Bahia Farm Show 2022 – New ramularia resistant cotton cultivar launched

The pre-launch of the new cotton cultivar, BRS 437 B2RF, was announced at the Bahia Farm Show 2022.

BRS 437 B2RF is a transgenic technology with a high level of resistance to diseases, most notably the ramularia leaf spot (Ramularia areola).

The disease is caused by a fungus that affects cotton leaves and is the the leading cotton disease in the country, requiring around eight sprayings of fungicides per harvest in cultivars more susceptible to the disease.

BRS 437 B2RF was developed by Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa) and Fundação Bahia, and was presented at the Bahia Farm Show 2022, the largest agricultural fair in the north and northeast of Brazil, which is being exclusively covered by AgroPages until June 5 in the city of Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Bahia.

The new cultivar also features the Bollgard II Roundup Ready Flex (B2RF) technology, which confers resistance against major species of caterpillars that attack cotton and the herbicide glyphosate during all stages of crop development.

BRS 437 B2RF has high-quality fiber and high productivity, with a productive potential of 6,015 kilos per hectare of seed cotton and 2,425 kilos per hectare of lint. It has a medium to late-cycle and a medium to high size. It is indicated for use when sowing the opening and middle of a plantation under rain-fed or irrigated conditions in the cerrado of the states of Bahia, Piauí, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

In addition to resistance to ramularia, 437 B2RF is resistant to blue disease transmitted by the aphid Aphis gossypii, the bacterial disease Xanthomonas axonopodis, and common mosaic caused by the fly, Bemisia tabaci. The cultivar is also moderately resistant to the root-knot nematode ( Meloidogyne incognita).

The seeds will already be available to producers from the next harvest, through the cooperative sowing of the Fundação da Bahia.

During the fair, Embrapa Algodão will also announce, to producers in the region, the launch of the transgenic cotton cultivar, BRS 500 B2RF. With high levels of productivity and production of white fibers of medium length, this cultivar is resistant to caterpillars and the herbicide, glyphosate, as well as to the root-knot nematode.

In addition, two sesame cultivars will be presented to the public, BRS Anahí and BRS Morena. The first offers agronomic performance superior to other cultivars in various regions of the country, as well as high productivity and other interesting characteristics for the industry, such as clear skin seeds that are much larger than others available on the market, and the possibility of use for mechanized or manual harvesting. The second is a reddish-brown sesame cultivar, which has a unique flavor for fresh consumption and the food industry, with a focus on the gourmet market.

On the occasion, the soybean cultivar, BRS 8383IPRO, developed by Embrapa Cerrados and Fundação Bahia, will also be pre-launched. It is a medium-cycle variety with an indeterminate growth habit, as well as a high production ceiling and production stability, even in conditions of drought and high temperatures.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)