Since 1995 bronze wilt has been observed in several cotton cultivars in the USA with some germplasm and cultivars more severe than others. Plant age, fruit set and load, earliness in fruiting and maturity, and high yield potential effect symptom severity. Differences in resistance to bronze wilt are affected by cultivar, environment (temperature, light intensity, and photoperiod), soil type and fertility, nitrogen content of fertilize and fertilizer rate of phosphorous and potassium, production practices and abiotic stresses (high temperature and water stress). Cultivars from several seed companies were reported to be susceptible to bronze wilt. Some researchers have linked susceptibility to bronze wilt to the presence of Tamcot SP37 and bacterial blight (B) resistance genes in the genetic background of susceptible cultivars. Our pedigree analysis of Upland and Pima cultivars released between 1970 and 1990 and other recent cultivars indicates that not all cultivars susceptible to bronze wilt were developed by crossing to Tamcot SP37; examples are Pima’s and several upland cultivars. Also, not all cultivars resistant to bacterial blight or carry the B _2B3B7 gene combination are susceptible to bronze wilt; examples are Tamcot Sphinx, Tamcot Luxor, Sure-Grow 747, and Stoneville 239. Many commercial cultivars in Texas are direct selection from Tamcot SP37, in others SP37 is a parent. Rarely did these cultivars show symptoms of bronze wilt; examples are All-Tex, Cascot, G&P, Holland, Lockett, Pioneer/Lankart cultivars. What traits or genes other than bacterial blight resistance genes are associated with bronze wilt? Could it be due to cold tolerance, earliness, high fruit production and boll retention, high yield potential, or other traits? A common dominator among the bronze wilt susceptible cultivars is their earliness and high yield potential. Bronze wilt could not logically be attributed to Tamcot SP37 being in their parentage or to bacterial blight (B) resistance genes. DNA molecular techniques should be useful in establishing relationships and evidence of reticulation, and cause of the disorder.