Performance of GlyTolTM + LibertyLink® Cotton Technologies - a US Cotton Belt Perspective

Bayer CropScience has developed in-house glyphosate tolerant, Glytol™ cotton, expressing the 2mepsps gene and stacks of GlyTol with LibertyLink^® cotton.  Glytol + LibertyLink cotton is planned for commercial release in 2010, pending regulatory approval,  and will provide US cotton growers with new cotton varieties with season-long tolerance to a number of commercial glyphosate herbicide formulations as well as  tolerance to Ignite^® herbicide at levels producers are accustomed to in current commercial LibertyLink varieties. 

 Extensive field testing of Glytol cotton was conducted internally and with private researchers and University scientists in 2006-2008 and with GlyTol + LibertyLink in 2008 and 2009 across the US cotton belt.  These trials have recorded no adverse effects on Glytol or Glytol + LibertyLink cotton plant establishment, plant height, maturity, vigour, yield or quality following multiple applications at full rates of a number of commercial formulations of glyphosate.  The GlyTol + LibertyLink cotton was also tested with multiple applications of glufosinate ammonium and glyphosate at full rates alone, sequentially, or in combination with each other with no adverse agronomic effects.  A summary of these results are presented here.     

 Once approved and available in elite germplasm, Glytol + LibertyLink technology will provide US cotton growers with the option of over the top applications from more than one non-selective herbicide mode of action, which can be an important tool in managing weed resistance.