Deltapine Focused on Raising the Yield Bar in 2015
November 17, 2014 From Cotton Grower Magazine – November 2014
No brand of cotton seed was planted on more acres in 2014 than was Deltapine. It was the third straight year that Monsanto’s cotton seed brand could claim the distinction of “most planted in the United States” as designated by USDA. But that doesn’t mean Deltapine representatives are resting on their laurels.
In fact, Deltapine variety researchers are preparing to introduce monumental changes to their seed lineup in 2015 – starting first and foremost with the limited introduction of XtendFlex, a dicamba-tolerant trait package targeting growers who struggle with glyphosate-resistant weeds.
“We’ve got five experimental varieties that are Class of 15 candidates that will have XtendFlex technology, pending regulatory approval,” said Keylon Gholston, Deltapine cotton product manager, at a company field day in September. Deltapine typically announces its variety choices for commercial introduction in December, after all harvest data has been collected from the New Product Evaluator (NPE) variety candidates. “The new varieties will have a fit all across the Cotton Belt. They look really good right now, and we’ll have a better idea once we have all of our yield data available,” Gholston said.
Between the limited introduction of XtendFlex varieties and impressive advancements in nematode protection, Deltapine representatives have a lot to talk about when it comes to trait technology in the coming year. But, as Gholston points out, yield has always been the driving factor for Deltapine varieties.
“In the environment we’re in today, it’s extremely important that we bring yield and fiber quality to the grower,” Gholston said, referencing flagging cotton prices. “The worst thing we could do is misplace varieties just to introduce technology. Instead, we’ll focus on getting the right genetics on the right farm.”
In 2013, DP 1044 B2RF seemed to be the right fit for countless growers. The variety was planted on an astonishing 6.7 percent of all Upland cotton acres across the United States, making it the top seller in the vast Deltapine variety lineup.
“In Texas, DP 1044 B2RF was the number one planted variety in the state for the third year in a row, and there’s a reason for that,” Gholston says. “It’s very consistent with its performance. It performs well with water, with limited water, and with dryland scenarios. That variety is going to be extremely important again in 2015.”
And, according to Gholston, Deltapine had a new introduction in 2014 that is going to be equally popular among growers in the Southwest in the coming years.
“DP 1410 B2RF really shows a lot of promise. I like the yield potential I see in the field, and it has excellent fiber quality, with a stormproof characteristic that carries it to another level,” Gholston says.
Gholston also mentions DP 1321 B2RF as a variety that is generating a great deal of excitement in South Texas as well as the Mid-South.
“I really expect it to have very high demand going into 2015 because of the yields we saw this year,” Gholston says.
The Deltapine nematode-resistant varieties have gained a lot of traction in Texas and the Southeast.
“DP 1454NR B2RF is one that is really showing up great under moderate to heavy nematode pressure. But our whole product concept was that these varieties had to yield in the absence of nematode pressure competitively with our existing varieties, so this one is finding acceptance on nematode ground and non-nematode ground alike.”
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