Monsanto Unveils Bollgard 3 XtendFlex; DP Class of 17 Varieties
December 10, 2016 Monsanto has announced the commercialization of its new Bollgard 3 XtendFlex cotton and the Deltapine Class of 17 cotton varieties.
The announcements were made during the Deltapine New Product Evaluator (NPE) Summit at Amelia Island, FL, before more than 135 growers who participate in the NPE program – an initiative that provides top cotton growers the opportunity to evaluate pre-commercial Deltapine variety candidates.
Bollgard 3 XtendFlex
The introduction of Bollgard 3 XtendFlex technology is the first commercial cotton product with full federal approvals for the trait and in-crop herbicide system to combine three modes of action for both lepidopteran insect control and herbicide tolerance. The new technology adds a third protein – Vip3A – to the proven Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab Bt proteins found in Bollgard II, helping provide better insect control while increasing the longevity of the technology.
“This product has been highly anticipated by growers, and we are excited to bring Bollgard 3 XtendFlex technology to the marketplace,” said Jessie Christiansen, Monsanto Cotton Team Lead. “This launch is the latest example of Monsanto’s continuing commitment to bringing new and innovative cotton products through our pipeline, offering new benefits and solutions to growers that feature elite germplasm and enhanced protection against key pests – including armyworms and bollworms – that will enable them to produce the best crop possible.”
A limited release of Bollgard 3 XtendFlex to select NPE growers is planned in 2017, with a full-scale launch planned for 2018.
Deltapine Class of 17 Varieties
The industry’s first Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton variety with root-knot nematode (RKN) resistance and a high-performing early- to mid-maturity cotton variety were named to the Deltapine Class of 17.
Both new varieties – DP 1747NR B2XF and DP 1725 B2XF – were proven to perform by the NPE growers, who grew the varieties in large-acre plots under their own management systems in 2016 and provided valuable evaluation and feedback to the company.
DP 1747NR B2XF is the first Bollgard II XtendFlex variety that offers RKN resistance. The nematode resistance (NR) breeding trait provides season-long control to cotton plants by enabling strong root growth and reducing RKN populations in the soil profile.
In NPE plots and Deltapine market development trials, DP 1747NR B2XF outyielded both DP 1454NR B2RF and DP 1558NR B2RF – two standards for yield potential in RKN-resistant varieties. DP 1747NR B2XF has shown comparable yield potential to the best-yielding commercial varieties on the market today in fields with and without RKN pressure. The variety also offers the weed control benefits of Bollgard II XtendFlex technology, part of the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System for Cotton.
NPE grower Nick Marshall of Baker, FL, planted DP 1747NR B2XF this summer on a half-irrigated, half-non-irrigated, sandy soil field where cotton has never performed well.
“The emergence and early vigor were very good, and it grew off into a great-looking stand,” Marshall said. “We had it planted side-by-side with DP 1646 B2XF, and you could not really tell them apart. It looked healthier all season long, and it handled stress better. Yield-wise, it was comparable with DP 1646 B2XF and looks like a promising new variety.”
DP 1725 B2XF is an early- to mid-maturity variety that has shown exceptional yield potential in the Mid-South and Southeast. It offers improved fiber quality over DP 1522 B2XF and has shown an improvement in yield potential as well.
“When we can commercialize varieties that are better than products like DP 1522 B2XF, that’s a real accomplishment, because we’ve set the bar very high with the Deltapine Class of 15 and Class of 16 cotton varieties,” said Keylon Gholston, Deltapine Cotton Products Manager. “We continue to bring varieties to cotton growers that offer top-end yield and fiber quality potential, coupled with the leading technologies in the industry.”
Deltapine NPE grower Nick McMichen of Centre, AL, said DP 1725 B2XF reminds him of the old DP 1137 B2RF variety – a very vigorous-growing variety, but one that’s easy to manage with plant growth regulators. The new Class of 17 Bollgard II XtendFlex variety stood out in his NPE plots and drew lots of attention in the field and at the gin.
“It was just an outstanding variety for us, picking over three bales to the acre in my plot,” said McMichen. “It was lights out – a really good variety. It showed that it could handle stress at that extra level, because we had some tough growing conditions and it held up extremely well. It did not disappoint in yield and fiber grades. I will definitely have that in my program in 2017.”
More information on Deltapine cotton varieties and the NPE Program can be found online. Photos, videos, agronomic tips and more can be found on Twitter and on Facebook.
Source – Monsanto
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