Haskell, Texas
October 17, 2000

Breeders and research staff at Delta and Pine Land Company’s new research station in Haskell have reached the end of their first production year. The crop, which consists primarily of paired 30-foot rows of numerous strains and varieties in development, is a first for the Rolling Plains and holds great potential for future seasons.

"The Rolling Plains cotton farmers are subject to a unique environment," says Steve M. Hawkins, D&PL president. "It can be harsh here and in the High Plains, but the differences are significant in the types of cotton varieties that will perform best. To be sure we are developing the best possible varieties, we decided just over a year ago to establish a new station focused on the Rolling Plains. Harvesting this crop is a major step toward success and improved varieties for farmers in this area."

Dr. Gary Rea heads the program and is excited about the new station. The 2000 production season presented environmental challenges for farmers in the Rolling Plains, and Rea’s research plots faced the same challenges. Using a combination of dryland and irrigated plots will guarantee Rea gets a variety of data most years, but the drought caused a failure of this year’s dryland plots. But even failure of the plots yields information as drought-tolerance is a key trait for the area.

"This first year crop has already provided us some insight," Rea said. "This year we made 82 crosses, had 7857 strains and varieties in progeny rows, and 379 more varieties in yield tests. We are really excited about getting the yield and fiber quality information in. It will be combined with the in-season ratings and information to drive development decisions. We will ultimately be able to introduce material tested and bred in this program and it will make a real difference for farmers in the area."

Breeding varieties for specific regions and locations feeds into D&PL’s global research initiative, according to Dr. Bill Hugie, vice president of research. "By placing research stations in a variety of production climates, we have found some great synergies. The station here in Haskell will focus on breeding varieties for this area. We will then take those and see if they suit other regions as well. This cross-testing among our six cotton breeding programs in the US (Hartsville, SC; Leland, MS; Scott, MS; Hale Center, TX; Maricopa, AZ and this year’s new facilities in Haskell, TX and Sylvester, GA) provides a diversity that is unparalleled in cotton."

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 has offices in seven states and facilities in several foreign countries.

Company news release
N3062