Registration of 'Tamcot H12' cotton cultivar.

Texas is expected to experience higher night and day temperatures and more extreme and erratic rainfall in the future. Along with the impacts of climate change, the majority of current cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) hectarage is expected to have less irrigation water available as the Ogallala aquafer continues to decline. Both of these realities suggest that many of Texas' cotton producers will return to dryland production which will require reducing input cost, for example, using genetically modified cultivars. Currently, conventional cotton planting seed are about 25% lower in cost per hectare than genetically modified cultivars. Currently, most cultivars offered for sale to Texas producers are transgenic with few conventional cultivars available. The public breeding programs of Texas A&M AgriLife Research develop germplasm with improved traits for private industry and conventional cultivars with yield potential for Texas environments, both irrigated and dryland. 'Tamcot H12' (Reg. no. CV‐148, PI 705604) was derived from a complex pedigree involving 'DP 491' (PI 618609), TAM 96WD‐18, TAM 91C‐95Ls, and 'DP Acala 90' (PVP 8100143). Tamcot H12 performed as well or better than most current cultivars in trials in Texas and across the US Cotton Belt. Tamcot H12 will provide producers with another conventional cotton variety. Core Ideas: Cost of upland cotton planting seed may continue to be a limiting factor of GM cultivar use in many areas of Texas with rainfall events becoming less predictable, resulting in moderate to severe drought during the growing season.Conventional upland cotton cultivars may become more popular because the reduced cost of planting seed relative to GM cultivars.Tamcot H12 offers competitive yield potential throughout the state of Texas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]