ST. LOUIS (May 5, 2026) — The Deltapine® New Product Evaluator (NPE) Program kicks off its 19th season with growers evaluating cotton varieties for the Class of ’27, continuing a long-standing grower-seed brand partnership focused on delivering improved performance and advanced agronomic traits.
“Cotton growers today need higher-yielding varieties that fit their growing conditions with enhanced agronomic traits to help them effectively manage key pests,” said Eric Best, Deltapine cotton product manager. “The Deltapine NPE Program is a commitment to innovation, raising performance potential in cotton with new grower-proven varieties offering increased yield potential and fiber quality. Working with our dedicated NPE growers, we have consistently increased yield potential and brought improved trait packages to the market.”
There are ten variety candidates for the Class of ’27, including eight Bollgard® 3 ThryvOn® cotton with XtendFlex® Technology (B3TXF) products and two candidates containing Bollgard® 3 with XtendFlex® Technology (B3XF). Deltapine NPE growers will plant and manage variety candidates in their own growing systems and conditions. Their agronomic insights and feedback throughout the season, fiber quality results, and final yields help determine which candidates have proven performance worthy enough for the Deltapine Class of ’27.
The two Bollgard 3 with XtendFlex Technology variety candidates will mark the end of this trait platform in the Deltapine pipeline. The B3XF trait package had a great run, providing growers with outstanding protection and performance, but it’s time to move forward, said Best.
“With the past two classes of NPE cotton varieties, we turned a corner on providing the yield potential in Bollgard 3 ThryvOn cotton with XtendFlex Technology that the market demands,” he said. “We believe the exciting lineup of ten products being evaluated for the Class of ’27 will continue the upward trend in performance that growers have come to depend on from Deltapine cotton varieties.”
Since 2008, the Deltapine NPE Program has been key to raising performance potential in cotton by launching new grower-proven varieties year after year.
- The Class of ’09 with DP 0912 B2RF pushed yield potential above DP 555 BG/RR.
- The Class of ’16 pushed yield and fiber quality performance to new highs with DP 1646 B2XF.
- The Class of ’21 introduced varieties such as DP 2127 B3XF that offered even better yield potential in more enhanced trait platforms.
- The Class of ’26 produced ThryvOn Technology cotton varieties with significantly increased yield potential.
“The NPE Program began as a partnership between cotton growers and the Deltapine brand to identify the best genetics for a Deltapine bag,” said Best. “Year after year, the Deltapine NPE Program has delivered cotton varieties with improved performance potential, allowing the industry to make the most of every acre planted.”
For more information about the Class of ’27 cotton variety candidates and the Deltapine NPE Program, visit Deltapine/NPE-Program.com.