Cotton States focuses on research and development and operations related to cotton. Their model includes developing competitive germplasm through an in-house breeding program and licensing outside varieties. They perform variety testing and use molecular markers to assist breeding. Operations involve cotton seed manufacturing. Their goals are high-yielding, high-quality cotton varieties with stress tolerance. They have begun the seed increase process for their first Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex cotton varieties.

1. Cotton States
R&D and Operations
June 25, 2004
Yossi Shapiro, PhD
Research Manager
Cotton Technology Team

2. Key Elements of Cotton States Model
• Research and Development
– Competitive germplasm and superior technology
– Variety performance testing
– Technological edge in breeding
• Operations
– Cotton seed manufacturing

3. Competitive Germplasm…
Two Sources:
1) Outside Originators
In-licensed from private and public sector cotton breeders
2) In-house Breeding Program
• Conventional Plant Breeding
• Molecular Marker Platform
• Marker-Assisted Breeding: variety development
• Marker-Assisted Backcrossing: expedited trait conversion

4. … and Superior Technology
• Trait Introgression (TI)
Bollgard II® and Roundup Ready® Flex Cotton
–
– Germplasm must meet criteria for entry into TI
– Advanced, through backcrossing, to lines fixed for:
• Stacked Bollgard II / Roundup Ready Flex Cotton (“B2RF”)
• Roundup Ready Flex Cotton alone (“RF”)
– Returned to Originator for variety selection
– Rigorous quality control throughout the process

5. Variety Performance Testing
• Replicated Yield Trials
– Cotton States Conventional Trials
– Cotton States Transgenic Lines
• Gene Equivalency Trials
– to ascertain trait performance
• Demonstration Strip Plots
– for potential “Out-licensees”

6. 2004 Cotton States Field Trials
• Designed to assess performance and geographic
adaptation of Cotton States varieties
• 44 tests at more than 20 sites across the Cotton Belt
• More locations to be added each year
Cotton States Trial

7. Technological Edge in Breeding
Molecular Marker Platform
A “Marker”:
• is a unique genetic characteristic, easily classified
• must display detectable variation among individuals
• may, or may not, be a gene itself
To be useful in breeding, a marker should:
• be linked to a gene, or genes, of interest
• demonstrate reproducible results
• be amenable to high through-put and low cost

8. Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR)
Parents A and B vary for the number of “TC” repeats
GGCAGGGGAAGTGGTATTGGTGGTCGGGGTACTGGAACGATCCTAACG
ATAGTACGCATGCGGCGGTGCTCCCTGT TC TC TC TC TC TC
TC TC TC TC TC. . . .TC CCAATAAAAGAGTTTTCCTGTAAT
TTTAACCAGCTAGCCGCCGGTGTCTTCCTTGATCTATGTGCATGTAGG
CAGACGTTACCCA
H B
A
Different banding patterns for a given marker are called:
“Alleles”

9. Use of Molecular Markers in Breeding
Population development
Molecular Mapping Field Tests
Data analysis to identify statistical association between
marker alleles and field performance for a given characteristic

10. Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR)
Parents A and B vary for the number of “TC” repeats
GGCAGGGGAAGTGGTATTGGTGGTCGGGGTACTGGAACGATCCTAACG
ATAGTACGCATGCGGCGGTGCTCCCTGT TC TC TC TC TC TC
TC TC TC TC TC. . . .TC CCAATAAAAGAGTTTTCCTGTAAT
TTTAACCAGCTAGCCGCCGGTGTCTTCCTTGATCTATGTGCATGTAGG
CAGACGTTACCCA
H B
A
Strength
SSR112
Boll size
SSR220
SSR105

11. Targets for Genetic Improvement
• Yield
– seed cotton yield
– lint yield
• Fiber quality
– length
– strength
– fineness
– uniformity
• Stress tolerance
– disease
– nematode
– insect
– abiotic (drought, cold, etc.)

12. Cotton States R&D Objectives
Excellent execution in lab, field & greenhouse:
• Efficient and cost-effective operations
• High-throughput (“numbers game”)
• Quality data: accurate, consistent, timely
• Emphasis on employee health and environmental safety
• Continual process improvements

13. Key Elements of Cotton States Model
• Research and Development
– Unique germplasm and technology
– Variety performance testing
• Operations
– Cotton seed manufacturing

14. Cotton Seed Manufacturing Process
• Crop Production
• Harvest of seed cotton
• Processing:
– Ginning – to separate fiber from seed (“fuzzy seed”)
– Delinting – to clean seed of residual fibers (“linters”)
• Packaging (cleaning, treatment, bagging)
• Storage / Shipping

15. Status of 1st Cotton States B2/RF Varieties
• Initiation: Breeder Seed Increase
– Winter season production, 2003-04
– New seed processing facility in Puerto Rico
• “Product”: Foundation Seed Increase
– US field season production, 2004
• Final: Commercial Planting Seed Increase
– Responsibility of Out-licensees / Distributors
– US field season production, 2005
– For commercialization in 2006

16. Cotton States Breeder Seed Gin – Puerto Rico

17. Cotton States Breeder Seed Delinter – Puerto Rico

18. Where Are We Today?
• Commitment to excellent execution
• Experience with leading edge technology
• Technology succession plan
• Robust product pipeline
• Formidable infrastructure and competency
• Clear path to market
• Ahead of the pack