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Cotton-and-peanut producers continually look for new ways to maximize
efficiencies while growing two high-value crops that compete for time and resources. As growers finalize planting decisions for 2025, many have turned to PhytoGen® brand varieties because of their designed fit in a Southeast cotton-peanut operation.
Judson Herrington farms 4,000 acres of cotton and peanuts across Bleckley, Laurens and Twiggs counties in Georgia. He started planting newer PhytoGen® W3FE varieties three years ago to gain efficiencies when time matters most — during planting, harvest and herbicide application.
Herrington said the early season vigor with PhytoGen varieties is unmatched and allows him to plant cotton early — in late April — so that he can harvest those varieties in September before peanut harvest. Plus, the reliable vigor allows him to save on input costs with lower seeding rates while still getting an excellent stand.
He has substantially reduced his seeding rates in recent years, from 38,000 seed/A to 27,000 seed/A.
“That’s saving 11,000 seed per acre over 2,000 acres — that’s a lot of money,” Herrington said. “You can plant lower populations with PhytoGen and still see the same yield as competitive varieties.”
Because PhytoGen W3FE varieties are tolerant to Enlist® herbicides with 2,4-D choline, Herrington uses the same sprayer across PhytoGen W3FE varieties and peanuts. He covers more acres with a sprayer, allowing him to make applications at the optimal time and better control weeds.
“We’re able to catch weeds when they are between 3 and 6 inches and get our PGR and insecticides applied more efficiently. Timeliness with those things helps us on yield,” he said.
Herrington said newer PhytoGen varieties have yield potential equal to competitive varieties. He typically aims for 1,500 to 1,600 pounds/A on his irrigated cotton ground.
“I especially like PHY 475 W3FE for Georgia. It fits on a lot of different soil types, and it will be our No. 1 PhytoGen variety next year,” Herrington said.
