Technical Abstract: ‘Acala 1517-08’ (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was developed by the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 2010 as a new Acala cotton cultivar. This cultivar was a single plant selection derived from a cross between B7636 and ‘LA 887’ and possesses superior Acala cotton type fiber quality and high yield potential. Acala 1517-08 was tested in 16 replicated tests in New Mexico from 2003 to 2009, four locations in east Arizona and the High Plains of Texas in 2004, 2006 and 2008, and 14 locations/tests in the Southeast, Mid-south U.S. and Southern Texas in 2006 and 2008. Acala 1517-08 had similar or significantly higher lint yield than the standard ‘Acala 1517-99’ across all the environments tested (15.2% higher in New Mexico and 16.2% higher in the Southeast and Mid-south). Its yield was also consistently and significantly higher (28.9%) than Acala 1517-99 in east Arizona and the Texas High Plains. Its lint yield was comparable to or significantly higher than that of ‘PHY 72 Acala’. On average, Acala 1517-08 displayed higher lint percentage and fiber elongation, and longer and stronger fibers than Acala 1517-99, but with smaller seed size, similar boll size and higher micronaire. Acala 1517-08 is best adapted to the southwest arid region of the Cotton Belt, representing a new conventional Acala 1517 cotton cultivar with higher yield potential, and longer and stronger fibers.