Monsanto: Roundup Ready Flex cotton results prove beneficial for farmers
08 Mar '06
3 min read
Agricultural products and solutions provider Monsanto said that the research findings from an extensive grower trial with Roundup Ready Flex cotton in 2005 show that Monsanto's newest technology can save cotton growers considerable time and increase their efficiency, in addition to providing improved weed control flexibility, compared with Roundup Ready cotton.
The research involved 160 growers across the Cotton Belt, each of whom planted between 20 and 40 acres of Bollgard II with Roundup Ready Flex cotton this past season. Field plots were monitored closely throughout the season by not only the participating farmers, but also by leading cotton consultants, university specialists and Monsanto technical development personnel.
Among the study's findings: The Roundup Ready Flex System saved growers 1.9 minutes per acre compared with Roundup Ready cotton (5.4 minutes versus 7.3 minutes). This translates into a 26 percent time saving which, if extrapolated out for 2,000 acres, would mean a time savings of 63 hours in a year
"These numbers only tell part of the story," says Dr. Shea Murdock, Roundup Ready Flex Technical Manager for Monsanto. "All the technology benefits will probably not be realized until it is used across much larger fields than the 20- to 40-acre trials on which these data are based."
In addition to the efficiency and time savings, the grower trial research also showed some cost savings to the farmer when Roundup Ready Flex cotton is grown. "There are lower application costs past the fourth-leaf stage that are realized by being able to spray over the top versus using a hooded sprayer," Murdock explains. "And, in some of the locations, there were fewer trips over the field due to the ability to tank-mix Roundup agricultural herbicide with other crop protection chemicals, including insecticides, growth regulators and fertilizers."
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