Atlanta, Georgia
January 12, 2002

Crop values also greater in stacked combination

Delta and Pine Land Company (D&PL) research presented at the 2002 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Atlanta shows that cotton varieties containing both the Bollgard® and Roundup Ready® (BG/RR)
genes had higher yields and from $20.34 to $63.75 more net revenue per acre in the Mid-South and Southeast than varieties with only Roundup Ready (RR) technology. These net revenue value differences take into account the total estimated insect control costs, including the Bollgard technology fee. The presentation was made by Dr. Ken E. Lege', D&PL's director of technical services for the eastern U.S. during this morning's Cotton Improvement session.

"Lepidopteran insect pressure has been light to moderate in cotton in the Mid-South and Southeast in the past several years, and some growers questioned if Bollgard was cost effective," said Lege'. "Both D&PL research and that of others show that farmers using Bollgard and Roundup Ready varieties in a stacked configuration have higher yields and crop values than those using Roundup Ready technology only. This was true in all regions and sub-regions within our research."

The research was divided into four sub-regions of the Mid-South and Southeast. The lower Southeast included south Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The upper Southeast states were northern South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. South Arkansas, Louisiana and south Mississippi comprised the lower Mid-South, while the upper Mid-south included north Alabama, north Arkansas, Missouri, north
Mississippi and Tennessee.

According to Lege', the BG/RR varieties outyielded the RR varieties from 45 to 98 pounds per acre in all sub-regions and maturity classifications. The same held true for crop value advantage, with BG/RR having the greatest advantage in the lower Mid-South at $63.75 per acre for full season varieties and the lowest advantage of $20.34 per acre in the upper Mid-South for early maturing varieties. Lint yield was similar, with BG/RR having a 77 pounds-per-acre advantage in the lower Mid-South and a 45.2-pound advantage in the upper Mid-South. RR varieties had stronger fiber in both the upper and lower Mid-South tests. PM 1218 BG/RR and SG 215 BG/RR were the top-performing varieties in terms of yield and crop value in both Mid-South sub-regions.

BG/RR varieties had a 97.8 pound per acre yield advantage in the upper Southeast and an overall economic advantage of $39.48 per acre. Roundup Ready varieties had longer staple values and higher strength compared to BG/RR varieties, but no  other differences in fiber characteristic were found. SG 215 BG/RR and DP 451B/RR had the highest lint yields and crop value in this region.

In the lower Southeast, BG/RR varieties outyielded RR varieties by 90.7 pounds of lint per acre with mid-full maturity season varieties and 96.4 pounds per acre on early-mid maturity varieties. The crop value of BG/RR varieties was also greater, with a $41.53 per acre advantage with mid-full maturity varieties and $37.85 with early-mid maturity varieties. The only fiber characteristic that showed differences between the technologies was fiber strength. SG 215 BG/RR, DP 451 B/RR and DP 458 B/RR had the highest yields and crop values.

All research data included insecticide and application costs and Bollgard technology fees in the estimated total insect control costs. 

For more information, see 2002 Final Beltwide Presentations on the Delta and Pine Land Company's website.

Delta and Pine Land Company is a commercial breeder, producer and marketer of cotton planting seed, as well as soybean seed in the Cotton Belt. For more than 80 years, the Mississippi-based company has used its extensive plant breeding programs drawing from a diverse germplasm base to develop superior varieties. Delta and Pine Land (NYSE: DLP) has offices in eight states and facilities in several foreign countries.