AgroPages-Monsanto plans to launch Bollgard and XtendFlex cotton in 2015-Agricultural news

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Pending regulatory approvals, Monsanto’s Deltapine® Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton varieties are anticipated to be available for planting in 2015, providing farmers with cotton that is tolerant to three herbicides: dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate.

Because of its tolerance to three unique modes of action, Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton will be designed to provide farmers added choice and flexibility for applying multiple combinations of the three herbicides before, during and after planting. In 2014, farmers were able to experience the weed control technology of Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton through Monsanto’s Ground Breakers® Field Trials Under Permit testing program.

“The Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton performed very well on our farm this year,” said Mike Jordan, NPE grower in south Alabama. “The weed control was excellent. The residual control we got from the first (herbicide) application was superior to anything I’ve ever seen.”

In Georgia, NPE farmer Greg Sikes said he was impressed not only with the weed control, but also the ease of meeting application requirements and the ability to control drift.

“(We expect that) Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton is going to be a super tool for us,” said Sikes. “We grow vegetables so we have herbicide restrictions in many fields. The Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton works well with those restrictions. Plus, with this system, we have a longer window to get into a field and get good control with our (herbicide) applications.”

The Deltapine commitment to improve cotton variety performance has allowed Monsanto to release weed control technology using elite germplasm. Pending regulatory approvals, farmers will be able to experience Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton varieties that offer yield and fiber quality opportunities on par with or better than the best-performing varieties available on the market today, said Gholston, Deltapine cotton products manager at Monsanto.

“Our lineup of Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ varieties, pending regulatory approvals, will include early-, mid- and full-season varieties, with at least one line that fits the growing conditions found in each region of the Cotton Belt,” Gholston said. “We anticipate having varieties with fits for the early-season regions as well as the fuller-season markets of the lower mid-South and Southeast. We will have a variety for Texas that has demonstrated performance on dryland fields comparable to existing varieties such as DP 1044 B2RF.”

The Deltapine® Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ varieties anticipated for introduction after regulatory approvals are:

- DP 1518 B2XF and DP 1522 B2XF for shorter-season markets

- DP 1538 B2XF and DP 1553 B2XF for mid- to full-season markets

- DP 1549 B2XF for West Texas and Arizona markets