Atlanta, Georgia
January 12, 2002

International germplasm base allows breeders access to diverse lines

Delta and Pine Land Company (D&PL) has developed a Global Advanced Testing Program to facilitate germplasm exchange and broad scale testing, according to Dr. Cynthia Green, D&PL's advanced testing and germplasm coordinator. The announcement was made during the Cotton Improvement Session of the 2002 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Atlanta.

"This program will have significant benefits for the American farmer, because we can develop new varieties from a broader germplasm base," said Green. "DeltaPEARL and DP 491 are excellent examples of our successes in this program. Both of these full season varieties combine excellent to outstanding yields with very good to superior fiber quality."

According to Green, the Global Advanced Testing Program allows D&PL to test and exchange material from seven U.S. breeding programs and three breeding programs overseas. The program provides a formalized program for germplasm exchange and wide-scale testing, as well as utilizing local public germplasm. The very best lines identified within each program are submitted to a standardized testing
program across all regions.

D&PL breeding programs focus primarily on developing superior conventional lines, with the vast majority of their crosses, progeny rows and yield trials being conventional material. The Advanced Testing Program is used to identify broadly adapted conventional lines combining high yield and excellent fiber qualities for ultimately incorporating the newest gene technologies. Transgenic lines are identified and evaluated on a broad scale basis from this superior germplasm.

The data collected in the Advanced Testing Program includes yield, fiber characteristics, plant height and maturity, string-out and, where relevant, information on reaction to nematodes, Fusarium, Verticillium and bronze wilt, bacterial blight and other diseases specific to cotton producing regions.

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.