A Look at the Performance of Bollgard II® Xtendflextm Cotton Varieties in Georgia during 2015

In 2015, cotton varieties with the Bollgard II XtendFlex trait were released for planting in the United States.  The XtendFlex technology provides herbicide tolerance to applications of glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba.  In its launch year of 2015, a significant number of cotton producers across the Southeast, especially in Georgia, planted XtendFlex cotton varieties.  The USDA Cotton Varieties Planted Report estimated that almost 20 percent of Georgia’s cotton acreage was planted with Bollgard II XtendFlex varieties, which equates to over 200,000 acres.  Each year, the University of Georgia Cotton On-Farm Variety Evaluation Program evaluates a set of varieties to provide producers with necessary information to make informed proper selection decisions.  In 2015, a total of 12 varieties (CG 3885 B2XF, DP 1538 B2XF, DP 1553 B2XF, DP 1558NR B2RF, DP 1252 B2RF, NG 3405 B2XF, NG 5007 B2XF, PHY 333 WRF, PHY 444 WRF, PHY 552 WRF, ST 4946 GLB2 and ST 6182 GLT) were evaluated in 24 locations.  Five of the 12 varieties had the Bollgard II XtendFlex trait.  All sites were on-farm commercial fields, and plots consisted of one variety planted in a strip ranging from four to six rows wide and at least 500 feet long.    Each variety was planted in three strips in a randomized complete block design with three replications.  Cotton was harvested, gin turnout was determined at the UGA Microgin and fiber quality was assessed at a USDA Classing office.  Variety performance was evaluated by examining lint yield and fiber quality averaged across all locations and by consistency of performance.