The NPE Program is the industry’s premier testing and commercialization program. The nearly 200 growers who make up the NPEs play a key role in making Deltapine® cotton varieties the industry's strongest.
Success Story
Austin Littleton
Every Seed Has a Story
There’s a story of success behind each Deltapine® seed. For Parma, Missouri, grower Austin Littleton, it all started on his family’s farm back when their favorite Deltapine variety was DP 0912 B2RF. Austin and his brother, Justin, were always involved on the family farm where they regularly helped out with cotton, soybeans, rice and popcorn. Once they were given the opportunity to take over, continuing the tradition of using Deltapine varieties was an easy decision. For the next five years, Austin and Justin relied on Deltapine Strong Cotton to give them the highest yields year after year, allowing the brothers to grow their operation to 2,400 acres. Last year, they celebrated their highest yields yet with DP 1646 B2XF and DP 1614 B2XF.
“Deltapine has always had strong varieties year in and year out that we've been able to rely on all the way back to, I can remember, 0912 being one of my family's favorites. And we even planted some of it when we first started.”
For Austin, Strong Cotton is a matter of consistent performance, advanced technology, meaningful relationships and the trust that comes from the NPE Program.
When it comes to the highest yields, Austin trusts Deltapine varieties year after year due to its successful track record.
“It all goes back to the strong yield. They outperformed some of the other varieties that we had. Year in, year out, they’re going to outperform. They’ve got some short-season varieties there that we can get started on early and get going so that we can have a chance to get our crop out before it gets wet in the fall.”
Staying on the cutting edge of technology is important for Austin. Deltapine brand’s elite genetics and advanced technology allow him to plant with confidence knowing he’s covered when it comes to weed management.
“As far as the Roundup Ready® and Xtend technologies in it, it’s really hard to beat that technology right now as far as weed control.”
The NPE Program is also a big part of why Austin continues to choose Deltapine products. The rigorous testing process each new variety goes through, along with the invaluable advice the program offers, helps him make the best decisions for his operation each season.
“We’ve got a good relationship with our representative in our area. They’re always there to help answer any questions. If we need anything through the season, they can help us come look at it. If a crop scout isn’t around to give us an opinion in the wintertime, they’re always keeping us up to date on what new varieties might be coming up, what they think is going to work best in our area.”
As a successful, young grower with Deltapine Strong Cotton, Austin is inspired to share his story and represent a new generation of growers.
"Being a young grower, you just see a lot of the older generations that promote these kinds of things, there's not a lot of young growers coming in. And I think it's good for people to see that we're still out there and able to make this work."
"[Deltapine] has been one of our top performers year in, year out. It's consistent. It's strong from start to finish. You know, you can just rely on it every year to be a good crop."