Cotton Farming January 2022

Cotton Farming

®

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

JANUARY 2022

www.cottonfarming.com

My Turn: Peanut — A Cotton Pickin’ Cat Specialists Offer Variety Tips

‘Sky’s The Limit’ New Cotton Stripper Fits West Texas Farmers’ Efficiency Goals

S:7.125"

PHYTOGEN® W3FE VARIETIES OUTYIELDED DELTAPINE BY

+206 LB./A. THAT’S WHAT THRIVING MEANS IN THE SOUTH.

You read that right. PhytoGen ® brand PHY 443 W3FE outyielded the top Deltapine variety by 206 pounds per acre in the 2020 MSU On-Farm Trials, Delta locations,1 once again proving PhytoGen brand varieties give you more. Season after season, trial after trial.

SEE THE PROOF AT: PHYTOGEN.COM/FACTS

S:10"

2020 Mississippi State On-Farm Cotton Demonstration Trials.

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™®

Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. The Enlist® weed control system is owned and developed by Corteva Agriscience LLC. © 2021 Corteva. (09/21) BR CAAG1PHYG080

Vol. 66 No. 1

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

JANUARY 2022

www.cottonfarming.com

FE ATURES

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‘Sky’s The Limit’

For generations, the Smiths of Floyd County, Texas, have embraced ways to help their fellow farmers by being leaders both in and out of the field. One of the latest adventures for Eddie Smith (right) and his son, Eric, was working with John Deere to give the new cotton stripper an official test run this past fall. “We’re all looking for ways to improve our operations, and these new machines can help with that,” Eddie says.

VARIETY SELECTION 2022 Extension cotton specialists from across the Belt talk about factors farmers should consider when choosing their varieties for the upcoming season.

COLLABORATION EFFORTS The Agricultural and Environmental Research Division at Cotton Incorporated develops partnerships to coordinate with cotton farmers’ priorities.

GINNERS MARKETPLACE

the official publication of the ginning industry Read how Texas A&M University is working to help provide qualified labor that is often a good fit for a cotton gin.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Sarah Kezar, a Texas A&M University doctoral student, is determined to make sure fewer Palmer amaranth plants live and produce seed, thus helping producers reap greater economic benefits. Go to www.cotton farming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

Nutrient Management

CornSouth ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

Southern Production & Marketing Strategies

January 2022

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 5 Cotton’s Agenda 12 Specialists Speaking

16 Research & Promotion 22 My Turn

ON THE COVER: West Texas cotton farmer Eddie Smith (left) farms with his son, Eric.

Cover photo by Mary Jane Buerkle.

A Supplement to Cotton Farming and The Peanut Grower Magazines

SUPPLEMENT Look for Corn South following page 12 in the Mid-South and Southeast editions of Cotton Farming.

To have industry news and content delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the monthly e-newsletter at www.cornsouth.com.

DIGITAL OFFERINGS Keep up with the latest from Cotton Farming by signing up for the monthly E-News at www.cottonfarming.com. Look for the Cotton Farming E-News sign-up box in the upper right corner of the home page.

COTTON FARMING (ISSN 0746-8385) is published monthly January through December by One Grower Publishing LLC, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tennessee, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Omeda Communications, Customer Service Department, P.O. Box 1388, Northbrook, IL 60065-1388 (Phone: 847-559-7578) (Fax: 847-564-9453). Annual subscriptions are $40. International rates are $55 in Canada/Mexico, $90 in all other countries for air-speeded delivery. Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

JANUARY 2022 | COTTON FARMING

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Editor’s Note Carroll Smith

Cotton Farming EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Associate Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com Managing Editor Vicky Boyd vlboyd@onegrower.com

2022: Off To A Good Start

W

hen the last lines of “Auld Lang Syne” died out at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve and the new year dawned, we all turned our attention to the future.

In the cotton industry, variety selection for the upcoming season is top of mind. No matter how many times you’ve heard someone say, “It’s the most important decision a farmer will make,” it’s true. On page 14, Extension cotton specialists offer tips to consider when making your choices.

For example, Texas cotton specialist Ben McKnight says, “Variety decisions will also be the driving force of how our pest control programs will shape up.

Varieties with herbicide-tolerant traits will determine, in a lot of ways, what our core weed management programs will look like moving forward.”

A flurry of announcements from cotton seed companies has been rolling in as well.  PhytoGen, the U.S. cottonseed brand of Corteva Agriscience, has released PHY 411 W3FE for the Upland market and PHY 807 RF for the Pima market.  At its recent New Product Evaluator meeting, Deltapine unveiled its Class of ’22 varieties — DP 2239 B3XF and DP 2211 B3TXF.  BASF has introduced Axant Flex quadruple-trait herbicide technology. The company plans to bring Axant Flex technology to market in select FiberMax and Stoneville cottonseed varieties for the 2023 growing season, pending herbicide regulatory approval and identified country import approvals for the trait.  Americot Inc., the company that supplies NexGen cotton seed, has added Dan Pitts to its research team as a germplasm specialist. He has nearly 40 years of agriculture and research experience from across the Cotton Belt.

To learn more, visit https://www.cottonfarming.com/category/breakingnews/ and stay tuned for further details in upcoming issues of Cotton Farming.

Our company has some exiting news for the new year as well. We are welcoming three new members to our One Grower Publishing family.

David Boyd, who grew up in a cotton family, stepped in as production manager July 15, 2021. His father, Julius Jerome Boyd was the longtime deputy director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cotton division. David has an extensive background in managerial experience and communications. He also enjoys being part of the statistics crew for the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team in his leisure time.

Cassidy Nemec, who hails from Waco, Texas, will be the assistant editor for all the publications. Even as a young child, she joined her father, Mark Nemec, as he scouted crops and attended field days. Mark is a Texas independent consultant and was named 2010 Cotton Consultant of the Year.

Katie Guthrie will be joining us as the digital content manager. She has worked alongside her father, Dave Guthrie, in the fields and will be posting online content. Most recently, Katie has produced several international digital projects.

Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year!

Carroll 4

COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

Southeast Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Ashley Kumpe ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Associate Publisher/Sales Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager David Boyd dboyd@onegrower.com Audience Services Kate Thomas (847) 559-7514 For subscription changes or change of address, call (847) 559-7578 or email cottonfarming@omeda.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David Burns – North Carolina David Lynch – South Carolina Bob McLendon – Georgia Larkin Martin – Alabama Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi Charles Parker – Missouri Jimmy Hargett – Tennessee Allen Helms – Arkansas Jay Hardwick – Louisiana Ronnie Hopper – Texas Ron Rayner – Arizona John Pucheu – California

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors.

All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Copyright 2022 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

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COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

1st Trust Protocol Annual Report Out The 2020-21 U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® Annual Report reveals that this “made from scratch” system for sustainably grown U.S. cotton made significant progress in its first year.

What is the Trust Protocol’s overall goal?

■ This science-based sustainability initiative is

delivering a better future for U.S. cotton. It contributes to the planet’s preservation by bringing quantifiable/verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable U.S. cotton production while driving continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics: land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.

The Trust Protocol also is helping meet the needs of brands/ retailers in the fashion/textile industries, which are being asked to provide product sourcing data. In fact, The 2020-21 U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® two-thirds of surveyed Annual Report reveals how a new standard sustainability decision-makers at 1,000 in sustainability is being established. brands/retailers in the United States and the United Kingdom said having this data is important to their sustainability goals.

How about first-year achievements?

■ Producers, gins, merchandisers, mills, manu-

facturers, brands, retailers, along with industry and non-governmental organizations came together to support the Trust Protocol in the midst of a global pandemic. The inaugural Trust Protocol Annual Report at https://report.trustuscotton.org/ revealed these specifics: 1) some 950,000 cotton bales, representing 6% of U.S. cotton grown in 2020-21, were enrolled in the Trust Protocol; 2) approximately 300 producers enrolled for the 2020 cotton crop; and 3) efforts have begun toward bringing

on board 3 million bales of U.S. cotton for 2021-22 and enrolling 50% of U.S.-grown cotton by 2025.

The Trust Protocol also now counts 560 organizations across the supply chain as members. This includes more than 525 mills/manufacturers and 37 global brands/retailers. Among those were: Advance Denim, one of the top three Chinese denim manufacturers; Gildan; Tesco; Levi Strauss & Co; and PVH Corp., one of the largest global apparel companies, and its brands Calvin Klein and TOMMY HILFIGER. Work continues toward a second-year goal of enrolling 100 global brands/retailers and 1,000 mills/manufacturers. All enrollment targets will be reviewed and updated each year.

Any other success?

■ The Trust Protocol now is aligned with the

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future. It also is 1) part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a global, industrywide nonprofit of more than 250 members working to reduce environmental impact and promote social justice throughout the global value chain; and 2) a member of the Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives; and 3) collaborating with the TextileGenesis™ platform enabling it to become the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber to offer full transparency across the supply chain. Protocol Consumption Management Solution pilot trials were begun with selected brands and mills, with full deployment envisioned for early 2022.

Crucial to future success will be ongoing support of U.S. cotton producers as they seek a smaller environmental footprint through their participation in the Trust Protocol. A priority will be maintaining a focus on innovation and working to understand the latest technologies/techniques. While expanding this sustainability initiative will be important to meeting brand/retailer demand, personal and corporate integrity will remain at the forefront.

Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America. He also serves as president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

JANUARY 2022 | COTTON FARMING

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consumers

CottonBoard.org The data referenced is from Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ survey and the 2016 Seal of Cotton survey. *Seal of Cotton™ introduced by Cotton Incorporated in 1973.

CB20-Logos-CottonFarmer Final.indd 1

2/25/21 11:16 AM

COVER STORY

MARY JANE BUERKLE

Eddie Smith (right) farms with his son, Eric, in Floyd County, Texas.

‘Sky’s The Limit’

New Cotton Stripper Fits West Texas Farmers’ Efficiency Goals

BY MARY JANE BUERKLE

F

or generations, the Smiths of Floyd County, Texas, have embraced ways to help their fellow farmers by being leaders both in and out of the field.

One of their latest adventures has been working with John Deere to give brand-new cotton harvesters an official test run before they are made available to fellow producers.

Eddie Smith and his son, Eric, have been running the new John Deere CS770 cotton stripper since they began harvest in October. This harvest marks Eddie ’s 48th cotton crop.

“I’m impressed,” Eddie said of the new machine, noting that he has been working with John Deere in this capacity for several years. The collaboration began when he met with their staff at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences and encouraged them to create an all-in-one stripper-baler, like they had done with the picker a couple years before.

“They (John Deere) have stepped up their game with the CS770, and we know they will continue to evolve and develop new technologies. The capacity of the machine is tremendous,

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COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

and we just see a lot of positives going forward.”

One of the most visible and significant upgrades from the previous model, the CS690 — which Eddie also ran as a prototype before its release — is an optional 12-row folding header.

“Expanding to a 12 row was a great fit for us, especially with the folding header,” he says. “It definitely increases your efficiency when you’re moving through 2-bale-plus cotton.

“We were blessed with a good crop this year, and that gave this machine the opportunity to really shine. We have seen a better turnout at the gin because of the high-capacity cleaner.

The extra capacity in the burr extractor in the machine seems to be doing its job.”

Efficiency And Comfort

Eddie says John Deere has been “very thorough” in their research and in learning what producers need and can use for optimum harvest efficiency, along with some improvements that make spending hours in the cab more comfortable.

COTTONFARMING.COM

THRIVING IN COTTON

Hardy Variety Exceeds Expectations In 2021

L

ouis Heckmann and his wife, Debbie, farm 1,100 acres of dryland cotton they rotate with corn and milo in Fort Bend County, Texas.

Historically, they grew a high-yielding competitive variety, but in 2020 they decided to try PhytoGen® brand PHY 400 W3FE. “We thought PHY 400 W3FE was good enough to compete yield wise with the other high-yielding variety we had grown for years, and we were right,” he says. “We made a good decision in changing over.”

Louis says PHY 400 W3FE has good vigor, a strong root system, bacterial blight resistance, WideStrike® 3 Insect Protection, and the Enlist® weed control system to fight resistant waterhemp.

“Our cotton is managed for 3.5 bales per acre, which is now a possibility in the Texas Upper Gulf Coast region with the new varieties when the weather is right. In 2020, our average yield was 3.25 bales per acre.

“We need rain because we are dryland, and the varieties we have now will stack a lot of fruit quickly. You must have nutrients available relatively early compared to the older varieties.”

PHY 400 W3FE Thrives Despite Bad Weather In 2021, Mother Nature stepped up and threw a curve ball, starting with excessive rain in May. “Our cotton started off dry,” Louis says. “Then the rain began after we had some of the crop set on the bottom, so a lot of the bottom crop had boll rot. We started trying to regrow the cotton to make more fruit. This was difficult to do because it was raining in the flowers. When this happens, cotton sometimes is not able to pollinate, so it sheds that piece of fruit.

“With more than a month of rain, we ended up growing a top crop and a crop farther out on the limbs of the plant. That’s where most of our yield came from in 2021.”

And after a long, drawn-out growing season with a lot of water on heavy ground that doesn’t drain well, more nitrogen was needed. The nitrogen just wasn’t available.

“We had to sidedress most of our cotton twice with nitrogen,” Louis says. “We had never done that before. But PHY 400 W3FE responded well to the added nitrogen and kept putting on fruit.

It was like the plant didn’t want to quit. Because we’ve had years like this in the past, that’s what I look for in a variety — one that will come back and put on more fruit if it has enough nutrients.”

In mid-September, Hurricane Nicholas came through followed by a front that produced strong northern winds.

“PHY 400 W3FE stayed in the burr well even though the hurricane loosened up the cotton,” Louis says.

“We had a really good crop last year, even though we lost some of it to the hurricane. With all the early rains and the late season storm, our average yield was still 2.75 bales per acre.”

™®

Texas farmers Louis Heckmann and his wife, Debbie, pose in one of their fields of PhytoGen® brand PHY 400 W3FE.

Outstanding Fiber Quality Package Although high mic is common in this area because of rain, heat, boll load and fertility, Louis says he has seen very little high mic with PHY 400 W3FE. “We also have to plant varieties with good staple length,” he says. “Long, cotton buyers come looking for you. Short, they won’t look at you.”

And even though PHY 400 W3FE got hit with its share of adverse weather, Louis says about 75% of their cotton was premium grade.

“PhytoGen has some of the top varieties out there,” he says.

“The breeding has gotten so much better. Right now, our best bet is to grow PHY 400 W3FE. “We also are interested in trying PHY 411 W3FE that was just released for 2022. It’s supposed to yield even better than PHY 400 W3FE and has the same package as PHY 332 W3FE with both root-knot and reniform resistance.”

A True Family Farm Louis and Debbie have been married 36 years and have four grown kids and two “grands.” Debbie, son Louis Jr. and daughters Kaley and Heather are actively involved in the family farming operation. The daughters scout cotton in-season and Louis Jr. is a full-time employee. Everyone pitches in to keep the family and crews well fed during harvest.

Enlist, PhytoGen, the PhytoGen logo and WideStrike are trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies.

The CS770 has a 13.6L PowerTech 515 horsepower engine that runs at 1900 revolutions per minute. This boosts fuel efficiency, which can translate into long-term fuel cost savings.

The new cab in the CS770 is 30% larger than the CS690 and similar to the X9 combine cab, increasing visibility. The cab operator is surrounded by integrated technology that allows for constant monitoring of all the machine’s functions.

Operators can work late into the evening more easily, thanks to LED lights with 360-degree coverage, and can connect their mobile devices to the unit’s CarPlay system. There’s even a small refrigerator in the cab.

“The cab and lighting are superior, and the software in these harvesters continues to evolve,” Eddie says. “We can make adjustments more quickly than we could in the CS690.”

Growers will have access to more data than ever before with the CS770, and precision ag technology is included in the factory’s base model now. Operators can know every detail about each module, from average moisture and weight to where it was dropped in the field. Data from the harvester can integrate directly with the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol for growers who are enrolled in that program.

The round modules are a little wider coming out of the CS770, but Eddie says that has not been an issue for transport or ginning. The module is also slightly denser, which can help reduce wrap and hauling costs.

Eric says the “sky’s the limit” regarding future technological evolutions of cotton harvesters.

“It’s amazing what this machine can do,” he says. “All of my inputs are going up, but my margins haven’t changed. It’s definitely a (financial) commitment, but it’s been worth it for our operation.”

Labor Savings

One of the reasons the new harvesters have worked well for the Smiths is because they have been able to save on labor costs over time. Eddie says he believes that’s a key reason why other producers have shifted from the traditional basket strippers to machines like the CS690 and eventually the CS770.

“We’re all looking for ways to improve our operations, and between the cost of labor and labor shortages, these new machines can help with that,” he says.

His crew also has been “very receptive” to the technology improvements. “(The harvesters) do cost a lot of money, but I

remember ordering a couple tractors back in the 1970s, and it was unreal how much they cost at the time. It’s an investment.”

‘An Incredible Legacy’

Eddie learned the importance of rising to challenges in farming from his dad, Ed, and is passing that down to Eric. Ed passed away in January 2021, leaving an incredible legacy to Eddie and also to Eric.

“My dad was very supportive of the technological evolution as it happened, and he, like most of us, was in awe of what continues to develop,” Eddie says. “He’d been around since the days of hand-pulling cotton, and he watched harvesting advance into what we have today.”

Although Ed wasn’t directly involved in John Deere’s relationship with Eddie, he had a front-row seat to everything that was happening on the farm.

“One day several years ago when the team from John Deere was here with the first prototype, it was a beautiful harvest day. We had our own machine running and John Deere had their test machine running,” Eddie recalls. “They (John Deere) are very intense in their research and testing. In the middle of the afternoon, they went to the barn and started taking the machine apart to study some things. Dad called me and said, ‘Do you know what they’re doing?!’ He couldn’t believe they would work on machinery instead of taking advantage of the beautiful harvest weather. But he always supported what we did with John Deere.”

Eddie says that even after his dad moved into a senior living facility in Lubbock, he would come over to the farm every day.

“He’d say, ‘I’ve got a better view sitting right here, and I’m available if you need me to do something,’” Eddie says.

Ed was involved on several boards, and Eddie has served as chairman of the National Cotton Council, Cotton Incorporated and Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, among other leadership positions. Eric is balancing raising a young family with being involved in his community and helping run his family farming operation.

“My dad took my granddad’s dedication to the next level,” Eric says. “All I’m trying to do is perpetuate that, to continue that philosophy.”

Mary Jane Buerkle is a freelance writer based in Haskell, Texas.

She may be reached at mjbuerkle@gmail.com.

MARY JANE BUERKLE

West Texas cotton farmer Eddie Smith says moving to a 12-row harvester was a great fit for their operation. “It definitely increases your efficiency when you’re moving through 2-bale-plus cotton,” he says.

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COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

COTTONFARMING.COM

THE ALARM CLOCK THAT AWAKES YOU WILL NEVER NEED A SNOOZE BUTTON. It doesn’t buzz. Or allow you to snooze. It is not made of plastic and electronics. The internal clock that gets you up before the dawn is made of heart. And determination.

Because you know. Early is the key to success in the cotton field. And Stoneville cotton knows, too. Stoneville cotton gets out of the ground earlier and establishes a healthy stand quicker. It also offers multiple choices in herbicide and insect trait options. So it’s less vulnerable to weeds, weather and insects during its most vulnerable time. And that paves the way for a bigger finish.

Always read and follo w lab el d irectio ns. S tone ville is a re g istered trademark of BASF. ©2 0 2 2 B ASF Co r po r a tion. A ll rights re se rve d.

OWN THE EARLY

OW N T HE E A R LY

Specialists Speaking

2022 Variety Selection TEXAS Ben McKnight

As we think ahead to the upcoming year, variety selection is on everyone’s mind. I’m sure folks have heard this statement several times, but cotton variety selection is the most important decision we will make all year. In many ways, several management decisions are also determined when a variety choice is made.

Variety decisions will also be the driving force of how our pest control programs will shape up. Varieties with herbicide-tolerant traits will determine, in a lot of ways, what our core weed management programs will look like moving forward. This is especially important for growers combatting resistant weeds.

Insect resistance to once-viable Bt traits may shift our variety decision to growing a three-gene Bt variety. This can be an important decision on the front end of the growing season, especially with the rising costs associated with inputs and fuel. In fields with a history of bacterial blight, place priority on selecting a variety that has enhanced resistance to the pathogen.

Finally, selecting a variety with good yield potential and fiber quality for your specific area is extremely important. To evaluate current commercial cotton varieties, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension annually conducts several replicated cotton variety trials across a large geography. Results from these Replicated Agronomic Cotton Evaluation trials (RACE trials) are published every year in December at varietytesting.tamu.edu.

Growers can use these results to identify which varieties performed well in their region. I encourage everyone to use this resource when making plans for the upcoming growing season.

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season, and I look forward to seeing you Jan. 4-6 at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in San Antonio! bmcknight@tamu.edu

OKLAHOMA Seth Byrd

This time of year we typically start piecing together what we’ve learned from the past season and how it may influence our variety selection decisions moving forward. Looking back at my notes from 2021, maturity and storm tolerance were two of the big factors that seemed to make a difference in variety performance.

Given the start of the season, it is likely that seedling vigor will be a factor that was highlighted last year. The slow start resulting from cooler temperatures combined with beneficial rainfall the crop received throughout the months of July and August favored varieties that could achieve rapid stand establishment and initiated reproductive growth early.

These characteristics were not only successful in combating the early season conditions but also were typical of varieties that were easier to defoliate in the fall. Many of the defoliation issues resulted from delayed development from the first three to four weeks of the season. Varieties that were more successful in establishing an adequate stand and reaching key early growth stages in a timely manner were typically also easier to defoliate.

Beyond these agronomic characteristics, be sure to take note of any issues encountered throughout the season, primarily due to weeds, insects or other pests. Determine how to best address these in the coming year.

While some may be addressed through variety selection, others may influence control methods, such as seed treatments. Variety trial information is available at cotton.okstate.edu and will be updated as additional information becomes available. seth.byrd@okstate.edu

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COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson

Another calendar year is in the books. Unfortunately, 2021 brought a few records we could have done without. The biggest was the record rainfall received in much of central and southern Arkansas. Rainfall patterns in southwest Arkansas resulted in greatly reducing cotton plantings. It appears that planting half our crop in the last half of May is becoming the norm. Fortunately, we had another great fall to go along with a late-planted crop that got even later as the season progressed.

Farmers in northeast Arkansas picked one of their best crops in many years. Excessive rainfall resulted in highly variable yields in the central and southeast parts of the state. It lowered farm yield averages not only in cotton but also in other crops. Many felt their yield averages were about 200 pounds of lint per acre off where they should have been.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service December crop production report estimated Arkansas production at 1.26 million bales, 17,000 bales down from 2020. Based on conditions as of Dec. 1, 2021, yield is expected to average 1,287 pounds lint on 470,000 harvested acres. Our previous five-year average is 1,150 pounds lint per acre. The current yield projection shatters our previous high of 1,185 pounds per acre established in 2019.

It is not often we have exceptional yields and great prices occurring at the same time. Cotton acres are expected to increase in 2022.

Plans for this season should be falling in place. Variety evaluation information may be found at the University of Arkansas System Division of Ag Variety Testing webpage at https://arkansas-variety-testing.uark.edu/ for variety testing results from county and Official Variety Trials.

Rising input costs and input availability will become major limitations that will shape our management in 2022. Plan to attend your county Extension production meetings this spring. Contact your local county Extension agent for more information. brobertson@uaex.edu

FLORIDA David Wright

Harvest season was excellent in Florida this past year compared to most falls. Much of the cotton was planted later than normal due to weather, first dry and then too wet. Later-planted cotton did well as rain continued into September, and no hurricanes affected opened cotton.

In 2021, several companies had significant acreages of Bollgard 3 cotton. With excellent weather, good prices and new varieties, cotton is becoming exciting for farmers to grow again.

Recent input price increases have dampened enthusiasm for cotton in 2022, but the memory of good cotton will linger.

The technology used in most new varieties is making an impact on farmers’ yield and economics. This past year has shown the potential for much higher yields when ideal weather occurs.

Late-planted cotton did best for our growers the past two years. But we never know when hurricanes or tropical storms will affect harvest.

Cotton breeders with all the seed companies continue to take risk out of production for growers and reduce management intensity with genetics and technology.

Cotton production since 1995 has changed more than the previous 150 years at the farm level. I’m sure the changes will continue faster in the future and help growers keep ahead of any new issues that occur. wright@ufl.edu Continued on page 14 COTTONFARMING.COM

Researchers Seek Best Way To Grow Cotton In Kansas Crop May Have A Place In Areas Where Water Is Less Available

BY PAT MELGARES

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

I

K-STATE SOUTHWEST RESEARCH-EXTENSION CENTER

s there room for cotton in Kansas … the Wheat State?

There certainly is, says Kansas State University water resources engineer Jonathan Aguilar, who is currently studying the best ways to grow a crop that is traditionally grown in warmer climates.

“One of the reasons we are looking at cotton is because it is drought resistant, or at least doesn’t need a lot of water compared to other crops grown in (southwest Kansas),” says Aguilar, who is located in K-State’s Southwest Research and Extension Center in Garden City.

“The other reason we are doing research on growing cotton is because we are at the northern edge of cotton production in this region. We’ve been growing cotton for three years; our first question was whether it will grow here, and if it will, can it produce a decent yield?”

So far, he says, the answers are “yes” and “yes.”

“We are still getting samples for this year’s crop,” Aguilar says, “but it looks like we will have a nice yield.”

Irrigation Observations

Much of K-State’s research is focused on irrigated cotton as part of a rotation with other crops. Even though researchers are using available water, Aguilar says the crop requires less of it than other crops.

“Surprisingly in our region — and I think our colleagues in Oklahoma say the same thing — if we put more water on cotton, it actually diminishes the yield compared to when you are putting just the right amount, or even limiting the amount of water the crop receives,” he says.

In other words, growing cotton in Kansas may require applying water at the proper time, rather than the actual volume applied.

“We are finding that if we put water just at the critical stage of growth, it will outperform fully irrigated cotton.”

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

Southwest Kansas’ drier climate may provide an opportunity for growing cotton.

Ongoing Research

Aguilar notes that K-State’s research will continue for two more years to fully understand the proper management to grow profitable cotton in the state. Compared to states such as Texas and Oklahoma, Kansas has fewer warm days. In addition, plant populations are not the same as they are for cotton grown farther south.

“There’s an art and a science to cotton,” Aguilar says. “We are learning more

about that. There are instances when we can apply water at the right time when it will produce more compared to not applying water in a strategic way.”

More information on water management in southwest Kansas is available online from K-State Southwest Research and Extension Center.

Pat Melgares is a news and feature writer for Kansas State University.

JANUARY 2022 | COTTON FARMING

13

Specialists Speaking

CCOY Cotton Consultant of the Year established 1981

Who is the 2021 Cotton Consultant of the Year?

A West Texas cotton farmer says the 2021 CCOY sends him timely, thorough weekly emails. But if he sees something of concern in the field, he calls him immediately.

“He provides me with a helpful, proactive approach that has my fields ahead of the game when the growing season gets here.”

An NAICC officer says, “For the past seven years, he has instructed the leadership participants on how Washington, D.C., works and how to interact with policymakers and representatives of commodity groups and other agricultural associations.”

He is described as an excellent independent consultant and strong advocate for cotton farming. He has a reputation for helping his farmers profit from the sound advice he gives them. He takes his customers’ farming operations to heart.

Who is the man so deserving of these accolades?

Look for the big announcement in the February issue of Cotton Farming!

Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming 14

COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

Continued from page 12

LOUISIANA Matt Foster

One of the most important decisions producers make is variety selection. With numerous transgenic traits currently available, this can often be difficult. A producer needs to have as much information as possible to make a more informed decision.

With proper variety selection, producers increase their chances to be profitable and sustainable.

To aid in this process, the Louisiana State University AgCenter annually conducts official variety trials at the Northeast Research Station in St. Joseph, Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro, Dean Lee Research Station in Alexandria, and Red River Research Station in Bossier City. This past year, 48 cotton varieties were evaluated at these locations.

In addition to the official cotton variety trials, seven on-farm cotton variety trials were conducted with producers throughout the state.

The main objective of these trials is to provide as much information as possible concerning a cotton variety’s performance over a range of soil types, growing conditions and management practices.

As a new growing season approaches, variety selection plays a major role in the planning process. Now is a great time to review the past year’s performance. Results of the 2021 LSU AgCenter cotton variety trials are located at https://www. lsuagcenter.com/topics/crops/cotton.

Happy New Year and best of luck during the upcoming season. mfoster@agcenter.lsu.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper

I expect the varieties selected for 2022 will likely represent the newest set we have planted in the past four years. Based on preliminary data from 2021 and data from 2020, I feel confident a number of these have top-end yield potential.

While I suspect a few are very stable and can tolerate a variety of stresses, we don’t yet have a thorough understanding of response to environment for all the new varieties. Your best opportunity to minimize risk is to select several of them.

This prevents a big loss from choosing a variety that fails in the environmental unknowns of 2022 and gives you a great opportunity to see each of them on your own ground.

By the time you read this, the Tennessee Cotton Variety Trial data will have been released on news.utcrops.com. We had a great set of largeplot trials throughout Tennessee last year. I was

also pleased with the separations we generated within our small-plot trials. I encourage you to find a small-plot official variety trial near your location and specify varieties based on it. After identifying 15-20 entries, narrow down your selection more based on the large-plot trials (county standard tests) that closely match your growing environment.

One other comment on variety selection.

Over the past several years, we have seen a few mid-maturing varieties perform in the top-tier.

I encourage you to consider adding them to your mix IF you believe you can get them planted early in the planting window.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions on selection or trial results and have a Happy New Year! traper@utk.edu

GEORGIA Camp Hand

Sometimes I struggle to make decisions. Just yesterday, I was talking about getting one of our upcoming agent trainings catered. Katie, my business manager, asked, “Well, what do you want? We can get barbeque or something.” I told her, “I’m not sure about barbeque because so many people have that at their meetings. I’m not sure what I want, but I can tell you what I don’t want.” Before I decide, I’ll inevitably ask some folks who they think would be a good caterer and even look at online reviews before I decide who to go with.

Variety selection can be one of the most difficult decisions growers make. In reality, maximum yield potential is set once you choose a variety. Although yield is the major component in the process, there are other things to think about. A few considerations are weed control technology, nematode resistance packages, disease resistance packages, leaf pubescence, plant growth regulator responsiveness, fiber quality and others. These are factors Georgia growers should consider prior to settling on a variety.

To assist in the variety selection decision, the University of Georgia provides several resources. First is the on-farm variety evaluation program. In 2021, 12 commercial varieties were planted in grower fields in 25 locations across Georgia to look at variety stability across multiple environments. Secondly is the UGA Official Variety Trial program that evaluates a higher number of varieties in fewer locations. These two types of trials are conducted yearly to help with this complex decision. Find results for both at ugacotton.com.

While you refer to those resources for variety selection, I’ll be looking at catering reviews trying to make an important decision myself. As always, your local UGA county Extension agent and specialists are here to help! Reach out if you have any questions. camphand@uga.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

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SOUTHWEST REPORT

Collaboration Across The Cotton Belt Cotton Incorporated Develops Partnerships To Coordinate With Cotton Farmers’ Priorities

T

he Agricultural and Environmental Research Division at Cotton Incorporated wears many different hats. We often hear of them partnering to support on-farm research projects, managing funded projects or giving presentations at industry meetings.

But one area that is often overlooked is their commitment to promote Beltwide industry collaboration among major companies, universities and researchers to leverage Cotton Research and Promotion Program assessment dollars. This provides the opportunity for Cotton Incorporated directors to continually develop relationships beyond research projects being directly funded by Cotton Incorporated.

“A large part of my job is spending time visiting with current or potential partners in the industry that align with cotton growers’ priorities,” Dr. Gaylon Morgan, AERD director with Cotton Incorporated, says.

“These partners come in a variety of forms: public and private sector researchers from across the world, colleagues at different commodity groups, start-up companies, and cotton growers, just to name a few.

“But the common theme is how I can utilize my relationships with these partners to provide avenues for collaboration and the opportunity to continually keep cotton on the forefront of new technologies and research advancements.”

Roundtable Conversations

One example of using these relationships for the benefit of cotton producers happened recently in Texas when several individuals needed to discuss overall cotton seed quality across the country. Two Cotton Incorporated directors, Drs. Kater Hake and Gaylon Morgan, organized a roundtable discussion among certified producer organizations, cotton seed company representatives and key seed quality

16

COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

BY CHRISTI SHORT ROCHESTER, TEXAS

researchers from two different universities.

Topics included:  New research ideas.  The best equipment and its availability to help increase the quality of data being collected.  Opportunities to implement the research findings at the company level.  Priorities of cotton growers across the Cotton Belt.  The affect cotton seed modifications would have on the ginning and crushing sector.

Another focus of the conversation was how the industry could come together as a whole to better understand the genetic, environmental and management factors that affect seed quality and stand establishment.

Cotton Incorporated staff facilitated discussion before, during and after the meeting on new research ideas. They also were vital in linking the correct people together to advance the understanding of seed quality across the Cotton Belt.

“While it’s easy to focus individually on what one seed company provides to growers or what one research entity publishes, it’s the facilitation behind the scenes and big picture ideas that create the environments to advance research, which will equate to long-term grower profitability,” Morgan says.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Texas Supports Camera Project

Another Cotton Incorporated initiative is a move to combat plastic contamination in the field, in the gin and at the spinning mills. One of the earliest projects in which Cotton Incorporated invested started with Texas State Support funds. The goal was to see if a video camera monitoring system at the module feeder would help gins identify and remove plastic.

Since this initial project started, the National Cotton Council has taken the lead by deploying several of these systems across the Cotton Belt. In partnership with research ginning labs, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, the National Cotton Council, and several different departments at Cotton Incorporated, plastic contamination prevention and removal studies are happening in the field, in the gin and at spinning mills. These organizations also are exploring different wrapping materials for modules and bales across the nation.

A Group Effort

One of the Cotton Incorporated researchers intimately involved in the work is Dr. Ed Barnes in AERD. He notes how Cotton Incorporated is dedicated to maintaining a multi-divisional and industrywide

strategy to addressing the very real threat of plastic contamination to U.S. cotton.

Industry personnel need to partner with colleagues in the fiber competition, product development and fiber processing departments of Cotton Incorporated to understand the effects of contamination in their respective areas of the supply chain.

Their collaboration also is necessary to connect this research to the individuals at entities across the world by leveraging their relationships with textile mills.

Reports, collaborations and roundtable discussions have been instrumental in identifying ways the industry can decrease plastic overall and ensuring these efforts have a lasting effect. Pulling together experts from different organizations and the staff from other Cotton Incorporated departments is key in keeping contamination-free cotton front of mind.

“Just like with the seed quality discussion and our contamination partnerships, we want to bring people together to have open lines of communication,” Morgan says.

“When there is a new technology, a new idea or an emerging issue, the right people can quickly be assembled to be ready to work on this for the betterment of cotton growers everywhere.”

“We want to be able to leverage grow-

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COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

Gaylon Morgan (right) with Cotton Incorporated teams with Reagan Noland from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension while visiting farm research plots in Texas. er funds, researchers’ time and outside funding sources to make the biggest impact possible. These collaborative conversations don’t always have tangible results associated with them, but eventually they can provide a huge impact.”

Christi Short is the Southwest Regional Communications Manager for The Cotton Board. You can contact her at cshort@cottonboard.org.

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Ginners Marketplace COTTON

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

Texas A&M University Provides Expertise Through Education Qualified, available labor is an issue that many industries and businesses across the country are facing. Fortunately for the cotton industry, Texas A&M University has been working to combat this with the agricultural systems management undergraduate degree program.

“As our world, and especially agriculture, becomes increasingly dependent on technology, there will naturally be a growing demand for managers with technical systems capabilities,” says Russell McGee, assistant professor and director of the undergraduate program for agricultural systems management at Texas A&M. According to the website, AGSM program graduates “manage people, money and machines in the food and agriculture industries.” McGee says AGSM graduates have a wide range of career opportunities. The most common are technical sales and service for equipment manufacturers; grain, food and fiber processing managers; financial, insurance and consulting services; and construction, logistics, utilities and energy industries.

“AGSM is a combination technical and business degree,” McGee says. “It evolved from the mechanized agriculture degree in 1988. I like to describe it as an ‘engineering-lite’ degree with a minor in business included. The ag engineers design the system; the ag systems graduates operate it using technical and business principles they learn in the AGSM degree.”

Cotton Ginners Marketplace

TCGA Provides Hands-On Experience With the knowledge they gain during college, graduates of the degree program can be the perfect fit for the cotton ginning industry.

“Managing a gin is a complex operation, requiring fundamental knowledge of a diverse array of machinery, systems, a challenging workforce, risk management and business acumen,” McGee says. “As gin managers approach retirement age, they are wise to plan ahead and bring in a new talent who can learn at their elbow with a view toward filling their shoes in a few years. AGSM graduates are well suited to meet that challenge.”

It is not just coursework that makes a qualified employee though. They must have hands-on experience. The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association saw a need for this and filled the void.

Aaron Nelsen, TCGA director of communications, says members of the organization recognized a need to bring young people into the cotton industry, which was the driving force behind them creating the summer internship program.

“Our internship offers a good dress rehearsal for each side,” Nelsen says. “The student is able to experience what a career in cotton ginning might look like. The host manager is able to evaluate a prospective employee for a few weeks during the summer. Without the internship, it is very likely most that come through our program would never set foot in a cotton gin. Thirty-three interns have been through our program from various universities, and we currently have 10 working in the industry full time. The partnership allows many AGSM students the chance to look at a career, such as managing a cotton gin.”

McGee says the networking of the students with those in the cotton industry has been beneficial for both parties.

20

COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

“We have a network of industries and employers who favor our AGSM graduates for their work ethic and technical capabilities, but none stands out like the cotton industry,” McGee says. “TCGA has led the way in creating internship opportunities annually for AGSM students who are interested in cotton gins or the associated auxiliary industries.

“TCGA staff also provide guest lectures for classes and student club meetings and provide multiple projects for the students to work on for their senior projects. There are numerous ways that TCGA keeps the cotton industry visible and attractive for students to consider as a career path.”

‘Solving The Problems Of Tomorrow’ From shaping future leaders in the agriculture industry to providing qualified managers, McGee is proud of the work of the AGSM program and its graduates.

“Texas A&M has the only remaining academic department of agricultural engineering in the state,” McGee says. “The knowledge and skills we impart to graduates are vital in an agriculture industry that is growing more technically advanced, as well as maintaining core competencies that are necessary for emerging economies.

“AGSM graduates are attracted to our department because they enjoy the practical application, hands-on learning, and problem-solving. We take students with this aptitude and provide a college education that helps them see the horizon so they can anticipate and work toward solving the problems of tomorrow.”

This article was authored by Jayci Bishop with Plains Cotton Cooperative Association.

Cotton’s Calendar Some listed events at https://www.cottonfarming.com/calendar/ may be canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. Please verify the status with the individual organizations. ¢ Jan. 4-6: 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, Texas. ¢ Jan. 12-15: Southern Southeastern Annual Meeting, Westin, Hilton Head, South Carolina. ¢ Feb. 19-11: Louisiana Agricultural Technology & Management Conference, Paragon Casino Resort, Marksville, Louisiana.

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JANUARY 2022 | COTTON FARMING

21

My Turn Peanut — A Cotton Pickin’ Cat

M

y husband, Rick, food, drinking water and getting off the bottle. Her and I grow cot- first litter box was a plastic ice cream bucket I kept in ton, corn and the cab with me. She was a lot of company. Rick and I soybeans in the figured if Peanut wasn’t so headstrong, she wouldn’t Missouri Bootheel near the have made it. small community of LaForge.

In 2007, I wondered if Peanut would ride the pickIt’s not a town, so some maps er again or freak out from the noise and movement. will show it and some won’t. She was 100% house cat, not a barn cat. I took her up Rick grew up on a farm that the steps on my shoulder. Then she jumped off and is catty-corner to where we walked over to the door waiting for me to get up the live now, and I grew up in ladder to let her in. The rest is history. She has picked New Madrid, Missouri. cotton with me for 16 consecutive years even though Peanut We started our own oper- she is only 15 years old. ation in 1987 as R&C Farms.

Peanut stays in the house except when she rides in Since I grew up in town, you might say I was Rick’s my truck during the fall when we go to the fields. She apprentice at first. My job was cutting stalks with a is very independent and headstrong. Peanut doesn’t two-row stalk cutter while driving a tractor without a even think she is a cat. If we happen to carry her in cab in the cold. Rick tried to get me to do something the shop and she sees the other cats, she hisses at else, but I told him I was happy doing this. them. I think Peanut has a split personality!

In October 2006, I found a tiny black kitten in our In the fall of 2013, we were picking cotton one night old shop across the road from our new shop. She when someone started hollering over the radio that my had been abandoned and wasn’t weaned yet. I had picker was on fire. I glanced up in my lefthand mirror, to try to save her. She and it looked like sparwas so small she could klers on the Fourth of “In 2007, I wondered if Peanut fit in your shirt pocket.

July. The fan was blowing would ride the picker again.”

Therefore, we decided that fire. I shut the fan off on Peanut for her name. immediately and hollered That was the year it seemed like it rained every at Rick on the radio that the picker WAS on fire. third day. Rick and I bottle fed her every two to three I knew I had to get Peanut and myself off without hours. At night, we kept her in a tote on a heating pad letting go of her. I had no idea where the fire had beside our bed. started and didn’t know how much time I had. I don’t When it got dry enough to start picking cotton know how I got off the picker that fast, but I did. again, I told Rick I would have to take Peanut with Rick happened to be in the field and was able to drive me or she wouldn’t make it. I packed Rick’s and my around to the other side where we were. I put Peanut lunches as well as Peanut’s bottles of milk in a thermos in his truck and locked her in. to keep them warm. Good thing the picker drove itself We’ve had two other picker fires since then that after I got turned in on the rows so I could feed her. taught me to never leave Peanut in the cab by herself.

My cab was crowded with coolers and food and water, Pickers can catch on fire just sitting there. but we made it work.

As long as she is able, Peanut is going to ride with Fall drug out that year. I had Peanut in a shoe box me on the cotton picker. Even though a whole year tied to the buddy seat with a bungee cord with clean goes by from harvest to harvest, she gets back on that shop rags as her bedding. She gained strength and picker like she just got off of it yesterday! She just sits began climbing out of the shoebox and up the back in her seat and rides. of the buddy seat to a little compartment — about the size of a cigar box — to sleep.

— Cindy Faulkner Peanut was raised on that picker off and on for two New Madrid, Missouri months. By December, she was eating moist kitten rcfarms87@yahoo.com Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling unusual “farm tales” or timely stories from across the Cotton Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting story to tell, send a short summary to csmith@onegrower.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

22

COTTON FARMING | JANUARY 2022

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