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Walt Mullins, Monsanto Cotton Trait Technical Manager
Bollgard II® performance in 2007
The 2007 cotton-growing season was mixed across the Cotton Belt in terms of insect pressure. Even though the pressure was mostly light to moderate, certain areas experienced intense bollworm pressure.
In areas such as Southeast Arkansas, the southern part of South Carolina and areas of Southern Georgia where growers saw heavy bollworm pressure, Bollgard II® was put to the test. And Monsanto Cotton Trait Technical Manager Walt Mullins says it was in those situations that Bollgard II provided growers with outstanding insect protection.
“Not only do we see a lot less spray applications needed on Bollgard II®, but the other thing that we note is at the end of the season the amount of residual damage that we find in the field is much less with the Bollgard II system than we find with either Bollgard® and WideStrike® or certainly a conventional system.”
He says growers were pleased with the convenience this provided to their operations. He says growers were able to focus less on the insect pressure when Mother Nature threw other problems their way.
“We had more than one grower comment to us they were glad that they didn’t have to worry so much about worm sprays when they were in the middle of a drought situation where it was very important to get irrigation put on the fields. Consequently, in those areas where they were experiencing drought where they had irrigation, Bollgard II made managing their cotton a lot less complicated, because they didn’t have to worry about watering a field at the same time they needed to spray their field for bollworm control. So, it’s just one of the many conveniences of having to spray Bollgard II less.”
Mullins says although he can’t predict what the 2008 growing season will bring as far as insect pressure, he says Monsanto forecasts approximately 5 million acres of Bollgard II® will be planted this year.
