Deltapine Seed today introduced two new conventional cotton varieties at the Beltwide Cotton
Conferences here.

Deltapine Seed, which boasts the country's oldest and largest continuous private cotton breeding program in the United States, debuted DP 388 and DP 675 as additions to the company's portfolio of seed options.

DP 388 is a very early picker variety that offers high yielding ability, excellent storm resistance and moderately determinant plant height.

DP 675 was developed as a full season picker variety that combines high yield, wide adaptation, improved strength and good micronaire.

Agronomic studies and background data on the two varieties were presented by Deltapine Seed at the Beltwide. The seed should be available in introductory quantities for the 1999 growing season.

"We believe these two varieties complement our already strong product line, and offer growers the qualities and characteristics they want in conventional varieties," said Dr. Don Keim, Deltapine Seed's Mid-South cotton breeder. "Transgenics seem to grab everybody's attention these days, but there is still strong demand for high-yielding conventional varieties.

"Deltapine Seed remains focused on producing superior seed, and that starts with the very best diverse germplasm. The fact is, if you don't have high quality conventional varieties that produce better yields and reduce costs, then it is a moot point to develop transgenic variations of those varieties."

DP 388 was developed by the Deltapine Seed Midsouth Cotton Research program in Scott, Miss. The variety is noted for its earliness and high yield. Three years of testing showed yield was consistently early and performed well in several different environments.

Those traits make DP 388 especially adaptable to the northern and central cotton growing areas of the Mid-South and Southeast, where earliness and determinacy are critical to maximize production. This new variety also showed excellent storm resistance, another characteristic
needed in these areas because of unpredictable weather.

"DP 5111 and Deltapine 51 have been excellent varieties for growers in the Mid-South and Southeast areas, and the fact is DP 388 outperformed both of these - as well as other competitors - in our agronomic testing," said Keim.

DP 675 was developed by the Deltapine Seed Western Cotton Research program under the direction of Larry Burdett, who presented the agronomic data on the two new varieties at Beltwide.

DP 675 is a full season, semi-cluster, smooth leaf variety with a yield superior to most widely grown delta type cottons available to growers today. It offers excellent fiber quality, with lower micronaire and improved strength.

"Growers will find DP 675 an ideal choice,"said Burdett, Deltapine Seed's western senior cotton breeder in Casa Grande, Ariz. "It represents a positive development for the cotton industry in that it combined a full-season variety, high yield and wide adaptation."

This new variety, tested over five years, is adaptable to any area were indeterminate cotton varieties are grown. This includes central Arizona, Louisiana, South Mississippi and the Southeast.

"Growers in short season areas wanting to plant a wide range of maturities will find DP 675 produces high-yielding cotton with the desired traits in areas where fuller season varieties can be grown," said Burdett. "Once again Deltapine Seed is defining the future of cotton."

Deltapine Seed is a major commercial breeder and marketer of cotton and soybean planting seed. Deltapine varieties lead the market by offering the traits the market wants _ ranging from improved fiber quality to sub-threshold insect control and herbicide tolerance. The company is headquartered in Scott, Mississippi, and maintains research, marketing and agronomic support services throughout the Cotton Belt and traditional southern soybean markets.

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