The Cotton Development Administration (CODA) will begin this year a series of trial planting activities to evaluate the performance of the country's first genetically-superior hybrid cotton. 

These trials are part of governments efforts to boost the Philippine Cotton industry, said CODA Technical Services Division chief Candido Damo. 

Damo said researchers shall plant F-1 with other cotton seed varieties in selected sites all over the country to compare its performance. 

He expressed optimism the specimen shall surpass current cotton varieties like Navkar 5 and Bioseed 6527, also known as NSIC-C+13. 

Trials in CODAs Cotton Research Center in Batac, Ilocos Norte over the last two years indicated good performance of F-1 plants, the division chief said. 

Damo said the agency is targeting to conduct the trials in private commercial cotton-planting areas so researchers can observe how the F-1 variety performs in wider actual field conditions. 

Among the areas considered as trial sites are Sarangani, north and south Cotabato, Negros Oriental, Iloilo and the Ilocos region, he noted. The CODA official said researchers produced F-1 hybrid variety by cross-breeding DXB and E150, two parent pure line cotton varieties with superior genetic characteristics. 

We want to develop more improved cotton varieties, he said, noting Philippine cotton is already recognized internationally for its top-quality. 

Based on data from the agency, the Philippines continues to import some 53,361 metric tons (MT) cotton to meet local demand as domestic cotton production averaged only 1,650 MT.