Lubbock, Texas
May 20, 2009
ST 4554B2RF set the bar, new
varieties like ST 5458B2RF raise it higher
Cotton growers constantly look for ways to improve yield and
profitability, and variety selection is one of the most
important decisions they make each year.
For three years, Stoneville® cotton has been the top choice for
growers who plant Bollgard II®/Roundup Ready® Flex varieties. ST
4554B2RF has been the most widely planted Bollgard II/Roundup
Ready Flex variety across the Cotton Belt, and growers trust ST
4554B2RF for strong emergence, excellent yield and
manageability. Newer Stoneville varieties build on this
performance expectation.
In 2008, Russell Cox produced his highest yield ever with ST
4554B2RF. On an irrigated 60-acre field in Lamesa, Texas, he
averaged more than four bales an acre. Cox didn’t plant his crop
until May 20 due to wind and lack of moisture, and he believes
strong emergence and early season vigor helped overcome the late
start.
“One of the most important things I look at when choosing a
variety is seedling vigor, and this has some of the best
seedling vigor that I have ever seen,” Cox said. “When it is up
and growing, it is on its way to making cotton. These newer
Stoneville varieties consistently get out of the ground very
quickly.”
Throughout the season, Cox followed Best Management Practices by
keeping the field clean, irrigating with about 1.5 inches of
water a week and adding nitrogen through his center-pivot.
“It just made cotton – it was perfect,” Cox said. “ST 4554B2RF
has always been consistent for me and has worked really well on
my farm. It doesn’t really matter if it is a good year, a dry
year, a wet year or whatever. It just makes cotton.”
This year Cox, who farms with his wife Traci, chose ST 5458B2RF
to plant on part of his farm. Released in 2008, ST 5458B2RF is a
mid-maturing variety with exceptional yield potential that led
across the Cotton Belt last year in Official Variety Trials and
Bayer CropScience Cotton Agronomic Performance (CAP) trials.
Jeff Brehmer, U.S. marketing manager for Stoneville cotton,
encourages growers to trial new Stoneville varieties on their
farms and visit area CAP trials during the growing season. He
believes these new Stoneville varieties raise the bar that ST
4554B2RF previously set for Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex
varieties.
“Stoneville brings new commercial varieties to market after
careful evaluation of breeding trials, CAP trials and OVTs to
determine that these varieties exceed the standards set by our
currently available offerings,” Brehmer said. “The performance
and adaptability of our newer Stoneville varieties like ST
5458B2RF have been impressive across the Cotton Belt, and CAP
trials offer growers the opportunity to see these varieties in
their local area.”
For more information on new Stoneville varieties, contact your
local Bayer
CropScience representative or visit
www.CottonExperts.com. |
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