it will be a permanent infestation and there are no chemical control
options for controlling FOV4.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension last year published an informational bulletin
highlighting the risk that FOV4 poses to the Texas cotton industry. A copy
of that bulletin is available for download here:
https://bit.ly/FOV4Bulletin
“We want it to be abundantly clear that by no means are we discouraging
growers who decide to plant Pima cotton,” PCG CEO Steve Verett said. “Our
concern centers around helping ensure that growers are one hundred percent
aware and sure of where their Pima seed is coming from.”
