Cotton Farming November 2021

Cotton Farming

®

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

NOVEMBER 2021

www.cottonfarming.com

Registration Opens For 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences

2022

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

Can Ag Aviators And Drones Find Harmony?

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.

1

™®

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. 65 No. 11

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

NOVEMBER 2021

www.cottonfarming.com

FE ATURES

8 2022

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

ON-FARM EXPERIMENTS In a research study, crop producers will use tools to conduct site-specific, data-based evaluations.

10

CAN HARMONY BE FOUND? Mississippi State University seeks to understand how ag aviators and drones can safely share the skies.

18

CONSULTANTS’ CONFERENCE Annual meeting offers a diverse lineup of pest management and production-related topics.

20

A WORLD-CLASS SCIENTIST The University of Arkansas appoints Trent Roberts the first endowed chair in soil fertility research.

24

12

Quality Picks

The menu of cotton varieties from which to choose in 2022 includes a host of high-yielding, good quality selections. Check out the roster in Cotton Farming’s Seed Variety Guide. Before placing your order, be sure to do your homework. Discuss priorities with your consultant and seed representative to match your operation’s needs with outstanding cotton characteristics and traits.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

6 Editor’s Note 9 Cotton’s Agenda 11 Southern Plains Report

26 Industry News 28 Specialists Speaking 34 My Turn

ON THE COVER: A beautiful field of cotton adorns the landscape at Double E Farms in the Texas Permian Basin.

Cover photo by Sarah Kalina.

FALL COTTON PRICE RALLY Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert outlines potential contributing components.

32

GINNERS MARKETPLACE

the official publication of the ginning industry TCGA’s J. Kelley Green discusses increasing Wage and Hour inspections as well as OSHA issues.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension specialist in ag law, addresses the question: What statutory protections apply if hunters are injured on my land? Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

Corn Hybrid Preview

CornSou CornSouth o uuth ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

Southern Production & Marketing Strategies

A Supplement to Cotton Farming and The Peanut Grower Magazines

November 2021

SUPPLEMENT Look for Corn South following page 26 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.

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

NOVEMBER 2021 | COTTON FARMING

3

T:15.75" S:14.75"

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. The Enlist® weed control system is owned and developed by Corteva Agriscience LLC. Enlist Duo® and Enlist One® herbicides are not registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your area. Enlist Duo and Enlist One herbicides are the only 2,4-D products authorized for use with Enlist crops. Consult Enlist herbicide labels for weed species controlled.

Always read and follow label directions. © 2021 Corteva. CE38-401-029 (10/21) BR CAAG1NLST059

T:15.75" S:14.75"

S:9.5"

Countless acres across the country have proven the superior technology of Enlist® herbicides — giving you near-zero volatility, no calendar cutoff dates and effective, neighbor-friendly weed control. But to unlock these advantages, first you must plant PhytoGen® cottonseed with the Enlist® trait. See what a better seed and herbicide system can bring to your fields.

Learn more at www.Enlist.com/NoDoubt.

Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Carroll Smith

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com Managing Editor Vicky Boyd vlboyd@onegrower.com

A

The Importance Of ‘Being In Charge’

s parents, we get busy with our own responsibilities — typically work-related — and realize we must depend on our kids, the younger generation, to help out at times. You must “put them in charge” of something.

I was reminded of this two times yesterday. The first was when I was talking to my daughter in Texas. Their washing machine had broken down, which meant the repairman had to pay them a visit. As it turned out, he said he could be at their home later in the afternoon. Of course, the adults were both at the office, and the older son was at baseball practice. This meant the younger son, Shep, would be in charge of waiting for the repairman and letting him in to see if he could get the washer running again. About 4:45 p.m., Shep called his mom to tell her the man had arrived.

He proudly said, “I showed him where our washing machine is and told him it had ‘started acting up’ last night.” This may seem like a small task in the big scheme of things, but it was an important step in subtly teaching responsibility.

My young grandson appreciated being trusted enough to take care of this chore in the absence of his parents.

The second time I was reminded about the importance of putting a young person in charge was while watching a YouTube video featured in the Peanut Grower e-newsletter. It opened with a young man named Randy sitting in the driver’s seat of a dump cart in the middle of a peanut field.

At the beginning of his narrative, he let viewers know his daddy was trusting him to run the dump cart that day while they were in the heat of peanut picking season. You could hear the pride in his voice. He said his older brother typically had this responsibility, but he was out for the day on personal business.

Randy was so excited about his new-found importance that he began offering advice about how to pick peanuts to his dad and the other workers via the twoway radio. Instead of ridiculing the suggestions, his dad calmly explained they wouldn’t work. For example, when Randy asked his dad how fast he was running the picker, his father said, “I am running at 2.2 mph.” The young man came back with, “I have a buddy who says he runs 6 mph, so you might want to bump it up some.” His dad patiently replied, “Son, there is no way you can pick 3-ton peanuts at 6 mph.”

Randy considered what his father said and appeared to nod his head in agreement. It had been a teachable moment. As you go through planning season this winter, think of some jobs you can assign to the younger generation to help nurture their sense of responsibility. Put them in charge and watch them grow.

Carroll If you have comments, please send them to: Cotton Farming Magazine, 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN 38138.

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COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

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 Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Sales Manager 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 2021 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

One Grower Publishing, LLC 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305 Collierville, TN 38017

COTTONFARMING.COM

Study Features On-Farm Precision Experiments Crop Producers Will Use Tools To Conduct Site-Specific, Data-Based Evaluations

BY MARY LOU PETER

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

K

ansas farmers have an opportunity to join other U.S. producers in participating in a $4 million conservation innovation grant aimed at improving the efficiency of fertilizer and seed management in cotton, corn, soybean and wheat production.

The research is made possible by a $4 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service award to the Data-Intensive Farm Management Project. It aims to develop and deploy a data-intensive crop management system based on on-farm precision experiments. Farmers will use these tools to conduct site-specific, data-based evaluations of the economic and environmental effects of site-specific nitrogen, phosphorus and seed rate management strategies.

“We’re taking some of the theoretical methods we’ve been studying and are ready to put them to the test in real-life situations on farms across the country,” says Kansas State University agricultural economist Terry Griffin.

Better Bottom Dollar

Though Kansas is not one of the states specifically targeted by the project, producers from any state who grow cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat can apply to participate.

“The great thing about this award is that

it gives us funding to make sure that every year we can increase the profits of participating farmers and their crop consultants,” says project leader and University of Illinois agricultural economist David Bullock in a statement announcing the support.

The funding is provided through OnFarm Conservation Innovation Trials, a component of the conservation innovation grants program first authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill.

How It Works

On-farm trials awardees work with NRCS and farmers and ranchers to implement innovative practices and systems that have not yet been widely adopted by producers. Awardees are required to evaluate the conservation and economic outcomes from these practices and systems, which provide partners, producers and NRCS critical information to inform conservation work in the future.

“On-farm trials help producers improve the health of their operations while at the same time helping NRCS build data to show the benefit of innovative conservation systems and practices applied on the land,” says retired NRCS Acting Chief Kevin Norton.

More details and contact information are available on the project’s web page at https://bit.ly/3As1zMn. Farmers will use tools developed by the Data-Intensive Farm Management Project to conduct data-based evaluations of the economic and environmental effects of site-specific nitrogen, phosphorus and seed rate management strategies.

KANSAS STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

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COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Inducing Innovation The National Cotton Council-coordinated 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences will share cutting-edge research results and other timely information to help U.S. cotton producers continue as global pacesetters.

What is the meeting’s objective?

■ The annual forum brings together university

and U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers, regulatory agencies, Extension personnel/agents, consultants and industry sales/support personnel to exchange information about new products and production/processing systems. They also will share updates on cutting-edge research and issues affecting U.S. cotton. Cotton producers and processors can use this data to maximize efficiency and foster sustainability in their operations.

Key topics to be covered?

■ Programming still is being finalized for the 2022

BWCC, set for Jan. 4-6 at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. However, the halfday Cotton Consultants Conference, which begins at 8 a.m., Jan. 4, and is open to all registered participants, plans to provide a focus on cotton varieties. Included will be updates on new varieties, varietal screening with herbicides, managing the maturity of varieties across the Cotton Belt and developments in Bt cotton.

The 2022 BWCC is set for Jan. 4-6 at the Marriott Research into Pix use on racehorse varieties Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. and a discussion of ThryvOn™ cotton and its effectiveness in providing season-long protection against tarnished plant bugs and thrips species will be addressed as well.

The conference presentations also will cover plant pathology and herbicide resistance concerns and other issues affecting U.S. cotton. Among them are: • The Biden Administration’s effect on agriculture.

• Farm labor shortages.

• The Endangered Species Act. • Changes in weather patterns and the effects on crops.

• Carbon sequestration at the field level.

• The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® and that sustainability initiative’s enrollment progress.

The BWCC’s 12 cotton technical conferences will feature the second year of the Cotton Sustainability Conference. It will provide findings from current research and updates on emerging technology aimed at elevating U.S. cotton production and processing efficiency. Those sessions will meet concurrently beginning on the morning of Jan. 5 and conclude by noon, Jan. 6. The Sustainability Conference will focus on the Trust Protocol, including multiple panel discussions with many name brands and industry leaders, as well as sustainability experts. That conference also will focus on Field-to-Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and on carbon and organic markets.

The Cotton Engineering-Systems Conference will cover data analytics, robotics, remote sensing and unmanned aerial vehicles, among others. The Quality/Utilization Conference will feature multiple international textile manufacturers discussing their raw cotton needs.

How do attendees register?

■ Those planning to attend the 2022 BWCC are

encouraged to register by clicking on the registration tab at the BWCC home page, www.cotton. org/beltwide/. The home page also includes links to more information about the forum, including housing reservations. Registration costs for the 2022 BWCC before Dec. 16 are: • $200 for NCC/Cotton Foundation members, university and USDA researchers, Extension personnel, associations and consultants.

• $500 for non-U.S. research, Extension, associations and consultants.

• $400 for non-NCC/Foundation members.

• $80 for students.

On-site conference self-registration kiosks will be available 24 hours a day starting on the evening of Jan. 3. Beginning on the morning of Jan. 4, NCC staff will be available for attendees needing assistance with registration and name badge printing.

Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

NOVEMBER 2021 | COTTON FARMING

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CCOY Cotton Consultant of the Year established 1981

Drake Perrow 2020 CCOY AWARD RECIPIENT

Last year, South Carolina crop consultant Drake Perrow, sole owner of Crop Companions Inc., was selected by his peers as the 2020 Cotton Consultant of the Year.

He tells his scouts, “Always look for the unusual, then investigate. Look at more of the field than you normally do. Having a producer’s cotton crop in your hands is a big responsibility.”

Perrow’s hands-on, look-youin-the-eye approach carries over to relationships with his clients. “I like to visit face to face with each farmer and come up with a decision together,” he says. “I believe if you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen to you. That’s the way I feel about this award.”

Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming 10

COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

Can Ag Aviators And Drones Find Harmony?

O

ne hundred years after airplanes were first used in applying insecticides to crops, a Mississippi State University flight lab is on a mission. It seeks to understand how today’s agricultural aviators can safely share the skies with unmanned aircraft systems. They often are referred to as UAS or drones.

Agricultural aviators treat more than 125 million acres of U.S. cropland each year, according to the National Agricultural Aviation Association. Flying as low as 10 feet off the ground and at speeds up to 140 mph, ag aviators share this low-altitude space with unmanned aircraft systems with greater frequency than other manned aircraft.

“With UAS increasingly populating the skies, it’s in everyone’s interest to better understand how these two types of aircraft can safely share airspace,” says Tom Brooks, director of MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory. “We’re synthesizing available ag aviation data to better understand typical flight patterns and tendencies of our ag fliers. We plan to integrate this data with existing predictive models that will account for this vital aspect of aviation in developing safe integration of UAS into the national airspace system.”

Unmanned aircraft systems already aid emergency officials with disaster relief operations and support ag efforts and environmental assessments. Full integration into the national airspace system would enable them to operate with manned aircraft safely and regularly during emergency and non-emergency operations, while using many of the same air traffic management systems and procedures. By law, UAS must give the rightof-way to manned aircraft.

Low-Altitude Data Collection

Agricultural aviation appears, in some ways, to be an understudied aspect of aviation, according to Raspet researchers.

For example, topographical obstacles, the curvature of the earth and the positioning of radars at airport terminals limit radar-provided information on low-flying agricultural aircraft. A widely used national database provides radar information for flights as low as 1,000 feet, but

many agricultural aviators spend much of their time at heights 500 feet and lower.

For its analysis, Raspet has drawn from some 35,000 individual flight data logs of ag aviators via the NAAA and the Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Association. Data from 20 states is included, and Raspet researchers have worked to analyze regional trends.

“Most of this low-altitude data is below what the major radar networks are able to cover,” says Kyle Ryker, a Raspet research engineer who co-leads the effort with Madison Dixon, a UAS program manager.

“We can fill in some of these gaps.”

The data includes ag aircrafts’ climb and descent rates, spray and cruise speeds and turning radii. Having a documented understanding of ag aviation operations allows for better training of UAS operators who fly in rural areas and are more likely to encounter ag aviators, Dixon says.

“Aerial applications are labor intensive,” says Andrew D. Moore, NAAA CEO. “Ag pilots are looking for ground-affixed obstacles and trying to ensure precise, targeted applications. Studies have shown it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for manned aircraft pilots to see UAS. The National Agricultural Aviation Association appreciates the MSU flight lab’s efforts to ensure the safety of manned agricultural aircraft as UAS traffic increases.”

Win-Win For Both Groups

“Our work involves normalization of the ag aviator dataset to make it compatible with existing airspace characterization tools,” Ryker says. “This will ensure full visibility and awareness of this unique segment of aviation operations.”

Technological advancements in agriculture and aviation since the Aug. 3, 1921, flight to dispatch sphinx moth caterpillars from a Catalpa tree crop in Troy, Ohio, are nearly unimaginable.

“Mississippi State is well positioned to help each of these sectors understand the needs and concerns of the other and to provide regulators with the necessary data to ensure both groups excel,” Brooks says.

MSU provided this article.

COTTONFARMING.COM

SOUTHERN PLAINS REPORT

West Texas Producers Embrace On-Farm Research

R

esearch has long been an anchor that helps cotton producers achieve high production and profitability in their operations.

Likewise, ag research is at the core of Cotton Incorporated’s mission. The collaboration between scientists and growers participating in on-farm research creates a unique opportunity for both parties to work together, answer tough management questions and implement new technologies, while still striving for gains in production and profitability.

For the purposes of this regional update, I will highlight two exciting Cotton Incorporated-funded on-farm research projects happening in the West Texas region.

Martin County Project

This multi-institutional collaboration is between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cropping Systems Research Laboratory and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Established in fall 2019 with five area growers, it is funded by Cotton Incorporated. The project focuses on how cover crops could be a viable tool for this area, and how they could affect production, water use, fertility, wind erosion and economics.

Researchers hypothesized that the main advantages to cover cropping in this region would be soil stabilization to prevent wind erosion and seedling protection from sand abrasion. The region receives about 17 inches of rain annually, with 10 inches falling between April and From leftt: Rakesh Singh (India), Pawan Devkota (Nepal), producer Jeremy Brown (Brownfield, Texas), Taiwo Osoko (Nigeria) and front, Dr. Natasja van Gestel (Texas Tech) gather in one of Brown’s fields to conduct Cotton Incorporated-funded research with the Citizen-Scientists Microbiology Project.

SHELLEY HEINRICH

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

With two years of information collected, Dr. Paxton Payton, a plant physiologist at the Cropping Systems Research Laboratory in Lubbock, Texas, says, “The preliminary data for rain-use efficiency suggests a significant increase in rain infiltration in the conservation tillage fields with cover crops compared to the conventional fields.

“Additionally, plant water extraction patterns show that conservation tillage plants have deeper roots and extract water at twice the depth of conventional tillage plants. While the 2021 crop is not yet harvested, it is expected the increased moisture extraction will be reflected in yield.”

Citizen-Scientists Microbiology

BY SHELLEY HEINRICH LUBBOCK, TEXAS

October during the cotton growing season. Since the cover crop is established after cotton is harvested, the research included moisture amounts needed to establish a viable cover crop. The research also studied the effect on the following cover crop year’s establishment with minimal rainfall from November to March.

Two large field-scale experiments were placed on each of the five fields.

One field consisted of cover crop and no-till. The other field was conventional tillage used in the region. Each field was equipped with new soil moisture sensors to track water infiltration and crop use, as well as infrared plant canopy temperature sensors to track plant stress and crop responses to rainfall.

The systems provided a continuous stream of information about soil and crop water status and climate conditions via farm-specific webpages. These links could be accessed by both the participating growers and the researchers.

With Cotton Incorporated funding and the expertise of Dr. Natasja van Gestel, assistant professor of biological sciences at Texas Tech University and her team, 20 West Texas cotton fields have been equipped with moisture sensing and temperature sensing technology. These tools provide farm-specific data.

During specific intervals throughout the season, soil samples are taken from precise locations within each field and evaluated. Researchers are looking at the effects of moisture, fertility and microbial activity during preplant, in season and post harvest in various production operations and tillage practices and at what depth they are most active.

About 20 fields have been scouted for the 2021 season, and data is currently being evaluated. Participating growers have seen preliminary results from each individual soil sample and look forward to evaluating the 2021 results. “With the growing season starting hot and dry and turning wetter than average, the results are expected to be dramatically different than in previous years,” Gestel says.

For both projects, growers in West Texas are actively participating on the farm to gain a better understanding of improving production practices for their area. Scientists are engaged in learning more about the effects of these practices.

Both segments are gaining knowledge to increase the profitably and the sustainability of the crop for today and generations to come.

For more information on Cotton Incorporated-funded on-farm research in your area, contact your Cotton Board regional communication manager.

Shelley Heinrich is the Cotton Board Southern Plains regional communication manager.

Email her at sheinrich@cottonboard.org.

NOVEMBER 2021 | COTTON FARMING

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2022

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

Yield, Quality And Traits

T

he menu of cotton varieties from which to choose in 2022 includes a host of high-yielding, good quality selections.

To help you get started, seed companies from across the Cotton Belt provided information about their headliners on pages 8-13 in the annual Seed Variety Guide published

Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length

by Cotton Farming magazine. Discuss priorities with your consultant and seed representative to match your operation’s needs with these outstanding characteristics and traits. And then place your order for the upcoming 2022 season with confidence.

G/Tex

Comments

Variety data is based on Beltwide testing except for Pima varieties, which are based on testing in California and Arizona. Ratings are based on 2016 to 2020 Deltapine brand research.

DELTAPINE XtendFlex Cotton DP 1909 XF

early

3.6

smooth

38.2

31.3

Good emergence, excellent fiber package, open-boll-type plant with resistance to bacterial blight for the Texas Panhandle.

DP 1822 XF

early-mid

4.3

semi-smooth

38.0

30.4

Good tough-acre performance potential with excellent fiber properties and resistance to bacterial blight. Works well in Texas.

Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Cotton DP 2115 B3XF

early

4.6

semi-smooth

37.5

30.6

Outstanding yield potential demonstrated in 2020 NPE plots with good storm tolerance and easy to manage growth.

DP 2123 B3XF

early-mid

4.4

semi-smooth

36.2

30.4

A DryTough dryland cotton variety for the West Texas market showing strong seedling vigor and ability to perform under heat and drought stress.

DP 2127 B3XF

early-mid

4.7

smooth

36.8

30.4

A top Deltapine-recommended variety showing strong performance across the Cotton Belt with high yield potential in an early to mid-maturity with a lot of indeterminacy.

DP 2141NR B3XF

mid-full

4.7

semi-smooth

38.0

32.8

Bollgard 3 XtendFlex variety showing resistance to both reniform and root-knot nematodes with outstanding yield potential.

DP 2143NR B3XF

mid-full

4.4

semi-smooth

36.6

30.4

Bollgard 3 XtendFlex variety for the Southwest showing resistance to reniform and root-knot nematodes and moderate tolerance to Verticillium wilt.

DP 2012 B3XF

early

4.3

smooth

38.3

30.6

Yield potential and fiber quality like DP 1646 B2XF in an early maturity with bacterial blight resistance.

DP 2020 B3XF

early-mid

4.3

semi-smooth

38.8

30.9

Broadly adapted, offering high yield potential and excellent fiber qualities with bacterial blight resistance.

DP 2022 B3XF

early-mid

4.3

semi-smooth

37.7

30.3

Bred for the Northern High Plains, with good seedling vigor and bacterial blight resistance.

DP 2038 B3XF

mid

4.5

semi-smooth

38.8

32.5

Outstanding yield potential, good fiber quality with bacterial blight resistance and broadly adapted.

DP 2044 B3XF

mid

3.6

semi-smooth

38.8

32.5

Bred for the dryland fields in West Texas, offering excellent seedling vigor and bacterial blight resistance.

DP 2055 B3XF

full

4.5

smooth

39.5

30.7

Adapted for full-season markets across the Cotton Belt with high yield potential and outstanding fiber quality potential.

DP 1908 B3XF

early

3.4

smooth

38.4

31.6

Excellent fiber length and good fiber length, above-average emergence with resistance to bacterial blight for the Texas Panhandle.

DP 1948 B3XF

mid-full

4.2

semi-smooth

39.0

31.2

Yield potential on par with DP 1646 B2XF with an excellent fiber package adapted to South Texas and the South Rolling Plains.

DP 1820 B3XF

early-mid

4.0-4.5

semi-smooth

39.0

30.6-32.7

Excellent fiber length, micronaire and strength, plus resistance to bacterial blight.

Works well in West Texas, the Upper Mid-South and the Southeast.

New varieties for 2022 in blue

12

COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

COTTONFARMING.COM

Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length

G/Tex

Comments

DELTAPINE (continued) DP 1840 B3XF

mid-full

4.0

smooth

39.0-39.2

30.7

Comparable to DP 1538 B2XF, with potential fiber quality advantage over DP 1725 B2XF and bacterial blight resistance. Works well in the Southeast and Carolinas.

DP 1845 B3XF

mid-full

3.8-4.2

semi-smooth

39.5-40.4

30.1-32.4

Yield potential similar (in Texas) to DP 1646 B2XF and fiber length equal to DP 1646 B2XF. Works well in Texas and the Lower Mid-South.

DP 1851 B3XF

full

4.6

smooth

38.4

31.8

Excellent combination of yield and fiber quality potential. Best fit in the Lower MidSouth, Carolinas and Southeast.

Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton DP 1823NR B2XF

early-mid

4.1

semi-smooth

37.8

30.1

Root-knot nematode-resistant variety with excellent fiber quality, staple and strength as well as low micronaire. Works well in the Upper Mid-South.

DP 1725 B2XF

early-mid

4.1-4.5

semi-smooth

35.5-39.9

29.1-30.9

Early to mid-maturity variety. Broad fit in Mid-South, Southeast and South Texas.

Easy to manage with PGRs. Lower micronaire to avoid high-micronaire discounts.

DP 1612 B2XF

early

4.3-4.6

light-hairy

36.3-37.5

30.3-33.1

Early maturity variety with excellent fiber quality potential and seedling vigor.

DP 1646 B2XF

mid-full

4.1-4.5

smooth

37.7-39.4

29.2-31.1

Mid- to full-maturity variety with a broad fit across full-season environments.

Excellent yield potential and fiber properties.

DP 1518 B2XF

early

4.0-4.3

light-hairy

36.6-37.1

28.6-30.6

Early maturity variety that is adapted to high-yield, short-season environments.

Responds to irrigation, high-end management and PGR applications.

DP 1522 B2XF

early-mid

4.3-4.9

semi-smooth

35.5-37.2

29.8-32.2

Early to mid-maturity variety with good yield and fiber quality potential.

Aggressive growth will require timely PGR management.

DP 1549 B2XF

full

3.9-4.4

semi-smooth

35.1-36.7

29.5-31.4

Full-season variety with performance potential on par with DP 1044 B2RF, especially on dryland fields and fields with limited water for irrigation.

DP 341RF Pima

mid

4.3

hairy

50

44.0

Earlier maturity Roundup Ready Flex Pima variety with Fusarium Race 4 tolerance. Widely adapted to Far West Texas, New Mexico and California Pima growing regions.

DP 347RF Pima

mid-full

4.60

hairy

50

44.0

Roundup Ready Flex Pima variety with great combination of yield potential and Pima quality. Has shown excellent tolerance to Fusarium Race 4.

DP 359RF Pima

mid-full

4.40

hairy

50

45.8

Mid-full maturity Roundup Ready Flex Pima variety with outstanding vigor, Fusarium Race 4 tolerance and excellent Pima fiber quality.

DP 348 RF Pima

mid-full

4.2

hairy

48.0

42.8

Roundup Ready Flex Pima variety with a great combination of yield potential and Pima quality. Has shown excellent tolerance to Fusarium Race 4.

Pima Cotton

PHYTOGEN Upland PHY 332 W3FE

early-mid

4.3

semi-smooth

39

32.7

High-yielding, broadly adapted variety featuring the Enlist cotton trait and WideStrike 3 Insect Protection. Early to mid-maturity with superb fiber quality, including lower micronaire. BB, RKN and REN resistant.

PHY 340 W3FE

early-mid

4.2

light-hairy

1.17/37

31.5

Early to mid-maturing variety featuring the Enlist cotton trait and WideStrike 3 Insect Protection. Superior yields with excellent fiber quality, lower micronaire.

PHY 350 W3FE

early-mid

4.6

semi-smooth

1.18/37

31.9

High root-knot nematode resistance. Broad adaptation across the Cotton Belt.

PHY 360 W3FE

early-mid

4.5

semi-smooth

1.17/37

30.1

High-yielding W3FE variety with PhytoGen Breeding Traits for RKN resistance and bacterial blight resistance.

PHY 390 W3FE

early-mid

4.4

semi-smooth

1.18/38

32.1

High-yielding, mid-maturing variety adapted to the South Delta featuring the Enlist cotton trait, WideStrike 3 Insect Protection with bacterial blight and twogene RKN resistance. Excellent seedling vigor.

PHY 400 W3FE

mid

4.3

semi-smooth

37-38

31.5-32.1

Mid-maturing, medium height, semi-smooth leaf variety with PhytoGen Breeding Traits for bacterial blight and RKN resistance. This top-yielder fits and performs well on both irrigated and nonirrigated land and responds very well to plant growth regulators. Very manageable and responds well to higher inputs and productive soils. Excellent seedling vigor.

PHY 443 W3FE

mid

4.5

semi-smooth

1.16/37

33.7

High-yielding, mid-maturing variety featuring the Enlist cotton trait and WideStrike 3 Insect Protection. PhytoGen Breeding Traits for resistance to bacterial blight and both reniform and RKN nematodes.

PHY 480 W3FE

mid

4.1

semi-smooth

37

32.4

Industry-leading RKN resistance in mid-maturing W3FE variety with very good fiber quality and yield stability.

PHY 500 W3FE

mid-full

4.5

smooth

1.16/37

31.7

One of the most consistent varieties available. Broad adaptation, fits across a wide range of soil types from the Mid-Atlantic to the Southeast and across West Texas.

Top-yielder with excellent fiber characteristics, including micronaire, strength and staple. PhytoGen Breeding Traits include bacterial blight and RKN resistance.

PHY 545 W3FE

full

4.8

semi-smooth

1.10/35

31.3

Aggressive growing full-season variety adapted to the lower Southeast. Features the Enlist cotton trait and WideStrike 3 Insect Protection. PhytoGen Breeding Traits include bacterial blight and RKN resistance.

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Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length

G/Tex

Comments

PHYTOGEN (continued) PHY 580 W3FE

full

4.5

semi-smooth

1.14/36

31.7

Superior yield potential with excellent fiber quality. Full-season variety featuring the Enlist cotton trait and WideStrike 3 Insect Protection. PhytoGen Breeding Traits include bacterial blight and RKN resistance. Adapted to Mid-South and Southeast.

Southwest Plains Upland PHY 205 W3FE

very early

4.4

semi-smooth

35.2

30.1

Very early, short-statured plant broadly adapted across north and south of Lubbock. Responds well under moderate-to-good water. Loaded with yield protection traits against bacterial blight, RKN, reniform, Verticillium wilt, and is a Roundup Ready Flex, glufosinate tolerant Enlist variety.

PHY 210 W3FE

early

4.2

smooth

36.8

30.6

Early maturity. Excellent storm tolerance and excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance.

PHY 250 W3FE

early

4.1

smooth

37.1

30.2

High-yield potential, early maturing W3FE variety selected for the Northern High Plains for its storm tolerance, earliness and consistency. Stable micronaire.

Excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance and smooth leaves.

PHY 300 W3FE

early-mid

4.1

semi-smooth

36.2

29.4

Broadly adapted, early to mid-maturing W3FE variety with outstanding yield potential from dryland to good irrigation capacities. Has excellent storm tolerance and semi-smooth leaves. Resistant to bacterial blight; Verticillium wilt tolerance.

PHY 332 W3FE

early-mid

4.2

semi-smooth

37.4

30.5

Early mid-maturing, with full yield protection package, offering bacterial blight resistance and both RKN and reniform nematode resistance with high fiber strength and good Verticillium wilt tolerance.

PHY 350 W3FE

early-mid

4.2

semi-smooth

36.8

29.4

Early to mid-maturing, highly RKN-resistant variety with broad adaptation and excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance.

PHY 394 W3FE

early-mid

3.9

semi-smooth

37.8

29.3

Excellent seedling vigor and excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance. Resistant to bacterial blight and RKN. Broadly adapted, and responds to moderate to good water.

PHY 400 W3FE

early-mid

4.1

semi-smooth

36.5

30.2

Mid-maturing, medium-height, semi-smooth leaf variety with PhytoGen Breeding Traits for bacterial blight and RKN resistance. This top-yielder fits and performs well on irrigated and nonirrigated land. Responds very well to PGRs. Very manageable. Responds well to higher inputs and productive soils. Excellent seedling vigor.

PHY 443 W3FE

mid

4.4

semi-smooth

36.2

31.0

Roudup Ready Flex variety with Glufosinate Tolerance and Enlist. Broadly adapted in dryland to good water. Bacterial blight, RKN and reniform resistant.

PHY 480 W3FE

mid

4.1

semi-smooth

36.8

30.0

Industry leading RKN resistance in mid-maturing W3FE variety with very good fiber quality and yield stability.

PHY 545 W3FE

mid-full

4.3

semi-smooth

35.5

29.8

Broadly adapted in dryland to good water. BB and RKN resistant. Strong W3FE variety that fits well south of Lubbock, Rolling Plains and Oklahoma.

mid

4.2

semi-smooth

1.22/38

36.5

Broadly adapted Acala variety with exceptional yield potential and staple length.

Featuring WideStrike 3 Insect Protection.

PHY 807 RF

mid

4.5

semi-hairy

1.47/46

47.8

Excellent yielding Pima variety that provides superior quality. Roundup Ready Flex and tolerant to Fusarium Race 4.

PHY 881 RF

mid

4.5

semi-hairy

1.49/48

46.2

Broadly adapted, medium to full statured. High-yield potential with the ability to yield up to 9% higher than PHY 805 RF. Tolerant to Fusarium Race 4.

Acala PHY 764 WRF

Pima

ARMOR SEED Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton ARMOR 3475 B2XF

early

4.5-4.8

semi-smooth

37-39

29-30

Fits short-season environments, dryland and irrigated. Excellent seedling emergence, early season vigor. May require PGRs in short-season environments. Not recommended for high Verticillium wilt acres. Avg. seed size: 4,700 seeds/lb.

ARMOR 3885 B2XF

full

4.3-4.5

smooth

36-38

29-30

Broadly adaptated to full-season environments. Use aggressive, early PGR management. Best adapted to lighter and mixed soils. Avg. seed size: 5,600 seeds/lb.

Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Cotton ARMOR 9210 B3XF

early-mid

4.5-4.8

smooth

37-38

30-32

Fits dryland, irrigated. Very good emergence, early season vigor. Bacterial blight resistance, Verticillium wilt tolerance. Moderately responsive to PGRs. Excellent fiber package, outstanding yield performance. Avg. seed size: 5,100 seeds/lb.

ARMOR 9608 B3XF

mid

4.5-4.6

semi-smooth

36-38

29-32

High yield potential. Fits Southeast, Mid-South, South Texas. Use moderate PGR levels. Best suited to loam, heavier soils. Avg. seed size: 5,400 seeds/lb.

ARMOR 9371 B3XF

early-mid

4.5-4.6

semi-smooth

37-38

31-34

Broad-acre fit product. Very good emergence and early season vigor. High yield potential across all environments, packaged with excellent fiber.

ARMOR 9831 B3XF

full

4.5-4.6

semi-smooth

37-38

31-32

Excellent yield and fiber. Outstanding performance on light to sandy soils. Very good early season emergence and vigor. Responds well to PGRs. Very good defensive package including bacterial blight resistance.

New varieties for 2022 in blue

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Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length

G/Tex

Comments

NEXGEN Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Cotton NG 2982 B3XF

early

4.0 - 4.2

semi-smooth

36 - 37

31 - 33

Early, short, compact variety that packs a tremendous yield punch. Extremely stormproof and easy to manage. Very well adapted for the Plains of Texas to Kansas.

NG 3195 B3XF

early-mid

4.3 -4.5

smooth

36 - 37

30 - 31

New for 2021! Early-mid variety offering with good heat tolerance and consistent performance. High yield potential and high turnout.

NG 3930 B3XF

early-mid

4.1 - 4.5

semi-smooth

37 - 38

29 - 30

Widely adapted early-mid maturing variety with a great disease package. Excels on most soil types in dryland or limited water scenarios.

NG 3956 B3XF

early-mid

4.3 - 4.7

semi-smooth

36 - 37

30 - 31

Early-mid stripper cotton ideal for Plains of Texas to Kansas. Unsurpassed storm tolerance and best-in-class seedling vigor!

NG 4098 B3XF

medium

4.3 - 4.5

semi-smooth

38 - 39

33 - 35

Outstanding staple and overall fiber quality! Widely adapted and very easily managed. Excellent heat tolerance and very good disease package to protect yield potential.

NG 4190 B3XF

medium

4.2 - 4.5

smooth

37 - 38

29 - 30

New for 2021! Excellent yield potential and fiber quality on both dryland and irrigated acres. This variety is sure to have a fit in multiple regions across the Belt!

NG 4936 B3XF

medium

4.1 - 4.5

smooth

37 - 39

29 - 31

Top-end yield potential with an excellent fiber package. Performs very well anywhere a medium-maturity variety is prefered across the Cotton Belt.

NG 5150 B3XF

mid-full

4.3 - 4.5

smooth

37 - 38

29 - 30

New for 2021! With excellent heat tolerance, this variety is broadly adapted and will perform well where medium- to full-maturing varieties are preferred.

NG 5711 B3XF

mid-full

4.1 - 4.5

smooth

37 - 39

30 - 32

High yield and outstanding fiber quality variety with best-in-class disease package. Wide adaptability and easy to manage for a growthy plant.

4.4 - 4.6

semi-smooth

36 - 37

29 - 31

Excellent yield and fiber quality. Widely adapted.

Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton NG 3406 B2XF

early-mid

NG 3517 B2XF

early-mid

4.0 - 4.7

smooth

36 - 37

32 - 33

High yield potential and excellent fiber quality.

NG 3522 B2XF

early-mid

4.4 - 4.6

smooth

35 - 36

27 - 28

Proven performer in Southeast and Delta Regions. Extremely tough for maturity class.

NG 3729 B2XF

early-mid

4.4 - 4.6

semi-smooth

37 - 38

30 - 32

Top-end yield potential for the early-mid maturity class broadly adapted across multiple soil types and environments.

NG 4545 B2XF

medium

4.0 - 4.7

smooth

36 - 37

32 - 33

Excellent variety for all scenarios across Texas South Plains and Oklahoma.

Excellent vigor and disease tolerance to Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight.

NG 4777 B2XF

medium

4.0 - 4.7

smooth

37 - 38

32 - 34

Widely adapted and high yielding. Outstanding quality variety and excellent disease package.

NG 5007 B2XF

mid-full

4.3 - 4.6

smooth

36 - 38

28 - 30

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality. Outstanding, consistent performer across the Belt!

NG 3500 XF

early-mid

3.7 - 4.6

smooth

36 - 37

31 - 32

Widely adapted to the Plains of Texas and Southwest Oklahoma. Proven disease tolerance. Yield and quality are reasons growers choose this variety year after year.

NG 4050 XF

medium

4.4 - 4.8

semi-smooth

36 - 38

30 - 31

Medium-maturing XtendFlex-only variety with excellent fiber quality. Well suited for the Plains of Texas. Good stormproof variety that remains tight in the burr and maintains excellent staple length.

NG 4792 XF

medium

3.7 - 4.6

smooth

36 - 37

32 - 33

Widely adapted to South and Rolling Plains of Texas in an indeterminate variety.

Outstanding disease package.

4.5 - 4.9

smooth

37 - 39

36 - 38

University of Arkansas variety. Exceptional fiber quality with yield potential to match in a conventional variety.

XtendFlex Cotton

Americot Conventional Cotton AM UA48

early

SEED SOURCE GENETICS Conventional Cotton SSG UA 107

early

4.5-4.9

smooth

35-39

30-33

Tall plant, widely adapted. Disease resistance: bacterial blight, Fusarium wilt.

Tolerant to Verticillium wilt and tarnished plant bugs. Good supply in 2022.

SSG UA 114

early

4.5-4.9

medium-hairy

35-39

30-33

Widely adapted. Disease resistance: bacterial blight, Fusarium wilt. Tolerant to Verticillium wilt and tarnished plant bugs. Good supply in 2022.

SSG HQ210CT

mid-early

4.5-4.8

smooth

35-37

28-30

Smooth-leaf picker type.

SSG UA 222

mid-early

4.0-4.5

semi-smooth

36-39

29-33

Widely adapted, high-yielding picker type. Disease resistance: bacterial blight, Fusarium wilt. Tolerant to Verticillium wilt and tarnished plant bugs.

SSG UA 248

early

4.62

slightly hairy

36-39

33.2

SSG UA 248 yielded 1,095 lbs/A compared to the yield of SSG UA 48 of 997 lbs/A at four sites in Arkansas — a 10% increase. This equals about $55 per acre at a lint price of 55 cents per pound.

New varieties for 2022 in blue

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Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length

G/Tex

Comments

FM 1621GL

early

4.4

semi-hairy

1.13

30.3

Fits High Plains areas. Excellent yield, high gin turnout. Root-knot nematode tolerance, bacterial blight resistance.

FM 1730GLTP

early-mid

4.2

semi-smooth

1.15

31.6

New variety for the Southwest with very good root-knot nematode and Verticillim wilt tolerance. Additionally, variety is resistant to bacterial blight and three-gene lepidopteran resistance, decreasing the likelihood for needing additional worm control. Advantages also include an excellent fiber package and high gin turnout.

FM 1830GLT

early-mid

4.1

smooth

1.20

30.9

Consistent high performance in the Western Cotton Belt. Excellent disease package delivers very good Verticillium wilt tolerance and resistance to bacterial blight.

Excellent yield potential, high gin turnout, outstanding fiber package and two-gene worm protection.

FM 1888GL

early-mid

3.8

semi-smooth

1.16

30.2

High-yield option with only the herbicide traits growers need. Resists bacterial blight. Tolerates storms to deliver outstanding yield potential, high gin turnout.

FM 1911GLT

early-mid

3.7

semi-smooth

1.16

29.5

Surpasses parent FM 2011GT with a broad-spectrum disease package. Bacterial blight resistance. Very good tolerance to root-knot nematode and Verticillium wilt.

Flexible in-season weed control and two-gene worm protection.

FM 1953GLTP

early-mid

4.1

semi-smooth

1.18

30.9

Consistently delivers excellent yield potential and fiber quality, regardless of the environment. Bred for harsh conditions. Shows good early season vigor, excellent heat tolerance and resistance to bacterial blight. Three-gene lepidopteran resistance, which decreases likelihood of needing additional worm control.

FM 2202GL

mid

4.4

semi-smooth

1.10

31.4

Consistent high yield potential in the Western Cotton Belt. Excellent disease package delivers outstanding Verticillium wilt tolerance and resistance to bacterial blight.

FM 2334GLT

mid

3.8

smooth

1.21

29.8

Good variety for dryland or irrigated production. Performs well under disease pressure. Similar to FM 1830GLT with slightly longer maturity, resistance to bacterial blight and very good tolerance to Verticillium wilt. Two-gene worm protection.

Good tolerance to Fusarium Race 4 in California and the El Paso Valley.

FM 2398GLTP

mid

4.6

semi-smooth

1.14

30.1

Excellent yield and very good fiber quality potential, bacterial blight resistance, very good tolerance to Verticillium wilt. Three-gene lepidopteran resistance, which decreases likelihood of needing additional worm control.

FM 2498GLT

mid

4.5

semi-smooth

1.15

29.7

Excellent yield potential, early season vigor, bacterial blight resistance, very good tolerance to Verticillium wilt, two-gene worm protection and very good fiber quality potential. Adapted to the High Plains, Rolling Plains, Oklahoma, South Texas and East Texas.

FIBERMAX FiberMax Cotton

STONEVILLE Stoneville Cotton ST 4480B3XF

early-mid

4.1

semi-smooth

1.18

31

Adapted to Oklahoma, Kansas, all of West Texas. Early-mid maturity, very good fiber package and good storm tolerance.

ST 4990B3XF

early-mid

4.4

semi-smooth

1.18

30.3

Adapted to the Eastern Cotton Belt, East and South Texas, the Rolling Plains, Oklahoma, the Southern High Plains, New Mexico and the Far West. Early-mid maturity, performs well in high-yielding environments, has a good fiber package and is easy to manage. Three-gene lepidopteran resistance, which decreases likelihood of needing additional worm control.

ST 4993B3XF

early-mid

4.6

semi-smooth

1.14

31.8

Widely adapted variety in the Cotton Belt that is a consistent high yielder. This easy-to-manage variety is resistant to bacterial blight, three-gene lepidopteran resistance, has good storm tolerance and high gin turnout.

ST 5091B3XF

early-mid

4.1

semi-smooth

1.14

28.7

Variety developed for the Eastern Cotton Belt, South and East Texas, and Far West.

This variety is a consistent high yielder, well suited for most soil types, good fiber package, and has three-gene lepidoteran resistance.

ST 5600B2XF

mid-full

4.8

semi-smooth

1.16

31.8

Adapted West Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and the Far West. Mid-full maturity, outstanding yield potential, good fiber package, two-gene worm protection and root-knot nematode resistance.

ST 5707B2XF

mid-full

4.6

semi-smooth

1.16

32.9

Fits West Texas and Eastern New Mexico dryland and limited irrigation production.

Rugged early season vigor, bacterial blight resistance.

ST 4550GLTP

early-mid

4.6

hairy

1.15

32.1

Adapted to the Eastern Cotton Belt, South Texas and East Texas. Early-mid maturity, outstanding yield potential, good fiber package with a medium to tall plant height.

ST 4946GLB2

early-mid

4.2

semi-smooth

1.16

31.2

Excellent choice for fields with root-knot nematode pressure. Variety has very good seedling vigor, high lint percent and two-gene worm protection. Solid performance across the Cotton Belt. Exceptional yield potential for high returns.

New varieties for 2022 in blue

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COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

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Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length

G/Tex

Comments

DYNA-GRO Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton DG 3109 B2XF

very early

4.3-4.7

semi-smooth

1.12-1.14

31-33

Best adapted to short-season environments or late planting. Medium plant height. Best fit on moderate to high irrigation.

DG 3385 B2XF

early

4.3-4.7

semi-smooth

1.11-1.15

29-32

Adapted to Texas, Arizona, Mid-South, Upper Southeast and East Coast. Very good storm tolerance and early season vigor. Very good irrigated or dryland.

Best performance on silt loams. Manage early with plant growth regulators.

DG 3450 B2XF

medium

4.2-4.7

smooth

1.15-1.20

29-34

Bacterial blight resistance with a good fiber package. Excellent storm tolerance.

Best fits West Texas, West Oklahoma and Southwest Kansas.

DG 3544 B2XF

medium

4.5-4.9

smooth

1.15-1.19

30-34

Adapted to Texas and the Southeast. Very good tolerance to Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight. Use in dryland or ample irrigation production systems.

DG 3605 B2XF

mid-full

4.1-4.6

smooth

1.18-1.26

29-32

Best in irrigated river valleys of Texas and Mid-South/Delta. Medium to tall plant type. Good fiber length.

Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Cotton DG 3317 B3XF

early

4.6-4.8

semi-smooth

1.19-1.21

30-31

Best adapted to the Upper Mid-South and Carolina regions. Medium plant height. Irrigated as well as dryland performance.

DG 3387 B3XF

early

4.3-4.5

smooth

1.15-1.17

27-29

Best adapted to West Texas and Oklahoma. Medium-short plant with good fiber quality and seedling vigor. Excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance, bacterial blight resistance and root-knot nematode tolerance.

DG 3402 B3XF

early-mid

4.0-4.4

smooth

1.21-1.23

30-31

Broadly adaptable to Texas and the Southeast. Excellent seedling vigor and fiber quality with bacterial blight resistance. Excellent storm tolerance.

DG 3421 B3XF

early-mid

3.9-4.3

semi-smooth

1.19-1.23

29-31

Root-knot nematode and reniform nematode tolerance. Broadly adapted to Texas and the Southeast. Good fiber quality with excellent storm tolerance.

DG 3422 B3XF

early-mid

4.0-4.2

semi-smooth

1.15-1.17

29-31

Root-knot nematode and reniform nematode tolerance. Broadly adapted to Texas and the Southeast. Above average Verticillium wilt tolerance and Race 4 Fusarium wilt tolerance. Good fiber quality with excellent storm tolerance.

DG 3427 B3XF

early-mid

4.4-4.7

semi-smooth

1.15-1.17

30-31

Responds best in the Delta, Coastal Plains and Carolina environments. Medium to tall plant height. Aggressive PGR management recommended.

DG 3456 B3XF

early-mid

4.4-4.7

smooth

1.14-1.17

27-28

Broadly adapted across the Cotton Belt. Medium plant height with a solid fiber package. Aggressive PGR management recommended.

DG 3469 B3XF

early-mid

4.3-4.6

smooth

1.14-1.17

30-31

Best adapted to West Texas and Oklahoma. Medium plant height with good fiber quality and excellent seedling vigor. Provides Verticillium wilt tolerance and bacterial blight resistance.

DG 3470 B3XF

early-mid

4.6-4.8

semi-smooth

1.16-1.19

30-31

B3XF version of DG 2570 B2RF. Broadly adapted across U.S. Southern Cotton Belt.

Medium to tall plant height. Very good seedling vigor.

DG 3520 B3XF

medium

3.9-4.1

semi-smooth

1.21-1.23

31-32

Fits Lower Carolinas, Delta and Texas areas. Medium plant height with bacterial blight resistance. Excellent storm tolerance.

DG 3535 B3XF

medium

4.6-4.8

semi-smooth

1.16-1.18

28-30

Broadly adapted across the Cotton Belt. Outstanding performance on both irrigated and dryland ground. Medium plant height with a good fiber package.

Aggressive PGR management recommended.

DG 3555 B3XF

medium

3.8-4.2

semi-smooth

1.28-1.30

30-32

Adapted to Texas and the Delta. Excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance and bacterial blight resistance. Excellent fiber quality and seedling vigor.

DG 3570 B3XF

medium

4.3-4.6

semi-smooth

1.16-1.19

29-31

B3XF version of DG 2570 B2RF. Broadly adapted across U.S. Southern Cotton Belt on irrigated as well as dryland acres. Medium to tall plant height. Very good seedling vigor.

DG 3615 B3XF

mid-full

4.2-4.5

smooth

1.17-1.23

31-33

Excellent seedling vigor and storm tolerance combined with Verticillium wilt tolerance and bacterial blight resistance. Adapted to Texas, Delta and Southeast environments.

DG 3644 B3XF

mid-full

4.3-4.6

smooth

1.16-1.20

30-32

Best grown in the Delta region. Medium-tall plant type that should be managed aggressively with PGRs. Root-knot and reniform nematode resistant.

DG 3799 B3XF

full

4.5-4.7

smooth

1.15-1.20

31-33

Best grown in Lower Southeast and Delta regions. Very full-season maturity.

Bacterial blight resistance and Verticillium wilt tolerance. Manage tall plant type aggressively with PGRs. Very good fiber strength and good length.

DG H929 B3XF

early

4.2-4.5

semi-smooth

1.13-1.16

30-31

Enhanced with Halo salt tolerance. Adapted to West Texas and similar environments with saline soil types. Good storm tolerance with bacterial blight resistance and good Verticillium wilt tolerance.

DG H959 B3XF

medium

4.2-4.5

semi-smooth

1.16-1.20

30-32

Enhanced with Halo salt tolerance. Good seedling vigor. Adapted to Southern Cotton Belt and the Carolinas. Good storm tolerance with bacterial blight resistance and good Verticillium wilt tolerance.

4.1-4.4

smooth

1.17-1.20

30-32

Best fit in the Delta Coastal Plains and Carolina environments. Medium plant height with a smooth leaf. Excellent fiber quality, seedling vigor and storm tolerance. Offers bacterial blight resistance and Verticillium wilt tolerance.

GlyTol LibertyLink TwinLinkPlus DG 1464 GLTP

early-mid

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2022 Cotton Consultants’ Conference Meeting Offers A Diverse Lineup Of Pest Management And Production-Related Topics

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

S

an Antonio, Texas, is the destination city for the Beltwide Cotton Conferences Jan. 4-6, 2022. The Cotton Consultants’ Conference will be held Tuesday, Jan. 4, noon-6 p.m., for all registered attendees.

The consultants’ meeting will provide technical pest management and production-related updates from industry experts. Some of the topics include:  New varieties.  Herbicide resistance.  U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.  Cotton maturities and management across the Belt.  PGR research with racehorse varieties.  Where do we go after Bt?  Farm labor shortages.  Pathology.

Here is a sneak peek of what to expect during the half-day conference.

Plant Growth Regulators

Jay Mahaffey, the manager at Bayer’s Scott Learning Center, will discuss tools available to manage cotton growth. He says varieties are “better energy factories than they used to be.”

The variety evolution over the past 25 years has resulted in increased turnout, fruit retention and retained/harvested fruit due to shifts in their ability to hold and support more fruit.

“This comes with a cost in management,” Mahaffey says. “It puts an emphasis on variety placement, seeding population and appropriate mepiquat chloride (plant growth regulator) use.

“Only by understanding the growth habit of varieties can we deploy those tools appropriately, along with scouting and management, to help produce the best crop possible. It’s a system we are learning more about every season.

“The primary subject of my talk will be ‘What is the risk associated with managing a variety that has a reasonably well understood growth habit?’ It will be a

18

COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

general conversation only using Deltapine varieties as an example but is not intended to be a commercial.

“I also will review an analysis of 11 years of plant growth regulator data collected from a consistent protocol conducted at the Learning Center. Last winter, I suddenly realized we had a unique data set that could illuminate some of these subjects.”

CLRDV Update

Another topic of interest that will be addressed at the Cotton Consultants’ Conference is cotton leafroll dwarf virus.

The disease was first reported in Alabama in 2017 and has since infected cotton in several other Southern states.

Information sharing among experts has been important to help accurately identify symptoms and determine what level of yield reduction the disease can cause.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions, but every year the knowledge base grows.

During the consultants’ conference, speakers will discuss how understanding the genetic diversity of viruses and other pathogens may help in developing management strategies for CLRDV. Alabama cotton specialist Steve M. Brown will comment on the distribution of CLRDV across the Cotton Belt, effect on yields and on-going research.

“There is an effort to observe and quantify CLRDV,” he says. “Scientists across the Cotton Belt — Texas and east — have participated in a sentinel plot program.

Several entomologists have explored the possibility of affecting infection by aphid management.”

This portion of the Cotton Consultants’ Conference provides a good opportunity to get caught up on the latest information about CLRDV going into the 2022 growing season.

Please visit www.cotton.org/beltwide/ to access the preliminary program and CEU information.

COTTONFARMING.COM

University Of Arkansas Names First Endowed Chair In Soil Fertility Research Position Is Funded By $2 Million From State Fertilizer Tonnage Fees

BY FRED MILLER

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Quality In, Quality Out

Jayroe says Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station research provides the most accurate and up-to-date fertilizer recommendations in the United States.

“I don’t think any other university system in the country is doing the quantity and quality of research that is done by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture,” he says. “And the research here is continuously backed up by years of verification trials all over the state.

“Arkansas farmers can know exactly the nutrient requirements for their fields, for their crops, wherever they are located. That saves money, protects the environment and provides the best possible chance of success for their crops.

“It’s hard to hold on to good people, and someone like Trent is in high demand,” says Jayroe, citing Roberts’ expertise in soil fertility. “He does a lot of research at the Division of Agriculture’s research locations all over the state and

20

COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

FRED MILLER

T

he University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has appointed Trent Roberts the endowed chair in soil fertility research. He is an associate professor of soil fertility and testing for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and a soil specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service.

The new chair is endowed by a $2 million Soil Testing and Research Fund established by the University of Arkansas System and financed by money from Arkansas fertilizer tonnage fees collected by the State Plant Board, says Larry Jayroe of Forrest City, chair of the Arkansas Soil Test Review Board.

A portion of the tonnage fees is allotted to the Division of Agriculture for its soil test lab in Marianna and for experiment station soil fertility research. The Soil Test Review Board oversees distribution of those funds.

Trent Roberts, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture associate professor of soil fertility and soil testing, has been named holder of the endowed chair in soil fertility research.

Mariana Soil Test Laboratory • Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 8 Lee Rd. 214, Mariana, Arkansas.

• New web address: https://uasoiltest. uada.edu.

• COVID–19 update: Contact the laboratory if you are delivering a large number of samples (870-295-2851). There will be a sign-in sheet and drop-off container in the back near the receiving door. Make sure your samples have been logged into our system before dropping them off. Visit the website to check for any current updates before coming to the lab.

• Closed Thursday, Nov. 25, and Friday, Nov. 26, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Reopens Monday, Nov. 29, at 8 a.m.

also works on-farm with Arkansas growers. One of the reasons for this endowed chair is to keep good, quality people like Trent working for Arkansas agriculture and to provide them the resources they need to keep up the good work.”

Mark Cochran, who recently retired as

VP – agriculture for the U of A System, says the endowed chair demonstrates the valued partnership between Arkansas’ ag industries and the Division of Agriculture.

“The Soil Test Review Board is a partnership of Division of Agriculture personnel, farmers and agricultural businesspeople that supports the Agricultural Experiment Station soil testing and research upon which Arkansas agriculture depends,” he says.

“Establishing this endowed chair is a recognition of that partnership and demonstrates the degree to which the division’s contributions to Arkansas agriculture are valued. It demonstrates the significance of the division’s soil fertility research to Arkansas’ agricultural economy, helping to keep our state in the top third overall for U.S. agricultural production year after year.

“These endowed chairs are extremely important to recruit and retain the world class scientists that the state depends upon and deserves.”

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Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president – agriculture and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, says, “Dr. Roberts is highly deserving of holding the first soil chair in the Division of Agriculture’s history. The work he’s doing continues a long tradition of research and verification that have helped make Arkansas the No. 1 producer in the nation for rice, No. 4 for cotton, and No. 11 for soybeans.

“We greatly appreciate the farmers and agricultural businesses who pay the tonnage fees because they know that money comes back to them in new knowledge and technology that makes their farms more sustainable and profitable,” Meullenet says. “And we are grateful to the Soil Test Review Board for establishing the endowed chair in soil fertility research that will help ensure we continue a proven track record of research and service to Arkansas.

Chair In Motion

“This endowment shows support and faith in our program and allows us to continue the success,” Roberts says.

Advancing soil fertility management will depend on using nutrients in the most efficient manner. The endowment will provide resources to take soil fertility research in new directions.

“It allows us to investigate new technologies in soil testing, some of which may be pivotal developments for Arkansas agriculture,” he says.

22

COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

FRED MILLER

Trent Roberts, U of A associate professor of soil fertility and soil testing, and graduate assistant Carrie Ortel, examine soybean plants for signs of nutrient deficiency.

“It’s hard to hold on to good people, and someone like Trent is in high demand.”

LARRY JAYROE

“A lot of our research focuses on developing new tools that help us measure soil fertility and manage it more efficiently.

That includes things like in-season tissue tests and new methods that help us make sure that nutrient deficiency isn’t limiting crop productivity.”

The endowment funds also permit flexibility to investigate new research technologies.

Roberts says, “We’ll be able to see how technologies like X-ray fluorescence or X-ray diffraction may allow us to examine the chemical makeup of solid materials like plants and soils. These may give us a timelier way to make fertilizer application decisions, but they are untested for these applications.”

Agricultural production is a big, beautiful puzzle with lots of pieces, Roberts says. “Irrigation, pest control, weed management — these are all important pieces of the puzzle. Soil fertility is also a big piece of the puzzle, a piece of everything that’s needed to grow a crop.

“We continually investigate the relationship between nutrient availability

and crop production. We hope that our producers have peace of mind that our fertilizer recommendations are applicable to their crops and production systems. They know that when they follow Division of Agriculture recommendations, they will get a benefit in yield for whatever their crop is. They know the investment in soil testing and fertilizer management is worth it.”

The Shoulders Of Giants

Roberts says he appreciates the ongoing support from Arkansas growers. He also appreciates the people who’ve come before him who have worked for decades to solve problems related to nutrient management.

He describes his research as building upon work done by Agricultural Experiment Station soil scientists such as Rick Norman, Nathan Slaton, Bobby Wells and Wayne Sabbe.

“The success of our program is squarely built on the work these researchers did,” Roberts says. “Generation by generation we’ve been conducting quality research and good outreach to Arkansas farmers. I want to keep it going and help steer it into the next generation.”

Visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website at https:// aaes.uada.edu/ and follow it on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn about Extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent, visit https://uaex.uada.edu/ or follow @AR_Extension on Twitter.

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Cotton Prices Rallied Amid Speculative Buying Texas Cotton Marketing Economist Outlines Potential Contributing Components

C

otton futures rose rapidly in October as speculators began buying for potentially big profits based on expectations that prices would go up, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

The rally was good for Texas cotton growers who negotiated prices during the rally or who still had cotton to sell, says Dr. John Robinson, AgriLife Extension cotton marketing economist, Bryan-College Station. But he suspected the spike in buying and climbing prices was nearing the end.

24

COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

VICKY BOYD

Potential Driving Factors

Robinson says the cotton price rally started toward the end of September when it became clear prices would be up and the number of futures contracts held by long speculators were targeting cotton. The speculative buying pushed prices higher, but he says it was unclear what negative cropping and production factors were pushing futures purchases.

Issues that pushed the price increase could be rain in the U.S. Cotton Belt or problems with cotton crops in India or production issues in China, including import bans for cotton produced by Uyghur minorities in slave labor camps in northwestern parts of the country.

But those factors alone should not have been enough to cause the 25-cent-perpound price jump over the three weeks from the 80-cent to 90-cent-per-pound range to $1.14 per pound for December futures. Robinson says conditions were bullish for cotton with strong demand, but the supply side and what was creating the strong demand were less clear.

Robinson says there was evidence for strong demand related to large buys of U.S. cotton based on the Phase 1 trade agreements that reduced or removed tariffs from the trade war with China.

Export demand for U.S. cotton triggered a 45-cent rally that took per-pound prices from 50 cents on April 1, 2020, to 95 cents by March 2021. That sus-

A picker harvests one of Gary Schoenfield’s cotton fields near El Campo, Texas, in September. He and his son, Eric, were happy with the yield. tained price rally was driven by a global textile manufacturing ramp-up as mills reopened or increased capacity following initial COVID-19-related shutdowns.

But historically, price rally patterns influenced by speculation are volatile and short-lived, Robinson says. Prices at the same time last year lingered in the 70-cent-per-pound range.

Plan For 2022

About two-thirds of Texas cotton is sold through a cooperative that pools their supplies and negotiates the best prices for members throughout the year.

Cash offers are available to those with unsold cotton in the field or who have bales at gins that could fetch premium prices based on lint quality and grades.

Many independent growers who locked in prices around 85-cents-perpound may have seller’s remorse, but Robinson says they still did well.

He says there are ways for producers to begin planning for marketing their commodities and protecting their opera-

tion from the downside of potential prices in 2022. AgriLife Extension’s Master Marketing workshops focused on cotton provide information and education on how to maximize price opportunity and hedge against potential losses.

Consumers And Cotton Prices

The 25-cents-per-pound rally may have translated into millions of dollars to buyers and sellers of raw cotton, but it does not add that much to the cost of a t-shirt or a pair of jeans.

“The raw material is only a small part of the cost to create and market these products,” Robinson says.

“Manufacturing, shipping, labor and branding are all likely adding more to product costs compared to cotton. Fuel prices are higher. There are fewer trucks moving products and any disruptions to get finished products to market also add to the end cost to consumers.”

Texas A&M AgriLife contributed this article.

COTTONFARMING.COM

What Farmers Need To Know About Disaster Assistance Editor’s note: As you enter the 2022 planning season, get familiar with these tips about what to do following a natural disaster to successfully seek aid from government programs.

What To Do

Rabinowitz offered these suggestions for farmers confronting the aftermath of a disaster.  Collect documentation. Before starting any cleanup activity, take time-stamped photographs of damage and losses that have occurred.  Notify the local Farm Service Agency about losses. This helps FSA prepare a county loss assessment report, vital to a county being designated as an agricultural disaster area.  Contact your crop insurance agent to report losses or damages. Do this before beginning cleanup activities to ensure proper documentation. Notify the agent within 72 hours of the discovery of a loss. Farmers should also provide a signed written notice of losses and damages to their agent within 15 days of the loss.  Producers who have noninsured crop disaster assistance (NAP) or are eligible for other disaster assistance programs should contact the local FSA office. Do this before starting any cleanup activities to ensure everything is documented correctly and a waiver can be issued before cleanup.

Important Disaster Resources

“The USDA recovery website contains valuable resources, and farmers should review it in case of a natural disaster,” Rabinowitz says.

Go to www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery, scroll to discover disaster assistance programs and click start to access the disaster assistance recovery tool.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

COURTESY OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY

N

atural disasters can devastate farm families’ livelihoods, wreaking havoc on farm infrastructure, destroying crops and killing livestock. An Alabama Cooperative Extension System agronomist says the worst threats come from hurricanes and their aftereffects.

“The nature of their job means that farmers face inherent risks,” says Adam Rabinowitz, who is also an Auburn University assistant professor of agricultural economics. “There are ways to prepare and a number of government programs to aid recovery.”

Many of these programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.

Shnequie Bowman-Greene, Alabama FSA chief agricultural program specialist, was a guest on Episode 25 of the Alabama Crops Report podcast series (https://www.aces.edu/blog/series/ alabama-crops-report/). She says when disaster affects agriculture, FSA’s role is to assess damage.

“After the disaster, we do loss assessments and then track those losses at a county level,” she says. “The major role of tracking is to guide disaster designation. If we have one or more crops with a 30% or greater loss, FSA forwards that information to the secretary of agriculture and requests a disaster designation.”

After a natural disaster occurs, it’s important to take time-stamped photographs of damage and losses before cleaning up.

Sydney Griffin, an FSA agricultural program specialist who was also a guest on the crops podcast, says farmers should find the disaster assistance recovery tool useful.

“The tool will help farmers choose which type of programs that FSA has that might offer benefits after they have suffered these weather events,” Griffin says.

Rabinowitz has published a fact sheet (https://bit.ly/3kYazV5) to answer some questions that have been asked following a natural disaster. It also lists several disaster assistance programs that may aid those applying for assistance due to agricultural losses:  Crop Insurance.  Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.  Tree Assistance Program.  Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program.  Livestock Forage Disaster Program.  Emergency Conservation Program.  Livestock Indemnity Program.  Emergency Forest Restoration Program.  Emergency Watershed Protection Program.  Disaster Set-Aside Program.  Emergency Loan Program.

Potential For More Help

Bowman-Greene says that additional programs often become available, particularly in natural disasters with widespread damage.

Rabinowitz and Bowman-Greene agree that gathering documentation and following FSA guidance are crucial to navigating the disaster assistance process successfully.

To learn more about farm management, including risk management and disaster assistance, visit the Alabama Extension website at www.aces.edu.

Auburn University provided this information.

NOVEMBER 2021 | COTTON FARMING

25

Industry News

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Tune In To NCSU Podcasts

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Purity And Particle Size test report, the first thing to check And Fully ChargedThe quality of liming materials — purity and particle size — is nfluences soil nutrient availability. important raise soil pH. Purity is determined in relation to pure available at the soil of 6.5.

ShellpHjump starters featuretocurrents calcium carbonate — calcitic limestone — that is rated as 100%. needs to be adjusted to the tarthat can jump start both diesel and gas rating is called calcium carbonate equivalent. The lime rate e for low pH (less than 6.0) soils engines.

They have This built-in flashlights, byfast soil testing labs is based on pure calcitic limehigh pH (greaterSOS than 7.5) as soils. lights well asrecommended USB ports for stone with 100% ractice. charging of mobile devices, suchCCE. as The lime application rate should be adjusted based on the CCE of the liming materials. For example, if the smartphones. ring Capacity 80% andsafethe recommendation is 2 tons of lime per acre, The devices comeCCE with isadvanced the initial and target soil pH and then 2.5 tons of lime ty technologies, such as short-circuit,(2 tons x 0.8) per acre should be applied. bility to resist the pH change).

If over-current, Another limeoverquality is particle size, or fineness factor, and reverse polarity, nd the differencecharge between is expressed as the andinitial overload protection.

Thepercentage of liming material that passes lime rate would units be low. through various sized screens. Finer particles are more efficient areHowever, safe for anyone to use, accordapacity (low buffer lime in neutralizing ing pH), to thethe company’s press release. soil acidity (increasing soil pH). small change in soilThey pH. Clay However, liming materials should have a good distribuhavesoils an output voltagethe of 12V y and require a greater amount of tion of both smaller and operating temps of minus 4 to 140 and larger particles. The smaller ones can oil pH than silt loam soils. raise the soil pH quickly, and larger particles can have Shell battery chargers andlong-term maintaindegrees Fahrenheit. Shell battery charger rsity AgCenter and Soil maintainers Testing and feature controla in neutralizing soil purity (CCE) and parers acidity. provideBoth several layers of protection. multi-stage un buffer pH. It charging does indicate the andticle size (fineness factor) of safeguards the liming include materialreverse-polarity, are expressed The process multi-level proteche addition of maximum tonssafely of restore together as effective or effective neutralizing value. over-charging, over-voltage, shortThe cirtion that3can your batteries CCE de how much they to spend, higher the of the liming material the more efficuit, over-current, over-temperature and to want full capacity and prolong theirECCE lives. or ENV lime may be too expensive. cient itfor is in increasing pH. Like CCE, the actual lime rate defective battery prompt.

The units are suitable any vehi- soil at 6.3 for soybeancle, andincluding 6.0 for corn also needs to be adjusted with the liming material’s ENV if the a The chargers automatically identify cars, motorcycles, lawnthe target soil pHmowers, is 0.2 unit more recommendations are based on ENV. personal watercraft and trac- 6- or 12-volt battery and smartly adjust s six to nine months depending tors.—They are also maintenance-free and current. with the soils and raise soil It This feature issuch excerpted articleproducts

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Several members of the North Carolina State University cotton Extension team, county agents and others have recently developed or participated in production-related podcasts.

They can be found at the NCSU Cotton Extension Portal (https://cotton.ces. ncsu.edu/) under the “Podcast” heading on the lefthand red side bar.

You also can access the podcasts directly at the links below:  Cotton Specialists Corner: https:// bit.ly/3n2coQB These podcasts include NCSU cotton specialists and their university counterparts across the country.  Crop Sense: https://bit.ly/3pfymCm. This one was developed by Jones County, North Carolina, ag agent Jacob Morgan. It includes interviews with several NCSU Extension specialists, including most recently Drs. Charlie Cahoon and Wes Everman.

Register Now For The MSU 2021 Row Crop Short Course Nov. 19 is the last day to register with no charge for this year’s Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course. After this date, the fee will be $40 per person, including at the door.

The meeting will be held Dec. 6-8 at the Cotton Mill Conference Center in Starkville, Mississippi. Register online at https://bit.ly/3aJLjf9.

Lunch will be provided each day.

A social mixer and dinner will be held Monday evening at the Cotton Mill Conference Center.

Tuesday, a social event and steak/ shrimp dinner will be held at 6 p.m. at the same location.

All meals are provided free of charge if you preregister prior to Nov. 27.

Blocks of rooms are available at these hotels:  Courtyard by Marriott ($139). Call 662-338-3116, press zero for the local office and mention the row crop short course for the blocked reservation.  Comfort Suites ($119). Your reservation includes a warm continental breakfast. Call 662-324-9595 and mention the row crop short course for the blocked rooms and rate.

For more information, contact Kathy Johnson at 662-325-2701 or Kjohnson@ pss.msstate.edu.

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Specialists Speaking

End-Of-Season Observations ALABAMA Steve M. Brown

I hand-picked cotton yesterday, just one plot in the oldest cotton fertility experiment in the world. One of 14 plots, my assigned two rows by 10 feet were good, and it took 25 minutes to pick everything from fluffy white bolls to those less sightly.

I was reminded of two extremes.

Years ago I worked with Ray, a scrawny old man who probably weighed less than 130 pounds. He was not given to exaggeration, and I believed his tale of a day in which his (hand) picking crew had a contest, winner-take-all. Whoever picked the most got all the cotton for the day. By mid-afternoon, only Ray and another guy were still picking.

Others had quit. Ray finished with 400 pounds, an incredible take, but he finished second.

A glance through records suggests daily hand-picking amounts ranging from 200-300 pounds. No consolation for Ray. Fast forward to the 21st century and round roll pickers. When I ride in these massive machines, I’m ever amazed at how they gobble up so much cotton so rapidly.

For many years, my family was part of a new church. In the early days, we met in a store front with office, nursery and classrooms on one end and the worship room at the other with a convenience store in between.

As I walked into the service one January Sunday in the mid-2000s, I was told, “You need to meet this man.” He was a gray-haired, late 50s, John Deere engineer working on a project he couldn’t disclose. He joined my family for lunch and watched an NFL game. I didn’t pry for information.

When he came again the next November, I greeted him with, “I know what you’re working on.” He was part of the team developing the round module harvester.

Our 2021 crop was once very good. Rains in late August through early October diminished it. Punished it might be a better description. It’s UGLY in places. By early November, we’ll have a more accurate picture and will hopefully be positively surprised in some places. cottonbrown@auburn.edu

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson

Harvest progress of the 2021 crop continues to echo our season-long delay. However, we appear to be making up some ground slowly as it may be.

Cotton harvest as projected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service was 20% complete going into the second week of October. Harvest progress was about half of our five-year average and about one-third behind

last year.

The most current NASS yield projection on Oct. 1 estimated yield to average 1,226 pounds per harvested acre, up 52 pounds from last month and up 47 pounds from 2020. This exceeds our previous record yield of 1,185 pounds per harvested acre set in 2019. Harvested acreage is estimated at 470,000 acres, and production is forecast at 1.2 million bales.

The 2021 crop is promising record yield prospects along with pricing opportunities of more than $1 per pound for lint. While this is exciting news, input availability and costs for next year will create new and difficult challenges for the 2022 crop.

Most growers are well into planning for 2022. Soil samples for fertility as well as nematodes will likely be pulled in great numbers after harvest and stalk destruction are complete. Get cover crops on your radar if they

28

COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

are not part of your current plan. Look to the University of Arkansas Variety Testing webpage at https://arkansas-variety-testing.uark.edu/ for variety testing results from county and the Official Variety Trials.

The Arkansas Crop Management Conference and county production meetings are scheduled to be live events this year, and dates have already been set. Contact your local county Extension agent for details on meetings and other questions you may have. brobertson@uada.edu

FLORIDA David Wright

This growing season was no different than many others with weather issues. Some cotton was planted late as it was dry during April, and 5-7 inches of rain occurred the last days of the month, leaving gullies and ponds in the fields. In general, the growing season was too wet, and management was not often timely for herbicides, fertility applications and growth regulators. Cotton is forgiving in that timing can be off, and you still make a good crop.

Cotton that opened early in the bottom of the plant had many hard locked bolls. Dry weather in late September and early October allowed the top crop to open well. Many growers who planted in sandy fields had nitrogen, sulfur and potassium deficiencies. Because of this, yields in some fields were low while others had good yields since moisture was not a limiting factor.

Growers are experimenting with slow-release fertilizer on sandy fields.

They are finding it can produce higher yields in some years where high rainfall occurs. The cost is higher and may not show an advantage in moderate rainfall years.

We continue to make higher yields every year when planting after winter grazing compared to cover crops alone. This is due to recycled nutrients, higher microbial populations, better water infiltration and cotton root stimulation. Even though cotton is grown as a rotation crop for peanuts in the Deep South, cotton prices are getting growers excited about growing the crop again. wright@ufl.edu

GEORGIA Camp Hand

The 2021 production season has been a roller coaster ride for Georgia farmers. Looking back through my contributions to the Specialists Speaking section, you can see the challenges that our growers went through.

As I write this Oct. 16, our cotton harvest is only starting. We are beginning to see some fruit and learn lessons from the past year. I encourage growers to examine their crop prior to harvest and evaluate what went right, what went wrong and take some of those lessons into consideration for future years.

I was riding a picker with a grower a few days ago, and we discussed how his cotton didn’t have much of a bottom crop. It looked great in the top, but he couldn’t slow it down with plant growth regulators. We discussed some things that could’ve contributed to this, whether it be tarnished plant bugs, timeliness of PGR applications, etc. It helps seeing the crop with bolls set and open. Knowing how the cotton plant develops, we can “count back” and see when certain events may have happened. I hope everyone is staying safe as harvest has begun and is pleased when they get their gin sheets back!

Dr. Scott Monfort, University of Georgia peanut agronomist, and I recently started planning county meetings. Be on the lookout for dates in your county or a county near you for the winter and spring. One meeting COTTONFARMING.COM

SETH MCALLISTER/UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Specialists Speaking

Pickers roll across Terrell County, Georgia, Oct. 18. date that is set, and I hope to see everyone attend, is the Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting at the Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia, Jan. 26, 2022. We are looking forward to it and seeing everyone after two years!

As always, your local UGA county Extension agent and specialists are here to help! Reach out if you have any questions. camphand@uga.edu

LOUISIANA Matt Foster

As we approach mid-October, approximately 40% to 50% of the state’s cotton acres have been harvested. Harvest conditions have been ideal during the early part of October. However, cooler temperatures are in the forecast, which can hinder boll opening and the efficacy of some harvest aid products.

Hopefully, we can finish cotton harvest during the early part of November. Louisiana will harvest around 105,000 acres of cotton this year, compared to 165,000 acres in 2020.

About 95% of this year’s crop is in the fair to good range. Yield estimates for the state are projected to be about 1,000 to 1,100 pounds of lint per acre. Most growers I have spoken with are surprised by their yields, considering the adverse weather conditions during planting and throughout the growing season. Wet and cloudy weather was the common theme in 2021.

Louisiana growers plan to plant more cotton next year due to favorable market prices and the substantial increase in fertilizer prices. Some are already reserving pickers for 2022.

Currently, our parish production meetings are being scheduled.

Please contact your parish Extension agent for the dates and locations. mfoster@agcenter.lsu.edu TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

MISSISSIPPI Brian Pieralisi

As I write this Oct. 13, picking season is in full swing across Mississippi, which finally provides us with a visual of cotton #harvest21. I have received numerous comments regarding this year’s harvest, including but not limited to: “Will there be enough heat units?”, “so many tropical systems in the gulf … ” and “Is boll rot going to affect yield?”

As cotton harvest is underway, yield reports are highly variable, much like the rest of the season. I’ve received reports ranging from 800 pounds per acre to 1,800 pounds per acre.

This year has presented growers, researchers and industry professionals with an overabundance of challenges since the start of the season.

Weather-related factors caused a later-than-normal crop and yield reductions. From the beginning, most first-position fruit was set a couple nodes higher than normal, which put more pressure on the upper portions of the canopy to produce most of the yield. Also, several periods of wet, cool weather in September contributed to boll rot, hard locked bolls and target spot across most of the state. Despite the setbacks, I have received reports of strong yields in a couple locations.

This year, Mississippi cotton took a long time to get established. By late June and into July, the crop seemed to grow slowly, establish a poor root system and was reluctant to set fruit. In some cases, farmers hesitated to apply plant growth regulators in fear of inhibiting vegetative growth and not achieving desired plant stature. In turn, our PGR management strategies became reactive to control excessive plant growth. For the most part, heat unit accumulation was adequate, and the crop was able to mature appropriately.

A couple of cool snaps and wet periods delayed defoliation in late NOVEMBER 2021 | COTTON FARMING

29

Specialists Speaking September. Otherwise, it has been relatively straight forward. Another cool wave is expected Oct. 15 and will remain in place for a week or so. As nighttime temperatures drop into the 50s and 40s with daytime highs in the 70s, our strategy will shift to tribufos or PPOs + ethephon to defoliate the remainder of the crop.

In a two-pass defoliation strategy, tribufos works well to remove mature leaves in the canopy. PPO defoliants work well to remove excessive regrowth. By the end of October, I expect most of Mississippi’s cotton crop will be harvested if the weather cooperates.

Currently, Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course is scheduled for Dec. 6-8 at the Mill Conference Center on MSU’s campus. Stay tuned for updates, and good luck with remainder of harvest. bkp4@msstate.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Guy Collins

As I write this Oct. 4, harvest is well underway in North Carolina. Except for a few minor rainy stretches, the current forecast appears to be favorable through mid-October. A lot of our crop is later than normal, but heat unit accumulation during September and early October has been favorable for maturing this crop on time for the most part. I sincerely hope and pray that good weather prevails throughout the fall this year.

Although harvest is just starting, by the time you read this article, the “November trap” as we call it, will likely have arrived. I hope that most, if not all, of our crop is out of the field by that time. Early November is generally when cool weather sets in. This prevents dew or rainfall from drying out quickly, and our daily effective harvest hours dwindle noticeably.

As harvest winds down, I always like to reflect on the past season and the lessons learned during that time. In my opinion, a successful cotton management program begins with thorough planning and adjusting for the future season based on prior experience.

As we have learned in the past, it pays to be timely with defoliation and harvest. To be timely during that part of the season, we must strive to be timely as early as March when burndown begins. For now, we are mindful of establishing cover crops and making repairs to washes, ditches and waterways. We also need to check the irrigation systems and winterize them.

In addition to evaluating variety trial results, which hopefully will be available in early December, growers are encouraged to evaluate the current crop’s root system. Where no-till has been practiced for quite a while, look for the presence of shallow or j-roots. If the malformed root system cannot be attributed to excessive rains shortly after planting, growers may want to consider strip-tilling fields with sandier textured soils. guy_collins@ncsu.edu

OKLAHOMA Seth Byrd

As I write this in mid-October, harvest progress is accelerating rapidly. While gins have started running, there has been very little cotton processed. But as the month rolls on, I think we’ll have an early idea of yields and grades by the time this issue of Cotton Farming reaches you.

A few things have stuck out in the last few weeks as we’ve been ramping up for harvest. In last month’s issue, I mentioned one of my concerns was our ability to defoliate the crop efficiently and rapidly. We weren’t seeing natural senescence occurring to the degree that it typically does as bolls were beginning to open. Well, as my bookie would tell you, I’m not often right on my predictions.

But in this case, defoliation has been a problem in many parts of Oklahoma. Multiple defoliant applications have been required in attempts to

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remove foliage. Recent rains sparked basal regrowth, which compounds the problem. Cooler overnight temperatures have spurred some natural defoliation. But getting the crop harvest-ready has been a challenge for many.

Variability is another noticeable component of this year’s cotton crop.

This is most evident in variety trials where some variation is normal, although the 2021 conditions have exacerbated the differences between varieties, particularly in maturity characteristics and boll distribution.

Crop variation and challenges in achieving optimal defoliation are due to the cool start to the season, which resulted in early season vegetative growth and delayed fruiting onset.

This year has had no shortage of challenges, and the crop has already survived one storm in early October and held up well. Hopefully, weather for the remainder of the fall will be favorable, and everybody will have a safe and successful harvest. seth.byrd@okstate.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper

As I write this Oct. 13, Tennessee is just beginning to harvest the crop; most of our focus lately has been on wrapping up defoliation. The 2021 season has been unlike any other. Our late start and tough June made this the latest crop the state has seen in more than 50 years.

To our surprise, we were able to bring a good portion of our bolls to maturity, and yield potential appears to be above average. I’m not quite as optimistic about this crop as the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. But considering our start, I think most will be pleasantly surprised by the time we wrap up the season.

Given the late nature of harvest this season, I suspect variety trial results will be delayed. The 2022 season will likely see the introduction of several new varieties — many of which vary substantially compared to the varieties we have been growing.

I encourage waiting as long as possible to make your decisions, so you can get as much information as possible on each of the varieties.

For those who must take advantage of early price benefits for booking seed, suggest you diversify across a number of varieties. This is generally a great way to reduce your overall risk, especially on varieties we are still getting to know. traper@utk.edu

TEXAS Ben McKnight

As I write this in mid-October, cotton harvest is nearly complete in the Blackland Prairie. About 75% of the acres are already out of the field. Periods of rainfall have staggered harvesting windows, and dry weather is needed in the coming weeks for a timely conclusion to the 2021 growing season. So far, fiber quality has been outstanding from earlier harvested fields in the Blacklands.

Reported yields have been mostly above-average.

Overall, the cotton crop was delayed two to three weeks in Central and South Texas, which delayed the onset of harvest by that long as well.

The abundant rainfall experienced throughout much of the state in the early and middle part of the season had a great effect on delaying cotton maturity. When typical summer weather returned in July, good heat unit accumulation over the next few months was beneficial in getting the crop across the finish line.

As the 2021 season begins to wind down, it’s never too early to start thinking about the 2022 season. The fall is a great time to submit soil samples for testing to determine what nutrient inputs will be needed for the next crop. This may be especially important going into next year as fertilizer prices have already more than doubled in some cases. Visit with your local county agent or go to soiltesting.tamu.edu for more information on how to submit soil samples for testing. bmcknight@tamu.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

Students Praise Waterfowl, Land Management Program

Planting Seeds

George Dunklin, owner and founder of Five Oaks, drew a parallel from his childhood to the learning going on today.

“I go back to my dad … and he planted seeds of conservation in my head back when I was 10 or 11 years old,” Dunklin says.

“He said ‘son, we don’t own this land, we are just the caretakers for that very short time when we’re on this earth.’ I learned how important his words were. That’s what we want to pass on to these young kids that are coming up.”

Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM, called the program a “really great example of an innovative partnership between public and private entities. It’s a partnership where common goals will TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

NICK KORDSMEIER/UA SYSTEM DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE

I

t’s “everything I could imagine and more!” That’s how Katherine Allen described her first months as a student in a unique graduate certificate program in waterfowl habitat and recreational management.

Allen, who graduated from Louisiana State University in May, is one of four students who make up the first class of a program enabled by a partnership between the Five Oaks Ag Research and Education Center and two University of Arkansas System entities: the Division of Agriculture and UA-Monticello.

Allen and her fellow students were on hand recently to meet representatives from the wildlife, forestry and agriculture sectors, as well as members of the UA System board of trustees and administrators. The interaction took place during an open house at the Five Oaks Duck Lodge, where the program is hosted. The one-year certificate program runs from August to May. Allen’s research involves configuring methodology to determine seed yields within various moist soil units on the Five Oaks property.

“I’ve learned many variables and factors go into maintaining a healthy environment for our waterfowl and other species,” she says. “It has been truly exciting to know the ins and outs of land management and how we, as future conservationists, can help instill this outlook onto others.”

Delanie Warren, who joined the program after graduating from Texas A&M, agrees with Allen.

“The graduate certificate program has exceeded my expectations,” she says. “I enjoy that we are out in the woods every week, learning new things about land management, acquiring new skills, and getting our hands dirty. I believe it is very important to get this kind of exposure so that when we find a career in this field, we know the field work side of it along with the research.

“Seeing the huge flocks of waterfowl flying over and stopping on the land at Five Oaks is unreal and makes me excited for the season to come.”

Brandon Bennett, who graduated from UAM in the spring, praised the program for enabling the students to be “more on-the-ground and hands-on land managers. That’s what we’re learning and developing our skills toward …. We’re learning these in a professional way by professionals who have done this all their lives.”

Katherine Allen, Delanie Warren and Brandon Bennett (left to right) were recognized during the Five Oaks Open House as members of the first class of a unique graduate certificate program. be met and will be delivered to our students so they can have improved lives, great careers and give back to the land. They’ll be giving back to conservation.”

Douglas Osborne, professor at UAM and program director, asked for continued support from industry.

“My ask to you is to help me to understand some things that we can get these students involved in during the year, so we can better prepare them to apply for jobs in your agency,” he says.

A Great Foundation

Mark Cochran, just-retired head of the Division of Agriculture, praised the quality of the students in the first class and the diversity of their origins around the country.

He laid out two projects that are part of important habitat research being done in the program. One is “an inventory of the ecosystem, looking at the bottomland hardwoods and what environmental stresses and how they will be improved by the management we have,” Cochran says. “The second thing is looking at mallard use of our bottomland hardwood forest — looking at mallard migration, abundance and health.”

Michael Blazier, dean of UAM’s College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, as well as director of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center for the Division of Agriculture, says plans are being laid for the future of the program.

“Thinking about the fact that eastern Arkansas is one of the world’s top flyways, when we look at factors in the forest that could compromise the health of that system, we make that a focal point and that’s what this partnership is doing,” he says.

“We’re going to be meeting here again early next week to brief the research team to start developing priorities for the next year’s research funding.”

Mary Hightower, U of A System Division of Agriculture, contributed this article. To learn more, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

NOVEMBER 2021 | COTTON FARMING

31

Ginners Marketplace COTTON

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

Wage And Hour Inspections, OSHA Issues Increasing Under Biden We have seen three issues pop up over the past few weeks related to the U.S. Department of Labor. The first one is related to the Wage and Hour Division of DOL. The second two are Occupational Safety and Health Administration related issues.

We have seen two Wage and Hour inspections in South Texas this year. Last year, we had two inspections out of the same regional office, so the two this year are likely a follow-up to the ones from last year. This feels like a pattern they are starting in this Wage and Hour regional office. Only time will tell how long it will last.

These inspections do not appear to be much different from the ones we have seen in the past. Some of the main items they check include overtime, so be sure you are paying your overtime correctly (including daily and weekly overtime). H-2A workers must be paid overtime as well in the same manner as your regular employees. A second component is housing.

Be sure accommodations are inspected unless they are public-type housing, such as a hotel. In Texas, even public housing must be inspected. If you have workers who are on salary and do not get overtime pay, be sure these employees are classified properly. All workers must be paid an hourly wage and overtime unless they meet a specific exemption under the Wage and Hour law.

Wage and Hour inspectors will also check pay stubs to be sure you include the correct information with each paycheck.

We have not seen many issues with our pay stubs but be sure your Employer ID number and the last four digits of the employee’s Social Security number are included on the pay stubs.

They will also check bonus payments. Overtime is generally due on bonus payments. If you are not familiar with how to do this, contact your association office for more details.

Cotton Ginners Marketplace

Heat-Related Measures

There are two issues going on with OSHA this month, both of which are in the discussion stages. But we have not seen any inspections at cotton gins on either issue.

The first one is related to heat. The Biden administration has initiated enhanced measures to protect workers in hot environments. While we do not expect this measure to affect gins significantly, it is a program worth watching. One of the main concerns is they have set the bar for what they consider hot as a heat index that exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit. There are a lot of areas in cotton country where 80 degrees would not be considered particularly hot.

There are not a lot of additional details on this program, except that the OSHA area directors have been tasked to prioritize heat-related complaints and expand the scope of their other inspections to address heat-related hazards. While this program is currently an enforcement initiative, there is also talk of OSHA developing a full heat standard soon. Your asso-

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COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

ciations will be keeping a close eye on this issue as it moves through the OSHA process.

COVID-19 Concerns The second OSHA issue is related to COVID-19. As you have all heard, the Biden administration has directed the agency to develop rules that will require all employers with more than 100 employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or that they test the unvaccinated workers at least weekly.

In response to this request, OSHA will issue an Emergency Temporary Standard. It can remain in effect for no more than six months and then would have to be replaced by a permanent standard. OSHA has announced it is working to develop the standard and has said it will not release the actual details of the emergency rule until the rule is issued. In other words, we are not going to know exactly how this rule will work until it is issued.

While the administration requested a threshold of 100 workers, OSHA may pick a different threshold. In addition, there has been no discussion of whether the request would include all workers or only full-time workers. These types of details make a big difference. Another big issue will be the availability of test kits and how the testing part of the rule will be implemented.

It’s highly probable this rule will be challenged in court, and there will undoubtedly be requests for the courts to block the rule until the challenges are complete. In other words, we really don’t know how this rule will shake out over the next four months.

Most likely, the best way to prepare for this rule is to continue to encourage your workers to get vaccinated and to follow your current COVID-19 protocol. If you have more than 100 employees, you may want to check with local providers to see if you can find one that will give group COVID-19 shots and supply COVID-19 testing materials if the rule moves forward.

Whether you have 100 employees or not, it is important for all employers to keep a close eye on the COVID-19 rules being promulgated by OSHA. As with all things COVID 19-related, the only constant about the rules is they are likely to change.

Stay tuned — OSHA will likely be very active under the current administration’s leadership.

J. Kelley Green, TCGA director of technical services, contributed this article. Contact him at kelley@tcga.org.

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33

My Turn

E

Rats!

veryone has their remembered everything just as I did and even added favorite expletives. an item or two that I had either forgotten or repressed.

When I was a child, I Yes, it really happened. always laughed when Rats also have a way of surprising me when I least the cartoon character, Charlie expect it. One day, I went upstairs in my farm shop Brown, got frustrated and to retrieve a joint of 4-inch PVC pipe that lay stored said, “rats!” He was a classy across the roof joists. I reached up over my head, guy, not given to cussin’. It is grabbed one end of the pipe and pulled it toward me. also funny that while “rats” This put the entire 10-foot pipe at a sharp downward seems benign on the one angle with the nearer end just inches from my face. hand, it represents a filthy, Looking inside, I saw that less than halfway up was an Robert destructive, disease vector on overfed Norway rat sliding helplessly.

Royal the other hand. I loathe them!

Fatso was trying to dig in with his heels but to no It is fall now, which marks avail. The slick walls of the pipe were like the iced the beginning of rat season, their migration from track of the Olympic bobsled. As he neared my face, I the fields. As crops are harvested and temperatures peered into his soulless eyes. The nasty abomination drop, those rodents whose homes were destroyed by popped out of the pipe before I could turn it loose. I combines, stalk shredders and plows will seek new felt his weight and the scratchy grip of his claws as he winter shelter in houses, sheds, storage bins and other ran across my shoulders and around my neck. Then, he structures. To combat the problem, some farmers keep leapt off and disappeared. “shop cats” around. Others put out traps and poisons.

I trotted down the stairs, squatted at the water Some even allow snakes to coexist peacefully. hydrant and washed my face and neck. Next, I blew Every farmer has rat stoout my hair and shirt with ries. Some border on out“As he neared my face, I peered the air compressor nozrageous, but I’ve seen too zle. Finally, I sat down on into his soulless eyes.” much in my life to call anya bucket and a vigorous one a liar. Nothing surpriscathartic shiver rattled es me. Sadly, the stories often involve wiring damage to a through my being. I was embarrassed by the sound very expensive piece of farm machinery. I read in a U.S. I had made when the rat crawled around my neck. I Fish and Wildlife publication, it is estimated that rats didn’t know that unrepeatable expletive was part of my consume grain and destroy other property worth $19 vocabulary. Nor did I know my masculine voice box billion annually. I believe it. could contort itself to produce a frequency and decibel In the early ’70s, a few of my buddies and I went on that if sustained longer would have shattered nearby an overnight squirrel hunting trip. We were all about windows.

15 years old. Rather than pitch tents, we stayed in a Like weeds, insects and diseases, rats are just anothlong-abandoned cypress tenant house that turned out er farm pest we must work to control. They will to be overrun with rats. A large wooden cable spool never go away. I will now take liberty with William served as a table where we piled our groceries. After Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech. I decline to supper, we retired to our cots, and the rats came out of accept the end of the rat …. It is easy enough to say that the walls en masse. I heard the boy on the cot next to the rat is immortal simply because he will endure: that me scream and kick a rat off his feet. I zipped up tight when the last dingdong of doom has clanged and faded in my sleeping bag and tried to ignore the noises. from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last When we woke the following morning, our gro- red and dying evening, that even then there will still be cery table was a mess. The bread was gone. All that one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible jaws remained was an empty plastic bag without so much gnawing on the electrical circuitry of a cotton picker. as a crumb. The milk jug was empty, too. It had a hole gnawed in the bottom, yet there was no puddle — Robert Royal underneath. Decades later, I brought up the memory Midnight, Mississippi of that night with one of my fellow trauma victims. He lastchancepltn@gmail.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.

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COTTON FARMING | NOVEMBER 2021

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