Monsanto has broken ground on a new research "megasite" in Texas that will serve as the center for the company's cotton breeding in the high plains.

"Texas is the major player in the U.S. cotton industry with more than 50 percent of the country's planted acres," said Trevor Hohls, head of Monsanto's global cotton division, in a statement Wednesday.

"This increase in research will provide continued breakthroughs in genetics and technology for the farm."

Nearly 90 percent of the country's cotton is genetically engineered, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The $10.5 million research facility will be built on a 12-acre site in Lubbock, within the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance Business Park. About 20 employees will be based at the facility.

The site will allow researchers in the company's breeding, biotech and testing areas to work more closely together.

"Cotton farming requires a lot of specialized equipment," said Kendall Bonds, who heads of the company's western region testing.

"Our breeding and testing programs have similar needs, but on a different scale, as we look at individual plants or small numbers of plants rather than fields."