Deltapine Class of 10 to include six new cotton varieties

15 Dec '09

5 min read

Dr. Dave Albers, Monsanto's cotton germplasm lead, says the yield improvements were seen across the Cotton Belt. He said, farmers in Texas saw an average of 40-50 pounds of lint per acre with the Class of 09 compared to commercial standards and the Class of 10 brought an additional average of 50 pounds. In field trials east of Texas, yield averages were 50-100 pounds more per acre with the Class of 09 compared to current standards and the Class of 10 yielded an additional 100-200 pounds, Albers says. With these figures, farmers could harvest one or two more bales of cotton per bag of Deltapine Class of '10 seed purchased.

The investments Monsanto has made in counter-seasonal seed production resulted in wide availability of the Class of 09 for its introductory season. In fact, the USDA estimated that the class was planted on more than 10 percent of the cotton area last year. Seed production in some areas was challenged, but the company says availability of the Class of 09 should be significantly higher in 2010 and the Class of 10 will be in a good introductory supply.

The new varieties bring the latest in genetics and technology resulting in such high performance potential. There are two varieties - DP 1048 B2RF and DP 1050 B2RF - that are particularly well-suited to the mid & full-season areas that stretch from Georgia to South Texas. For those early- to mid-maturing areas from North Carolina through the Delta, DP 1028 B2RF and DP 1034 B2RF have a good fit. Water-availability differences in West Texas drove the selection of DP 1032 B2RF and DP 1044 B2RF for use in that region. Additional information on these varieties will be available at the 2010 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in New Orleans January 4-7, 2010.

Monsanto

More Monsanto News... More Textiles News - United States Of America...