2016 Seed Showcase – Bayer CropScience

From Cotton Grower Magazine – November 2016

Bayer CropScience made waves in September when the USDA Cotton Varieties Planted report was released, revealing a Stoneville variety as the most-planted variety across the Cotton Belt in 2015.

Growers across the Cotton Belt put their faith in ST 4946GLB2, a Stoneville variety that challenged conventional wisdom and found a home on thousands of acres in every region.

“(Stoneville) used to have a reputation as too loose in the boll for West Texas,” says Kenny Melton, western region agronomic manager for Bayer CropScience. “But this variety is proving that’s no longer the case. Another big factor is that it’s going on nematode acres and doing very well.”

The variety was planted on 7.82 percent of acres in the sizable Southwest region. ST 4946GLB2 also accounted for a whopping 32 percent of acreage in the Mid-South. All told, it accounted for nearly 11 percent of acreage in the United States in 2015.

“Stoneville germplasm has yielded well across the Belt in the past,” Melton says. “But ST 4946GLB2 has really stepped it up in terms of length, strength and micronaire, and made a name for itself in every region.”

Bayer CropScience also found success with two familiar names in FM 2011GT and FM 2484B2F, which both accounted for over 7 percent of the Southwest region’s acreage, placing themselves among the top four most-planted varieties there.

“FM 2011GT has been a really strong variety for us, and we anticipate it still will be,” Melton says. “We don’t have the Liberty or a TwinLink in that variety, but we do have three new experimental varieties we’re currently examining – we’re confident we’ll bring at least one forward in 2016 – which have the same characteristics as FM 2011GT. They have that same good Verticillium wilt tolerance, very good resistance to root knot nematodes and of course the storm tolerance, yield and maybe a little better fiber quality, in addition to the Liberty and TwinLink traits. These varieties come out of the same FM 2011GT background.”

In the Southeast, Bayer CropScience agronomists are equally excited about the prospects for a banner year in 2016.

“ST 6182GLT and ST 6448GLB2 are full-season varieties that are winning trials in Georgia and are suited to the dryland and irrigated acre,” says Josh Mayfield, regional cotton agronomist for Bayer CropScience.

“What’s exciting to me is that these varieties bring more than great germplasm to the grower,” says Mayfield. “For weed control, you can spray Liberty herbicide or glyphosate over any Stoneville variety, which is important for growers throughout the Southeast. In addition to weed management, fiber quality also is very important for Southeast cotton growers. These newer Stoneville varieties have excellent fiber quality, especially in staple length with values as high as 40 on growers’ farms and in trials.”

Growers are encouraged to visit the company’s website to utilize the user-friendly variety selector tool in helping to make an informed variety decision.