Stoneville President, Thomas F. "Bud" Hughes, said, "We are really pleased to be working again with the LSU AgCenter in our second effort to bring improved variety choices to cotton growers. Until the introduction of Bollgard Bt varieties in 1996, the conventional variety LA 887, developed by LSU AgCenter Professor Emeritus Jack Jones and marketed by Stoneville, was one of the most widely planted varieties in the southern picker market. Now, by developing ST 5599BR with improvements over the parent germplasm, plus the addition of the very technology that displaced it, we believe that this new variety will add additional value to an outstanding product base and exceed the once significant economic impacts of LA 887 for cotton growers."

ST 5599BR provides an excellent choice for a mid-season stacked variety-the first stacked transgene variety that Stoneville has offered in this maturity range. It has exhibited extraordinary yield potential against other varieties of that maturity, coupled with fiber qualities that are preferred by textile mills. In 72 University Official Variety Trials (OVT) fields in two years of testing-from West Texas to Virginia-ST 5599BR averaged 1,131 pounds per acre. On top of that impressive statistic, ST 5599BR's fiber package represents a meaningful improvement for Stoneville, and is competitive with other mid-to-full season varieties in the market with an average length of 1.12 (36/32), strength of 30 g/tex and a very important average micronaire of 4.4.

According to Stoneville's Dr. Don Panter, Vice President for Research & Development, the release of ST 5599BR exemplifies Stoneville's continued response to the cotton industry's concerns for fiber quality. "For years, Stoneville has been responding to the cotton industry's call for varieties offering improved fiber quality along with excellent yield potential-for example, we began working on ST 5599BR in 1995. As excited as we are about this new variety, the introduction of ST 5599BR marks just the beginning of a series of new varieties that will become available in the next several years addressing the issues of fiber quality.

"ST 5599BR's superb genetic package and adaptability also acts as a buffer against extreme environmental conditions, which can have a major influence on fiber quality. That is, ST 5599BR has a fiber quality that tends to withstand environmental fluctuations without pushing the grower into the discount range."

But perhaps the one trait that makes ST 5599BR most unique is its tolerance to nematodes. Where nematode infestation has been shown to decrease cotton yields, such as in the southern and central tier of the Mid-South and throughout most of the Southeast, ST 5599BR has demonstrated tolerance to the Fusarium-root knot nematode complex, much like its parent before. Growers now have another tool-built into the cotton plant itself-to preserve yield potential and productivity in nematode-infested soils. In addition, growers of production fields have reported already this spring that ST 5599BR shows good seedling vigor.

Hughes added, "The combination of medium maturity, the right fiber package, nematode tolerance, outstanding yield potential, stacked transgene technology, and good seedling vigor creates a unique package that we believe will make money for our grower customers and textile mills alike. This is an exciting new variety for Stoneville, for the LSU AgCenter and for the US cotton industry."

Dr. William H. Brown, Vice-Chancellor for Research for the LSU AgCenter, said that he is pleased that the AgCenter is once again partnering with Stoneville to provide yet another tool to cotton farmers who need every option available to remain competitive. He also said that he is proud to see Dr. Jack Jones' original LA 887 germplasm, which was very successful in its own right, get another chance to contribute to southern producers through this new transgenic variety. "It proves to be an enduring, widely adapted germplasm base," he added.