INTA Argentina presents revolutionary drought-resistant cotton cultivar

A new cotton cultivar called Arandú INTA has been developed by the breeding team at INTA Sáenz Peña, Chaco. It was created based on the needs and demands of cotton producers in the region. With higher yield, it is the first variety in Argentina that confers resistance to the imidazolinone family of herbicides, is tolerant to water deficit, and resistant to foliar diseases, such as Alternaria and Ramularia or false mildew.

Arandú means wisdom in Guarani. This variety, soon to be registered with INASE, integrates the wisdom of cotton producers. It offers higher total yield, excellent compensatory capacity against water deficit, and a longer cycle. It also has better foliar health and slower plant aging compared to current varieties.

Following the latest commercial cotton releases from INTA—Guazuncho 4 INTA BGRR, Guarani INTA BGRR, and Pora 3 INTA BGRR—the team of cotton specialists at INTA Sáenz Peña, Chaco, has a new textile genetic development ready for registration: a selection called Arandú INTA BGRR-IMI.

Mauricio Alfredo Tcach—developer of the INTA Sáenz Peña variety—explained: "As a result of cotton genetics research, we achieved greater interaction with the sector, and in this process, we interpreted what producers themselves need in a variety. A material that yields more but can overcome stress episodes, that presents a perfect balance between vegetative and reproductive growth, that also maintains its leaf area until the end, and whose quality satisfies national and international demand."

The variety differs from Guazuncho, Guarani, and Pora by having a longer cycle, but unlike commercial varieties with long cycles, Arandú has larger bolls in the upper third of the plant. This characteristic offers higher total yield and excellent compensatory capacity against stresses such as water deficit.

"It's important to mention that there are no precedents for commercial distribution in other cotton-producing countries, representing an important innovation for the sector. The new product is the first that will be evaluated in a breeding program with PMP producers, in which pre-commercial varieties will be tested, and the highest-rated ones will be registered as commercial varieties," Tcach indicated.

The researcher indicated that the higher productivity in the upper third is an unprecedented physiological advance, as it is common for cotton varieties to present a pyramidal structure, where the highest productivity is found in the lower and middle thirds. Among the characteristics associated with this progress, better foliar health and slower senescence compared to current varieties can be highlighted.

"The objective of developing this type of cultivar is to allow Argentina to have cotton lines with different degrees of resistance to chemical inputs, establishing a selection system of national origin that can respond to the cotton area and its environment. This is different from other cultivation areas in the world, with other types of problems, for example, regarding weeds," detailed Alex Montenegro—developer of the INTA Sáenz Peña variety.

To make this possible, the researcher highlights the collaboration for this project from national companies such as Gensus, producers, and the Agroperfiles Group. "This research not only aims at the agronomic aspect but also creates a path for future research approached from the point of view of genetic improvement of cotton in Argentina, strongly linking INTA with the private sector, including producers, ginners, and textile industry entrepreneurs," Montenegro emphasized.

Thus, Tcach explained that "with the dissemination of this variety, we can demonstrate that basic science and applied science are not divorced but can complement each other, and this is a message that we think is important to convey."