Cultivar · Cotton type / cultivar group
Acala cotton
Acala is a group (type) of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) known for stronger, longer staple, historically the standard fiber type of California cotton — not a single registered cultivar.
Record
Cultivar / variety- Variety of
- Cotton
- Botanical taxon
- Gossypium hirsutum
- Type
- Cultivar group (upland cotton type)
- Breeding method
- Selection and breeding within a type (many cultivars)
- Origin
- U.S. Southwest and California, from germplasm originating near Acala, Chiapas, Mexico, United States
- Registry status
- Historical
- Adaptation
- Warm, long, frost-free seasons; historically grown under irrigation in the arid and semi-arid U.S. Southwest and California. Deep, well-drained soils, including the loams and clays of major irrigated valleys.
- Intended use
- Spinnable upland lint for textiles, Historically the standard fiber type of California cotton
Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.
Acala is a type, or cultivar group, of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) rather than a single cultivar. The name traces to germplasm originating near Acala, in Chiapas, Mexico, which was developed in the United States into a group of related cottons grown chiefly in the Southwest and, most notably, California.
Acala cottons became known for stronger, longer staple than many typical upland types, and for decades "Acala" was effectively the standard fiber type of California cotton. Many distinct, individually named cultivars have been bred within the Acala group over time, so the name describes a fiber type and breeding lineage more than any one variety.
A type, not a single cultivar
Acala is best understood as a group of related upland cottons — a fiber type and breeding lineage — rather than one registered variety. Numerous individually named cultivars have been released within the Acala group, and they share the group’s general fiber character while differing in specific agronomic and quality traits.
Origin and development
The Acala name comes from germplasm associated with Acala, Chiapas, in Mexico, which was introduced and developed in the United States in the early 20th century. Development and selection within U.S. programs shaped the group into the cottons grown widely in California and the wider Southwest, where they were long promoted as a preferred fiber type.
Fiber character and adaptation
Acala cottons are upland cottons distinguished, within that class, by stronger and longer staple valued for spinning. They are warm-season cottons requiring a long, frost-free season and were historically grown under irrigation on the deep, well-drained soils of California’s major producing valleys.
Relationships
Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.
Related topics
Scope & limitations
Geographic scope: Historically centered on California and the U.S. Southwest. Specific performance depends on the individual Acala cultivar and local conditions.
Climate context: Warm-season upland cotton type requiring a long, frost-free season; historically irrigated.
- Acala is a type / cultivar group, not a single cultivar; the many named cultivars bred within it differ in agronomy and quality.
- Fiber and adaptation descriptions apply to the group in general terms and are not a measured specification for any particular Acala cultivar.
- Registry and variety-protection status apply at the level of individual Acala cultivars, not to the group name, which is treated here as historical.
- Germplasm origin and development history are drawn from cotton-breeding literature and stated in general terms.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]USDA ARS — Agricultural Research Service (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
Cited for: Cotton research and the history of U.S. cotton germplasm and types
- Type:
- Government agency
- Jurisdiction:
- United States
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]CABI Digital Library — Crop Protection Compendium (opens in a new tab)High
CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)
Cited for: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) crop and fiber-type context
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12