Genetically engineered (GE) cotton varieties offer new opportunities for controlling key insect and weed pests. F₂ populations have been shown to have the potential for increasing yield, earliness, and fiber quality. Conventional breeding programs are also continuing to produce new varieties that have improved yield, earliness, and fiber quality. The major factors slowing the use of GE varieties are regulatory restrictions, insects developing resistance to genes conferring insect suppression, agronomic performance, and the cost and time required to develop transgenic varieties. Hybrid populations are limited in distribution at present by the amount of seed available and the newness adaption problems normally encountered when introducing new varieties. It does not appear that large acreage (300,000 acres) of GE varieties will be available to growers within at least the next five years. F₂ populations are already being offered to growers and are expected to he planted on large acreage within the next several years. Conventional breeding will result in many new and improved varieties being available for the 1993 season.