AI-Driven Breeding Partnership Aims to Build Climate-Resilient Cotton
27 August 2026, New Delhi: The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has partnered with agriculture solutions company Avalo to accelerate the development of climate-resilient cotton varieties using artificial intelligence (AI), data and plant genetics.
Avalo’s technology platform is designed to identify plant traits linked to resilience and use those insights to accelerate breeding programmes. The approach aims to develop cotton varieties that require less water and fertiliser while being better adapted to local growing conditions.
By developing its own genetics, Avalo says it can shorten the time required to bring new, locally adapted varieties to growers, potentially helping farmers respond more quickly to rising temperatures, water scarcity and other climate-related pressures.
The partnership is also supporting BCI’s work with growers in the United States. Avalo has helped enrol a significant number of new producers for the 2026 season and is testing an online platform designed to streamline data collection and reporting across multiple programmes.
Ashley Barrington, BCI Senior Country Manager – US, said: “Serving as both a BCI Member and local partner, Avalo is supporting the growers we work with by streamlining data collection and compliance processes across certifications while providing technical assistance in the field.”
The development of more resilient cotton varieties could also help farmers reduce input requirements at a time when low commodity prices and rising production costs are putting pressure on farm profitability. Avalo reported that around two-thirds of the cotton it sold was driven by demand from brands committed to regenerative farming.
For brands, the programme offers potential benefits beyond regenerative agriculture, including improved data collection and greater visibility into farmer equity and production practices.
BCI-Certified farms in the Texas High Plains have already begun contracting with Avalo to grow its cotton varieties. The company is working with longtime BCI US Programme Partner Quarterway Cotton Growers, which has also joined the initiative.
Todd Straley, Quarterway CEO, BCI Group Manager and cotton farmer, said: “If this works, it will save us. With limited water and more intense heat on the Texas High Plains, breeding for more extreme conditions is the only way growing cotton in our region will remain viable for farming families. By partnering with Avalo and BCI, our organisations work toward a common goal of ensuring the resilience of Texas High Plains cotton.”
Avalo participated in BCI’s Member & US Programme Partner Meeting in New York in June and is set to participate in the organisation’s upcoming Cotton & Beyond: Regenerative Agriculture in the Texas High Plains field event in September. BCI’s Ashley Barrington will also participate in Avalo Farm Days later in the month.
Tricia Carey, Avalo’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “At Avalo, we work across data, agronomy and genetics to help farmers grow cotton that’s better for their land and their livelihoods, and partnering with the Better Cotton Initiative lets us bring that work directly to more growers, at scale. Together, we can lower the impact of cotton production while strengthening the resilience and profitability of the farmers at the heart of it.”
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