Bayer Introduces New Varieties, New Traits
February 13, 2012 For 2012, growers across the Cotton Belt will be planting a new Stoneville cotton variety with the LibertyLink trait. Some FiberMax varieties from Bayer have had LibertyLink, a Bayer proprietary trait, for a number of years.
LibertyLink provides tolerance to the non-selective herbicide Ignite, and is an alternative to glyphosate in weed resistance management that adds another mode-of-action.
“Stoneville ST 4145LLB2 is the highlight for the Eastern region and will be available in good supply in 2012,” says Jeff Brehmer, U.S. FiberMax and Stoneville marketing manager. “The advantage to the grower is that it’s Stoneville germplasm with the LibertyLink technology, and that’s the latest technology and germplasm adapted for the East region.
“We’re seeing good yields with this variety and farmers are extremely happy about its performance. When farmers utilize LibertyLink and Ignite to fight resistant weeds, it allows them to see the maximum yield potential of the variety,” Brehmer says.
FiberMax FM 9250GL and FM 2989GLB2 are two varieties new to most growers in 2012 which are available in good supply and are stacked with the GlyTol and LibertyLink traits. These varieties enable growers to spray Ignite herbicide and any brand of glyphosate labeled for cotton throughout the season. Many growers in the Southwest will be familiar with some of the characteristics of FM 2989GLB2.
“In the West region, we have FM 2989GLB2 which has some of the characteristics of FM 989 that people have come to know in West Texas,” Brehmer continues.
In addition to these new varieties, another experimental variety with GLB2 technology looks promising for the grower.
“We are seeing good performance from our experimental variety BX 1244GLB2. With this variety, you have the ease of management of FiberMax FM 1740B2F with three advantages – better fiber, better yield potential and the GlyTol/LibertyLink technology,” Brehmer says. “It should be introduced with a new commercial variety name in 2012.”
Brehmer says a key variety that has been performing well is Stoneville ST 5288B2F. “Growers in Louisiana and all across the Delta are experiencing record yields on their farms with this variety in 2011. Some of them are producing anywhere from 100 to 300 pounds more than their previous farm average.”
For growers with nematode pressure on their farms, Stoneville offers several varieties with good root-knot nematode tolerance.
“Stoneville ST 5458B2RF and ST 4288B2F have good root-knot nematode tolerance and really match up well with Aeris and Poncho/VOTiVO,” Brehmer says.
Aeris is an on-seed insecticide and nematicide treatment. Poncho/VOTiVO combines a seed-applied insecticide with seed-applied biological nematode protection.
Another variety Brehmer says has performed very well is FM 1845LLB2 – a LibertyLink/Bollgard II selection. “This variety gives farmers the flexibility to spray Ignite over the top to help control resistant weeds along with other weeds,” he explains. “Two areas where we’ve seen FM 1845LLB2 stand out are in the Corpus Christi area and in Georgia. It’s well adapted to those two areas, in particular. Along with the consistent yield, you have some of the finest fiber quality of any FiberMax variety on the market.”
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