ABSTRACT
Bromoxynil is a widely used herbicide that controls broadleaf weeds. Calgene's patented BROMOTOL gene encodes an enzyme that detoxifies the herbicide within an engineered plant (1). In this second year of study, yield and fiber quality are compared in two transgenic cotton strains with and without BUCTRIL herbicide applications. The yield of the two strains did not differ from the parent variety. No yield impacts following herbicide spray were observed, confirming the field resistance to the herbicide, BUCTRIL, in cotton containing the BROMOTOL gene. When fiber quality was examined, only one of the seven measured quality traits may have been affected by the spray. However, there was sufficient variability for all fiber characteristics to allow for selection of agronomically superior material. The combination of the BROMOTOL gene function and the variability between transgenic strains will allow the development of the genetic component for a new broadleaf weed control system for cotton.
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