FieldNotes
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Volume 7, Issue 1 • Winter 2013
From the Turnrow
Dr. Robert Lemon
Cotton Development
Specialist
Back in the “good old days,”
we would have opportunities
to assess varieties for multiple
years before the variety arrived
in the marketplace. The standard
Extension recommendation was
to evaluate three years of data
before making decisions.
South Texas cotton growers Gary and Eric Schoenfield are betting on PhytoGen® brand PHY 499 WRF.
Father and Son Impressed
by PhytoGen® Cottonseed
When Eric Schoenfield told his father, Gary, he was going to plant 100 percent
of his 2,000 acres to PhytoGen® brand PHY 499 WRF, Gary was skeptical.
Location trials over multiple
years provided us with an
indication of the variety’s
level of consistency. That’s an
important word — consistency.
In the fast-paced, technologydriven agricultural world we live
in, it’s often difficult to obtain
enough data to measure the
consistent performance of a
variety, or the lack thereof.
“I was all PHY 499 WRF this year,” Eric says. “It averaged 3½ bales per
acre, which is well above average on our dryland. The seedling vigor was
incredible. It jumped out of the ground.”
At PhytoGen, our breeding and
agronomic program is based
on consistent performance.
Take, for instance, PhytoGen®
brand PHY 375 WRF, the No. 1
The South Texas growers farm separately but work together frequently. Gary
began growing cotton in 1976. Eric began driving the cotton picker when he
was 7 and never looked back. He began farming his own ground 10 years ago.
(continued on next page)
Gary has a great deal of continuous cotton acres, making disease a major
concern. He spreads his risk by planting several varieties. After seeing Eric’s
harvest results and watching PHY 499 WRF grow right through any stress
thrown at it, he’s considering following his son’s lead.
“I’m confident enough in PhytoGen brand cottonseed that I will probably be
100 percent PhytoGen (cottonseed) next year,” Gary says. “Eric is going to
stay with all PHY 499 WRF next year, and I’m considering doing the same.”
Gary adds, “PHY 499 WRF was just phenomenal all season. Every seed came
up and it grew so quickly. I had 1,000 acres of PHY 375 WRF and about 900
acres of PHY 499 WRF — all on my dryland. Both varieties averaged at least
3½ bales per acre.”
(continued from front page)
planted variety in 2011. We followed that milestone
with another milestone — PhytoGen brand
PHY 499 WRF, the No. 1 planted variety in 2012.
Table 1 shows how PHY 375 WRF and PHY 499 WRF
outperform the competition across south Texas.
What does that mean to you? Regardless of what
Mother Nature throws at us, your best opportunity
for success begins with PhytoGen brand varieties.
Texas AgriLife Research & Extension Center – Corpus Christi, Texas
Dr. Dan Fromme, Associate Professor and Extension Agronomist
1400
PHY 499 WRF
DP 1044 B2RF
1200
Lint Yield (lbs/A)
Figure 1 demonstrates the high level of consistent
performance we strive to attain.
Figure 1. Varietal Response to Differing Levels of Irrigation – 2012
FM 1740B2F
1000
800
600
400
0% ET
50% ET
100% ET
Evapotranspiration (ET) replacement via surface drip irrigation
0% ET = dryland = 6.87" rainfall; 50% ET = 3.09" irrigation; 100% ET = 6.18" irrigation
Table 1. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 2012 Variety Trials — Eight Locations
Variety
PHY 499 WRF
DP 1219 B2RF
PHY 375 WRF
AT NITRO44 B2RF
CG 3787 B2RF
DP 1044 B2RF
ST 5458B2RF
FM 1944GLB2
NG 1511 B2RF
FM 8270GLB2
Mean Across Locations
Lint Yield
(lbs/A)
Loan Value
(¢/lbs)
Lint Value
($/A)
Turnout %
Mic
Length
(inches)
Strength
(g/tex)
Uniformity %
1295
1180
1146
1137
1115
1111
1105
1100
1097
1018
1114
51.38
52.89
51.25
53.73
52.18
51.12
50.75
52.25
50.26
53.28
51.99
670
627
594
613
588
571
566
579
557
544
583
45.41
43.06
43.67
41.86
44.88
41.80
42.63
41.75
44.41
40.91
42.81
4.83
4.61
4.58
4.23
4.79
4.66
4.87
4.67
5.00
4.41
4.65
1.08
1.12
1.06
1.18
1.12
1.07
1.09
1.12
1.07
1.14
1.11
33.11
33.10
29.67
34.49
30.55
30.50
30.92
30.39
31.85
32.69
31.98
84.32
83.05
83.09
84.81
84.27
82.96
82.52
82.92
83.60
84.16
83.63
Spread Risk With New 2013 Varieties
It’s tempting to devote all acreage to one variety when
we see it perform well. However, weather, disease and
pest pressure can affect variety performance in a given
year. Spread risk by planting multiple varieties.
PhytoGen’s new releases, PhytoGen® brand
PHY 339 WRF and PHY 575 WRF, strengthen the
PhytoGen portfolio and offer growers choices,
especially in the North Delta for PHY 339 WRF
and the Southeast for PHY 575 WRF.
excellent length and fiber quality, this variety will fit
especially well in the North Delta.
PHY 575 WRF is a full-maturing variety selected for
extreme yield potential and excellent fiber quality. This
full-season variety is an excellent addition to the lineup
of PhytoGen cottonseed for Georgia and Alabama.
The new releases strengthen PhytoGen’s broadly
adapted portfolio. For more information, contact your
PhytoGen representative or visit www.PhytoGen.com.
PHY 339 WRF is the earliest-maturing variety offered
by PhytoGen. Selected for stability, broad adaptation,
“Like” Us on Facebook
Photos of beautiful cotton, agronomic tips and messages from your
favorite PhytoGen representative await on PhytoGen’s Facebook® page.
Visit www.Facebook.com/PhytoGenYields to join the conversation.
Dr. Chris Main Joins PhytoGen Team
Dow AgroSciences is pleased
to announce that 2011 Extension
Cotton Specialist of the Year,
Dr. Chris Main, has joined
PhytoGen as its newest cotton
development specialist (CDS).
“Chris’ extensive knowledge of
the Midsouth, combined with
his outstanding reputation,
Dr. Chris Main
make him a great asset to the
PhytoGen team,” says Duane Canfield, general manager
and portfolio marketing leader for PhytoGen.
Dr. Main will provide agronomic support for PhytoGen®
cottonseed and WideStrike® Insect Protection in the
Upper Midsouth region, which includes parts of Arkansas,
Missouri and Tennessee.
Dr. Main holds doctorate and bachelor’s degrees from
the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree from
the University of Florida. Prior to joining the PhytoGen
team, he was an associate professor at the University
of Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center.
While at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Main managed
the university’s Official Variety Trials and was involved
in a broad range of cotton agronomic research. He
researched seeding rates, planting dates, plant growth
regulators and nematode management. Dr. Main’s
studies emphasized the long-term sustainability of
cotton production.
Cute Kotton Kidz Harvest Grand Prize From PhytoGen
When Tommy Mathews saw the photo of his baby girls
in one of his fields, he knew it belonged in a magazine.
What the Grove Hill, Ala., farmer and his wife, Debra,
didn’t know was that Lauren and Brianna Mathews
would not only win the monthly Kotton Kidz competition
but also the grand prize awarded by PhytoGen.
PhytoGen is giving the girls a $1,000 savings bond and
making a $1,000 donation on their behalf to the Clarke
County FFA chapter in 2012.
“Everyone was thrilled when we were in the magazine
to start with. We just got friends to go along and
vote,” Debra says. “Winning this is a bonus. It was
completely unexpected.”
The 2-year-old twins are the youngest children in the
family. Their older sister and brothers are: Mallory, 21;
Thomas, 18; and Blake, 15.
In the winning photo, the girls are sitting on the edge
of a field of PhytoGen® brand PHY 375 WRF that their
dad was picking.
“In fact,” Debra recalls, “he got off the cotton picker
and came to take a couple pictures with us.”
The Mathews don’t have the future mapped out for
the girls. In this SEC-divided family, Mom would vote
for the girls to attend the University of Alabama and
Dad would encourage Auburn University. But that
argument has not even started yet.
“I guess it’s too early to know what plans we have
for them. For now we just want them to have healthy,
happy childhoods,” Debra says.
Send Photos of Your Kotton Kidz
Cotton Grower magazine and PhytoGen again call on
all parents and grandparents to send in photos of their
favorite farm youngsters. All eligible monthly photos
will be featured on the KottonKidz.com website for
public voting.
Each monthly winner will be entered into the Kotton Kidz
grand-prize contest at the end of the year. The 12 monthly
winners will be reviewed by a panel of judges from
Cotton Grower magazine and PhytoGen. A grand-prize
winner will be crowned and awarded a $1,000 savings
bond and a $1,000 donation to their local FFA chapter,
courtesy of PhytoGen. Visit www.KottonKidz.com to enter
a photo of your favorite kid.
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Thank You!
Postharvest is a time for reflection. Look back on 2012 as you begin to make cotton
production decisions for 2013. We at PhytoGen would like to help you with variety
selection decisions. One of our knowledgeable cotton development specialists or
sales representatives would be more than happy to speak with you. You also can
visit www.PhytoGen.com to view our 2013 variety guide.
2013 promises to be an exciting year for PhytoGen. We expect our powerhouse
varieties, PhytoGen® brand PHY 375 WRF and PHY 499 WRF, to live up to their
reputation, and we’re excited to offer two new varieties, each with a unique fit.
We’re also thrilled to welcome Dr. Chris Main to the industry-leading PhytoGen
CDS team.
Thanks again for making 2012 another record year for PhytoGen.
Duane Canfield
General manager and portfolio marketing leader for PhytoGen
This edition of FieldNotes has been sent to you on behalf of your Dow AgroSciences sales representative.