NPE Growers Put New Varieties To The Test
August 13, 2010 
For Mattson Flowers of Clarksdale, Miss., running field-size trials means a better look at a potential new variety and, well, maybe a few more visits from his neighbors.
“We’ve got a lot of neighbors, they go ‘hey where’s that trial’ – and they’ll come over and start pickin’ in the cotton,” Flowers smiles. “They really want to know what we think about it.”
Flowers is one of 180 farmers participating in the Deltapine New Product Evaluator program this season. Now in its third year, the NPE Program has become an important proving ground for commercial cotton varieties because it allows farmers to evaluate pre-commercial varieties in module-sized or larger plots. The program has been instrumental in Deltapine’s ability to commercialize new varieties that offer higher yield potential, better fiber quality and unique features. Participating farmers grow these products under their own management systems for evaluation.
Flowers says the larger plots – 15 to 20 acres in size – mean a better evaluation of how new varieties will actually perform in real-world conditions.
“These plots go over bigger areas, so you’ll get areas where there will be bad drainage or different soils and that’s just like most everybodys’ farms,” explains Flowers. “You really want to pick out one that looks good across the whole field.”
Flowers says that bigger tests mean he doesn’t have to slow down to micro-manage smaller trial plots. Plus, the new varieties are subjected to field equipment and farming practices used all across the farm.
“On these NPE plots, we get a bigger picture of what we can do (with these varieties) on our farm than with smaller plots,” Flowers says.
The Deltapine effort puts increased focus on the input of NPE growers all across the Cotton Belt that grow the new experimental varieties and provide feedback.
“I can’t really put into words how valuable this program has been to us in figuring out what varieties we should take to commercial production,” says Keylon Gholston, director of development for Deltapine.
“Here’s the big difference to me: If I’ve got eight row plots across this field today, I’ve got to manage that trial for the midpoint of those varieties,” he explains. “If one of those varieties is 10 days ahead or behind of the midpoint, I’ve still got to manage for the middle.” With 15 to 20-acre plots, though, Gholston says, each grower has a chance to manage that individual variety as he sees fit, gaining a better picture of its real potential. “If it’s an early season variety, he can manage it as one, if it’s late, he can adjust accordingly.”
For Flowers, the scorecard will be at harvest when a full module of each of his three NPE varieties will be picked and ginned and it’s likely his neighbors will be learning, too.
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