Whether you’re talking about a football game, a military battle or a cotton crop, the likelihood of achieving successful results can depend on the strategy you lay out beforehand. Of course, even the best plans and goals have to be adaptable when you get hit with surprises.
When it comes to cotton varieties, Dane Mullins knows just how that works. He and his family operate 5M Farms, which features about 5000 acres of cotton, wheat, and sorghum on land near Silverton that Dane’s wife’s family has worked “forever,” as he described it.
Given their many years of experience, the team at 5M has gotten really good at being able to adjust when Nature shifts things around on them – and NexGen has been part of that. A number of our varieties were planted at 5M in 2019, including NG 3930 B3XF, a new Bollgard 3 variety which was a late addition to Dane’s program as a result of a change in plans.
“We usually go for longer-season varieties on our dryland acres, but last year we ended up having to replant late,” he explained. “So then we tried the NG 3930 with its shorter maturity, and it really worked for us.”
One of the newest offerings from NexGen, NG 3930 B3XF is a widely adapted, earlyto-medium maturity variety that features both the latest Bollgard® 3 genetics and XtendFlex® Technology. Developed to excel on dryland and limited-water scenarios, especially on Verticillium wilt acres, 3930 has excellent seedling vigor and outstanding fiber quality.
“With our light water situation, we can’t really grow for yield, so grade and quality are more important to us,” Dane added. “And stress tolerance is key.”
Other NexGen varieties that 5M used successfully last year include NG 4545 B2XF, NG 4777 B2XF and NG 4689 B2XF, all with proven Bollgard II® Technology for worm protection. Like the NG 3930 variety, those popular medium-maturity varieties also offer superior Verticillium wilt tolerance and an excellent fiber package.
“They gave us the quality we wanted,” Dane said. “The NG 4545 was better than anything.”
The NexGen varieties he planted are also known for having exceptional seedling vigor, which is a feature that has impressed Dane.
“That seed is really good at coming up out of the ground,” he added, “and it doesn’t quit.”
Dane says he’s been a loyal customer of Americot and has planted our varieties or grown NexGen cotton for about 15 years, but his life has gone through many other changes during that same time span. He and his wife Lori are the parents of four young boys, aged 12, 8, 4 and 2. Maybe that helps explain why he’s so good at being adaptable.