Advanced Traits from PhytoGen Protect Yield and Quality
March 6, 2017 The latest lineup of PhytoGen brand varieties offers growers more and better in-plant, native trait protection to help cotton thrive, protect quality and optimize yields, including options to help fight bacterial blight, root-knot nematodes (RKN) and Verticillium wilt.
Nationwide, growers can choose from 12 PhytoGen brand varieties packaged with bacterial blight resistance, 10 varieties with some level of Verticillium wilt tolerance, and two varieties with RKN resistance. PhytoGen also offers Pima varieties with tolerance to Fusarium Race 4.
“PhytoGen researchers have spent years selecting for naturally-occurring traits that confer a high level of tolerance to diseases that plague cotton growers,” says John Pellow, global cotton breeding leader at Dow AgroSciences.
Most PhytoGen cottonseed currently contains these native traits, Pellow says, and additional protection is in the works. Soon, varieties will contain multiple naturally-occurring traits to guard against various soil borne and foliar diseases. PhytoGen brand varieties also are being developed to better tolerate various environmental stresses and reniform nematode tolerance in upland varieties.
“We are developing multiple genes that make each native trait less likely to develop resistance and to provide a longer lifespan of the trait,” adds Pellow. “For example, starting with new releases in 2018, many more PhytoGen brand varieties will carry both RKN genes, providing better tolerance to RKN pressure.”
All new PhytoGen brand varieties also contain WideStrike 3 Insect Protection – the first three-gene insect trait technology which offers improved protection against cotton bollworm.
PhytoGen cottonseed with the new Enlist cotton trait provides tolerance to Enlist Duo herbicide – a combination of new 2,4-D choline and glyphosate – as well as glufosinate, to help eliminate tough-to-control and resistant weeds.
“We’re very excited about the future at PhytoGen,” says Pellow. “Not only do we annually advance yield and fiber quality, we are not aware of any companies advancing this many traits for yield protection.”
For more about yield protection traits available from PhytoGen, growers can access PhytoGen.com, which has been redesigned to be more accessible and useful for cotton producers. The site includes in-depth performance results of PhytoGen brand varieties, geographic-specific variety information, and more detailed agronomic tips, as well as details about the company’s rewards programs and Best Yielder Club.
Source – PhytoGen
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