Intensified efforts by Monsanto to breed and test Deltapine^® cotton with the highest yield and quality potential are leading to strong results as harvest in southern Texas gets into full swing.

In the Rio Grande Valley, near La Feria, Steve Bauer planted 21.7 acres to DP 1646 B2XF under irrigation. The results were spectacular, with an average yield of 1,890 lbs/acre, 41 percent turnout, 39 staple, 4.0 mic and 30.6 strength. The bales averaged 57.47 cents in the loan.

“We were definitely pleased with it,” said Bauer. “The grades were just excellent. The turnout was excellent. It picked off the stalk beautifully. It fruited all the way up to the top, they [the bolls] opened up, and we got it all. I am definitely going to plant it again next year.”

In 2015, Bauer grew DP 1646 B2XF in a side-by-side test with his primary variety—DP 1518 B2XF—and other products. DP 1646 B2XF significantly outperformed all other varieties in his plot that season, leading him to plant as many bags of it as he could get in 2016.

He says he would confidently recommend DP 1646 B2XF to other growers.

“I was mainly planting DP 1518 B2XF and I thought that was the cat’s meow,” Bauer said. “I put DP 1646 B2XF up against it and you could see to the row that DP 1646 B2XF was taller. It had bolls up all the way to the top, just a snowbank compared to the other variety. DP 1518 B2XF is no slouch, but I think DP 1646 B2XF has got a little bit of an edge.”

Bauer planted his crop on Feb. 28. He said emergence and vigor were good on DP 1646 B2XF. After an average growing season weather-wise and nearly perfect harvest conditions, his 2016 crop is out of the field.

“I know Deltapine is always looking for better-performing varieties and so are we growers, but right now, I don’t think anything can top the yield and grades I made with DP 1646 B2XF this season.”

DP 1646 B2XF also performed well on dryland acres in southern Texas. Fellow Rio Grande Valley grower Cody Scogin saw his 86 acres of dryland average 2.25 bales. The real story, however, is in the fiber quality grades, said Scogin.

The 194 bales he harvested had a loan value of 57.52 cents, carrying an average staple of 37.6 and average strength of 29.36. The mic was 4.3, uniformity was 81.4 and the lint turnout was 42 percent.

“It was probably the best-grading cotton I’ve ever grown,” Scogin said. “The bar got set a while back when we started planting okra-leaf cottons, and now, maybe the bar is going to be raised again if we can consistently grow cotton like this.”

DP 1646 B2XF was among the first varieties planted and harvested on Scogin’s farm this year. Although it’s listed as a mid to full-maturity variety, Scogin found DP 1646 B2XF to be easy to manage and fit well within his system geared toward mid-maturing cotton.

Emergence and vigor were in line with all other varieties planted on nearby fields. It was later in the season when DP 1646 B2XF began to outshine the others.

“It started off just like everything else, but it really stood out once the fruit set started,” he said. “It just kept putting on bolls and never stopped. It was a standout.”

As harvest gets underway in other areas, growers throughout the Cotton Belt are reporting similar strong results with DP 1646 B2XF. “Based on its outstanding performance, DP 1646 B2XF looks like a winner when it comes to mid to full-maturity cotton varieties,” said Keylon Gholston, Deltapine Cotton Product Manager. “We’re seeing a lot of excitement about this variety because of its yield and quality potential.”

For more on Deltapine cotton varieties, visit www.deltapine.com.

_{# # #}

_{As of this printing no dicamba herbicide product has been approved for commercial in-crop use with Bollgard II® XtendFlex® or XtendFlex® cotton. DO NOT APPLY DICAMBA HERBICIDE IN-CROP TO BOLLGARD II® XTENDFLEX® or XTENDFLEX® COTTON IN 2016 unless you use a dicamba herbicide product that is specifically labeled for that use in the location where you intend to make the application. While no in-crop use of dicamba is currently approved, some dicamba products may be labeled for weed control prior to planting a crop and subject to minimum plant back restrictions.  IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO MAKE AN IN-CROP APPLICATION OF ANY DICAMBA HERBICIDE PRODUCT ON BOLLGARD II® XTENDFLEX® or XTENDFLEX® COTTON, OR ANY OTHER PESTICIDE APPLICATION, UNLESS THE PRODUCT LABEL SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZES THE USE. Contact the U.S. EPA or your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for IN-CROP USE WITH Bollgard II® XtendFlex® or XtendFlex® cotton and follow all pesticide product labeling.}

_{Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Bollgard II® XtendFlex® & XtendFlex® Cotton have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from Bollgard II® XtendFlex® & XtendFlex® Cotton can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product.}

_{B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state.}

_{Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible.}

_{Growers may utilize the natural refuge option for varieties containing the Bollgard II® trait in the following states:  AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA, and most of Texas (excluding the Texas counties of Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler). The natural refuge option does not apply to Bollgard II® cotton grown in areas where pink bollworm is a pest, including CA, AZ, NM, and the above listed Texas counties. It also remains the case that Bollgard® and Bollgard II® cotton cannot be planted south of Highway 60 in Florida, and that Bollgard® cotton cannot be planted in certain other counties in the Texas panhandle. Refer to the Technology Use Guide and IRM/Grower Guide for additional information regarding Bollgard II, Bollgard, natural refuge and EPA-mandated geographical restrictions on the planting of B.t. cotton.}

_{ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Bollgard II® XtendFlex® cotton contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides, dicamba, the active ingredient in M1691, and glufosinate, the active ingredient in Liberty® brand herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate.  Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs. Bollgard II®, Respect the Refuge and Cotton Design®, and XtendFlex® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Deltapine® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design® is a registered trademark of Bayer. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 Monsanto Company.}