Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
January 13, 2016
PhytoGen announces cotton growers will have access to the first cottonseed variety with the Enlist™ cotton trait for the 2016 growing season. The new variety will be named PhytoGen® brand PHY 490 W3FE and is built on proven PhytoGen genetics. Enlist cotton provides tolerance to Enlist Duo® herbicide — a proprietary blend of 2,4-D choline and glyphosate – as well as full tolerance to glufosinate. Enlist Duo with Colex-D® technology will be the only 2,4-D-containing product labeled for in-crop use with Enlist cotton. Enlist Duo is not yet registered for use on cotton.
Stacked with Genuity® Roundup Ready® Flex and WideStrike® 3 Insect Protection, PHY 490 W3FE will allow growers to employ additional weed control options in a variety with proven yield potential and without crop response concerns. In addition to these attributes, PHY 490 W3FE also provides native resistance to bacterial blight.
“As part of the Enlist weed control system, the Enlist cotton trait represents the most innovative advancement in weed control technology for the cotton industry,” says Hank King, U.S. marketing leader for PhytoGen cottonseed. Cotton growers have been following and understand the importance of the new Enlist cotton technology. They are anxious to plant PhytoGen brand varieties with the Enlist trait on cotton acres throughout the Cotton Belt.
“PhytoGen cottonseed with the Enlist trait will take weed control to the next level. Planting PHY 490 W3FE with its tolerance to multiple herbicide modes of action will help growers as they strive to do their part to curb herbicide-resistant weeds. And growers feel great about that. By planting PHY 490 W3FE, growers don’t have to choose between yield and a herbicide-tolerant technology,” says King.
Incorporating innovative traits in a proven high-yielding variety
The new PhytoGen variety, PHY 490 W3FE, is built on the proven PhytoGen genetics of PHY 499 WRF. The decision to incorporate the Enlist™ cotton trait into the PHY 499 germplasm was twofold, according to John Pellow, PhytoGen global breeding leader for cotton.
“Certainly, consistent proven yield potential was a major factor,” says Pellow. “But more so, the amazing thing about PHY 499 WRF is that the variety is so broadly adapted — it performs very well in a broad range of soils, growing conditions and farming practices. PHY 499 WRF was the No. 1 planted variety in three of the past four years. Its proven adaptability will allow us to offer this new variety to more growers in all regions of the Cotton Belt.”
Pellow cites additional factors for the introduction of the first variety with the Enlist cotton trait specific to the science and due diligence required to incorporate new traits into existing germplasm. A lot of advance work is required to ensure that the trait is characterized well while maintaining the integrity of the existing germplasm and PhytoGen’s standard of elite genetics.
“The process doesn’t happen overnight,” says Pellow. “We won’t bring new technology to growers in varieties that don’t meet PhytoGen yield and quality standards.”
“Years of planning have gone into the introduction,” says King. “While our goal is to bring new traits to the market as quickly as possible, it’s important to understand the process can’t be rushed. PhytoGen will offer PHY 490 W3FE as the first variety with the Enlist cotton trait in 2016, with several additional PhytoGen brand varieties with the Enlist cotton trait to follow in 2017.”
“PhytoGen’s industry-leading yield advantage is well-documented,” says King. “We have successfully combined the Enlist cotton trait with the best germplasm in the industry in a multistacked variety. PHY 490 W3FE is the first variety in the PhytoGen portfolio that allows growers to consider additional weed control options. We’re excited about future plans that call for expanding the PhytoGen portfolio with more Enlist cotton varieties in 2017.”
King says cotton growers should evaluate all varieties carefully for the 2016 season, including consideration for U.S. Department of Agriculture loan values and performance trends in Official Variety Trial data.
Enlist Duo® herbicide
In November 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested a vacatur of the registration of Enlist Duo for use on Enlist™ corn and Enlist soybeans. Dow AgroSciences is confident in the extensive data supporting Enlist Duo herbicide and provided additional data to ensure that the conditions of registered use of the product will continue to protect the environment, including threatened and endangered plant species. With U.S. farmers’ need for access to Enlist Duo to control resistant weeds and the comprehensive assessments already conducted for the herbicide, Dow AgroSciences expects these new evaluations will result in a prompt resolution.
To learn more about the Enlist™ weed control system, visit the YouTube channel, follow on Twitter at @EnlistOnline or visit Enlist.com.
About PhytoGen
PhytoGen, an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences, offers cottonseed varieties with the most advanced in-plant protection options, such as WideStrike® 3 Insect Protection and Genuity® Roundup Ready® Flex. Join the discussion with PhytoGen on Facebook and YouTube.
About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences discovers, develops, and brings to market crop protection and plant biotechnology solutions for the growing world. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and had annual global sales of $7.3 billion in 2014. Learn more at www.dowagro.com. Follow Dow AgroSciences on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+
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