Oro Blanco, a new Pima cotton variety from Phytogen, was released in 1993 following successful evaluation by California's San Joaquin Valley Cotton Board. Over two years of SJVCB testing, Oro Blanco yields were not significantly different than those of S-6 or S-7 (the Pima varieties that have been most widely grown in California). Over four years of Phytogen testing, Oro Blanco significantly out yielded S-6 (S-7 was not available for testing). In these trials, Oro Blanco fiber was significantly longer and stronger than S-6 and had a higher elongation percentage than S-7. Oro Blanco has generally exhibited superior lint color (darker and creamier) than S-7. Buyers have shown a consistent preference for Oro Blanco over S-7. Finally, among Pima cotton bales produced by the J.G. Boswell Company in 1993, a larger percentage of Oro Blanco bales were classed grade 3 or better (the premium range) than were bales of S-7.