Cotton Farming August 2019 by One Grower Publishing

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

AUGUST 2019

www.cottonfarming.com

Wrangler Highlights Farmers, Sustainability Iconic company partners with farmers for locally sourced denim collection

Technology Lets Runner Push Limits In Cotton State Cotton Specialists Give 2019 Crop Update

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Vol. 63 No. 8

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

AUGUST 2019

www.cottonfarming.com

F E AT U R E S

6 18

‘THE RUNNER’ With funding from The Cotton Research and Promotion Program, technology reinvents cotton as a performance fiber in athletic wear.

GINNING MARKETPLACE THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY

The college students who are participating in TCGA’s internship program report on their summer experience in the ginning industry.

Cotton Consu ltant of the Year 201 9

2019 CCOY NOMINATIONS

NOMINATION FORM

If you would like to nominate a consultant recognition, deserving of please take a this outstanding moment to fill out the following Please use a separate form. page for biographical recommendations /professional via letters or emails from other farmers, information. Additional members are also consultants and encouraged to industry provide support for the nominee.

The Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) represents the consultant who has made great contributions to the cotton industry through outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation. Recognized by fellow members of the cotton industry, this is given to the consultant award who not only meets these requirements but also exceeds them. Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine — CCOY sponsors — are soliciting your help in selecting the 2019 recipient, who will be named at a special celebration Friday, February 28, 2020, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. The winning consultant person who nominates and the the winner receive a two night hotel stay and airfare to Memphis. The 2019 CCOY recipient also will be featured in a four-page salute in the February 2020 issue of Cotton Farming.

The deadline has been extended to Aug. 16 to nominate a deserving candidate for DEADLINE the Cotton Consultant of the Year Award, EXTENDED co-sponsored by Cotton Farming and Syngenta. To fill out the form online, go to cottonfarming.com/ccoy. You also can Cotton Farming download and print the form, and then mail or email it along with supporting letters to the address provided. Submit nominat by July 31, 2019.ions

Rooted In Cotton

Wrangler has partnered with cotton producers to create a locally sourced denim collection honoring land stewardship and sustainability on the farm. Using the cotton from each highlighted farm, Wrangler has made five state-specific designed jeans. The company also encourages the farmers to talk about what they are doing on their operations to sustain their family and way of life.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 13 Industry News 5 Cotton’s Agenda 14 Specialists Speaking 6 Research & Promotion 22 My Turn ON THE COV ER: Donny Lassiter, left, and his brother, Mark, grow sustainable cotton in North Carolina for Wrangler jeans. Cover photo courtesy of Wrangler.

Mail: Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Ave. Germantown, TN 38138 Scan/Email: csmith@onegr ower.com

You can print out an electronic version the form located of on the Cotton Farming Web site at www.cottonfar ming.com.

Nominate online: cottonfarming.com/ccoy

Consultant’s Name:

Company Name: Mailing Address:

City:

State: Phone: Zip: Email: In your own words, please tell us why you are nominating of the Year” Award. the consultant above Additional pages may be attached, for the “Cotton Consultant emailed or attached to the online nomination form.

Background:

Biographical/Industry

attached to this

Involvement Background. This information form, emailed or as well as support attached to the online letters may be nomination form.

Your Name: Mailing Address: City:

Phone:

State:

Email:

Zip:

Sponsored by

WEB EXCLUSIVE The 2018 $3,000 Jensen Scholarship winner is James Harper from Louisiana State University. This scholarship and two $1,500 National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants scholarships will be awarded in 2019. Students who meet the scholarship criteria may apply. The deadline is Dec. 1. Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

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

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, Tenn. 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.

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AUGUST 2019 | COTTON FARMING

Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Vicky Boyd Managing Editor

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

Prepare For The Robot Invasion

ithin a few years, California farmers will have to pay $15 an hour minimum wage and time-and-a-half overtime for anything over eight hours under new regulations. That is, if they can even find reliable workers. A number of producers have already turned to robotics to replace hand-hoeing crews in specialty crops, which have a higher per-acre value and a lack of herbicide options compared to cotton. But manufacturers of some robotic and self-driving cultivators say it’s only a matter of time before row-crop operators adopt their technology. They also point to herbicide drift and increasing herbicide weed resistance for fueling interest in robotic cultivation. About a half dozen manufacturers gave a glimpse of the future at the University of California’s third annual Drone/Ag Tech Field Day held recently at Bowles Farming in Los Banos, California. California-based FarmWise, which is working on a self-driving autonomous weeder, is partnering with a number of Central Valley cotton growers this summer to collect data. Among those is Bowles Farming. FarmWise’s machine, which resembles a large orange box with wheels that straddle the plant bed, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to differentiate between crops and weeds. But to do so, FarmWise must first run it in fields with varying crop sizes, varieties and weeds to collect large amounts of data on which the software can base decisions. The company is further along perfecting its autonomous weeder for leafy greens and cool-season vegetables. These crops lend themselves to robotic weeding because they are transplanted, resulting in uniform stands. Direct seeding, on the other hand, may produce uneven stands. Dino, the all-electric autonomous prototype from French manufacturer Naïo Technologies, uses GPS guidance to navigate within field boundaries. Users set how close they want the cultivation from the plants. Dino then uses optical cameras to detect plant rows and cultivate on both sides. Steve Fennimore, a University of California Cooperative Extension weed specialist in Salinas, California, has conducted extensive studies with the Robovator from Danish manufacturer F. Poulsen Engineering. A number of large California vegetable growers on California’s Central Coast are now using the rig, which is towed behind a tractor. Each cultivation unit has optical cameras and blades that undercut plants in the field. Based on imaging, the machine recognizes patterns, such as plant spacings, and picks up the blades when a crop plant is present, replacing them in the soil in between. The machine isn’t intended to replace herbicides entirely but instead help with labor, Fennimore says. “What I’m worried about and what growers are worried about is the hand weeding — they can’t get people,” he says.

Vicky 4

COTTON FARMING | AUGUST 2019

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 Kathy Killingsworth (901) 767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Charlie Beek (847) 559-7324 For circulation changes or change of address, call (847) 559-7578 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 2019 © 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 Phone: 901-767-4020

COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Clean And On Time Unencumbered flow of uncontaminated cotton into the marketplace continues to be a National Cotton Council priority.

What about contamination prevention?

n The NCC strongly urges producers and gin managers to have their entire harvest and ginning crews watch the updated NCC-produced “Prevention of Plastic Contamination” video. The National Cotton Ginners Association conveyed this message at its three Gin Schools this year. Proper handling of round modules in the field while being transported to the gin yard and from the yard into the gin is critical to prevent contamination from module wrap. English and Spanish versions of the updated video, along with other contamination prevention resources, are on the NCC’s website at www.cotton.org/ tech/quality/contamfree. cfm. Major topics include: 1) picking up debris in the field; 2) reviewing key maintenance and component adjustments on round module harvesters to ensure proper operation and to prevent plastic wrap pinching, gathering, Researchers developed this prototype or tearing; 3) best pracof an optical detection and air knife tices for transporting and extraction device. staging round modules in the field and at the gin yard; and 4) best practices on unwrapping and feeding round modules into the gin. New topics in the updated video cover what to do with round module wrap cores once they are empty and proper synchronization of module truck bed-chain speed with the ground when picking up round modules, which is different for rectangular modules.

How is detection research progressing?

n Ongoing research includes evaluating the use of drones to assist growers in detecting plastic

in their fields prior to harvest. Regarding detection at the gin, the three U.S. Department of Agriculture gin labs are working on systems that detect and eject plastic from the ginning system before bale formation. New and existing gin machines are being evaluated or modified to determine if the plastic can be better separated in cleaning ahead of the gin stand. In addition, optical detection systems continue to be developed and evaluated. This fall, a prototype system will be tested that uses optical detection combined with an air knife. Thermal extraction also is being explored. The NCC, with Cotton Foundation funding, completed testing last season of the value of cameras placed at the module feeder disperser section to observe incoming plastic wrapping on the disperser cylinders. Some gin managers are now implementing cost-effective wireless camera monitoring systems, such as Nest, which allow ginners to observe plastic accumulation on the cylinders through their smartphones or on monitors in their gin in real time.

Any changes being made to improve cotton movement into marketing channels?

n Recently implemented policies in the USDA Cotton Storage Agreement — based on NCC resolutions regarding warehouse bale shipment reporting — should enhance raw cotton delivery. The policies call for merchants and warehouses to communicate all shipping requests and responses electronically and promptly. In adding this requirement, USDA will better monitor warehouses’ compliance to CSA shipping requirements. These changes should help streamline communication between warehouses and merchants and assist in providing data traceability. Additionally, the CSA requires warehouses to be open for storage and delivery of cotton every normal business day not less than six hours between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. If a warehouse is not able to be open, it must have someone available to receive and load trucks.

Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America. He and other NCC leaders contribute columns on this Cotton Farming magazine page. Twitter: @CottonFarming

AUGUST 2019 | COTTON FARMING

RESEARCH & PROMOTION

Technology Allows Runner To Push Her Limits In Cotton BY STACEY GORMAN COTTON BOARD DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

f you ask an avid runner or serious athlete what their go-to running shirt is, you may not expect “cotton” to cross their lips. That isn’t the case for Emily Winters Wyonzek. Wyonzek has completed over a dozen marathons and hundreds of other races — all while supporting, wearing and promoting cotton. She has worked for The Cotton Board for 11 years and now serves as the director of operations for the organization. In a new “Forever Cotton” video produced by The Cotton Board, Wyonzek shares the story of why she chooses cotton to help her push her limits. For years, we have heard that athletic wear was taking over the marketplace, and performance synthetic fibers have tended to dominate that market. In fact, Wyonzek says, “I remember my very first day of work at The Cotton Board. My boss showed me an ad from a very well-known performance apparel brand that said, ‘Cotton is the enemy,’ and I’m sure they weren’t the only ones who thought that. “There are people who still view cotton as the enemy in terms of performance. But that is because they don’t know what cotton is capable of. I’m so glad Cotton Incorporated works hard to educate consumers about cotton’s versatility, especially in athletic apparel.” Technology Reaffirms Cotton Cotton’s natural properties can be enhanced through the application of new technology that reinvents cotton as a true performance fiber. Developed by Cotton Incorporated through funding from The Cotton Research and Promotion Program, TransDry technology for cotton is a high-performance moisture-management application. It allows fabrics to wick and spread perspiration as well as most of the technical synthetic fabrics that previously dominated this expanding market. The TransDry technology begins by treating cotton yarn with a special process to make it water-repellent then blends the right amount of treated yarn with naturally absorbent cotton yarns. It works exactly like a French drain or irrigation system for carrying off the body’s own “standing water.” Fabric can be constructed to move moisture horizontally, vertically or from the skin side to the outside of a fabric. In addition to TransDry, Cotton Incorporated has also successfully introduced high-performance finishes that move or repel moisture. These include Wicking Windows, Storm Cotton and Storm Denim.

COTTON FARMING | AUGUST 2019

The Cotton Board’s ‘Forever Cotton’ campaign offers a quick look into the lives of the people who wear, cook with and grow cotton. Reaching The Supply Chain Not only does Cotton Incorporated develop the technology that allows active people to enjoy the comfort and softness of their favorite cotton apparel with wicking and fast-drying performance, but it has an entire team dedicated to sharing those technologies with brands and retailers across the globe. In 2018, Cotton Incorporated’s Global Supply Chain Marketing team had over 600 meetings with brands and retailers to aid the adoption of cotton product technology. Also, more than 1,600 retail professionals attend Cotton Incorporated technical workshops, ensuring they feel confident including cotton in their products. Campaign Spreads The Word The Cotton Board’s Forever Cotton campaign offers a glimpse into the lives of some of the people, like Wyonzek, who wear, cook with and grow cotton. The campaign illustrates what cotton means for producers and consumers and showcases the far-reaching impact the Cotton Research and Promotion Program has on people’s everyday lives. The Forever Cotton national campaign is running in both print and digital mediums. The video series featuring Wyonzek’s story can be viewed on The Cotton Board’s website, Facebook and YouTube pages. To learn more about Forever Cotton, contact Gorman at sgorman@cottonboard.org. COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton Consultant’s Corner

Control, Residual, Minimal Impact On Beneficials Darrin Malone

Market Development Specialist - Mid-South Region Corteva Agriscience Paragould, Arkansas This season has been a challenge for getting anything planted in the Mid-South. I’ve been in the field for almost 30 years, and I’ve never seen a planting season this delayed. It seemed like we caught a rain every five to seven days since the 2018 harvest all the way up to planting. Plant bugs can be a problem early during pin-head square, but the major challenge is in post-bloom cotton when both adult and immature populations begin to build. The plant bug that poses the biggest threat in the Mid-South is the tarnished plant bug. Of course, we still have the other species, which include fleahoppers and clouded plant bugs. Plant bugs are insects with piercing mouthparts that can damage all fruiting structures, including squares, flowers and bolls. Damaged fruit in cotton leads to square shedding or damaged bolls that either leads to yield loss or quality issues. You must watch your thresholds during flowering or post-bloom cotton, which is typically three tarnished plant bugs per 5-row feet. Sampling varies by plant stage where pre-bloom cotton is sampled with sweep nets or square retention counts while drop cloths are still used later in the season for post-bloom cotton. Many consultants make quick assessments of white blooms for dirty bloom counts. I suspect plant bug populations will be higher this year due to later planting and the increase in corn acres across the Mid-South. Many Transform WG insecticide applications will begin during early flowering cotton once threshold levels are reached at the rate of 1.5-2 ounces per acre followed by a sequential application 10-14 days later when needed for heavy infestations. I’ve also heard many consultants say they like the residual component of Transform, especially when dealing with plant bug adults and immatures. The Isoclast active ingredient has minimal impact on beneficials and doesn’t flare spider mites. It’s also the only insecticide in the Group 4C class and moves in the leaf with translaminar (local systemic) activity. This means it can protect both sides of the leaf, providing residual control of plant bugs through contact and ingestion. Most consultants apply Transform after cotton begins to bloom and either tankmixed or rotated with other chemistries with different modes of action. Remember, it’s a standalone insecticide in its own class of chemistry, which makes Transform a great rotational partner for integrated pest management. Anytime we can add a different class of chemistry to the consultant’s program that doesn’t flare the wrong bugs, growers are ahead. I know it’s been extremely tough this year, but GOOD LUCK for the balance of the growing season.

• B.S. and M.S., agronomy with an emphasis in soil and weed science, University of Arkansas • Assumes new role Aug. 5 as District Sales Leader, Mid-South Region, Corteva Agriscience • Past president of the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Science Alumni Board • Involved in the 20th Annual Delta Scholarship Golf Classic with the University of Arkansas Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Alumni Board. This event has raised about $450,000 since its inception. • Married to Kelly for 27 years. Two children: 17-year-old twins, daughter Shea and son Jas • Enjoys being outdoors, golfing, fishing and traveling

Recap: Multiple Benefits Good For Growers t 1. The major challenge from plant bugs is in post-bloom cotton when both adult and immature populations begin to build. 2. Watch your thresholds during flowering or post-bloom cotton, which is typically three tarnished plant bugs per 5-row feet. 3. Many Transform WG insecticide applications will begin during early flowering cotton once threshold levels are reached at the rate of 1.5-2 ounces per acre followed by a sequential application 10-14 days later when needed for heavy infestations. 4. I’ve also heard many consultants say they like the residual component of Transform, especially when dealing with plant bug adults and immatures. 5. The Isoclast active ingredient has minimal impact on beneficials and doesn’t flare spider mites.

Sponsored by

The Newby family has enjoyed the farming lifestyle for seven generations in Athens, Alabama. Conserving resources plays a big role in their cotton production practices. Continued from page 9

Wrangler Rooted Collection

As Lassiter says, “Farming is part experience, part art, part science and a lot of faith.” Supporting U.S. Cotton For its part in creating the “Rooted Collection,” Wrangler says this endeavor reflects their commitment to strengthening local communities and supporting U.S. farmers. Tom Waldron, president of Wrangler, says, “Equally important, the introduction of this collection aligns with our goal to continually improve the environmental performance and traceability of our products.” Besides being 100% locally grown, each piece of the limited, premium line is also milled, cut and sewn in the United States. The company launched the Wrangler Science and Conservation Program in 2017 to advocate for land stewardship and soil health best practices in the supply chain. Wrangler’s sustainable cotton program partners now include Cotton Incorporated, Soil Health Institute, the E3 growing platform, Field to Market, Texas Alliance for Water Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina

The Wrangler Rooted Collection is a limited, premium line made from 100% sustainable, locally sourced cotton. Each piece is grown, milled, cut and sewn in the United States, helping to ensure America’s denim heritage for future generations. The collection features five state-specific designs. For example, the Tennessee Jean is made with 100% sustainable cotton from Pugh Farms, a family farm in Halls, Tennessee. The jean has a unique wash, as well as trim and patch details featuring the state’s silhouette and other embellishments. The Pughs and the four other family farms who are supplying cotton to the Rooted Collection are the original growers in the Wrangler Science and Conservation program, which advocates for land stewardship and best practices for soil health. These science-backed methods build crop resilience to weather disruptions while improving yield, reducing water and energy inputs, fighting erosion, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Wrangler aims to source 100 percent of its cotton from farms using soil health practices by 2025. The Rooted Collection with sustainably sourced cotton is all-American, from the farm to the fabric to the cut and sew operations. The collection includes:  The Alabama Jean from Newby Family Farms of Athens, Alabama.  The Georgia Jean from McLendon Acres of Leary, Georgia.  The North Carolina Jean from Lassiter Family Farms of Conway, North Carolina.  The Texas Jean from Vance and Mandie Smith of Big Spring, Texas. The jeans are cut and sewn by Excel Manufacturing in El Paso, Texas. Wrangler contributed this information.

All of the row crops — including cotton — on the Lassiter family farm in Conway, North Carolina, are in no-till production. Pictured from left are Donny and Jamie, Bobby and Debbie, and Sarah and Mark Lassiter.

COTTON FARMING | AUGUST 2019

State University, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and others. By 2020, Wrangler’s goal is to leverage collaborative training and improvement programs for its cotton farmers to enhance the sustainability of both the fiber supply and the U.S. cotton industry at large. COTTONFARMING.COM

Industry News EPA Registers Transform’s Active Ingredient For Cotton The Environmental Protection Agency has registered sulfoxaflor — the active ingredient in Transform WG from Corteva Agriscience — for several crops, including cotton. State registrations are pending. “This decision is supported by substantial data on human health and environmental affects, including many new studies on the effects of the insecticide on bees,” Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said during a dial-in press conference. “This will help growers all over America by making available an effective tool to control challenging pests with much lower environmental impacts.” In cotton and sorghum, the product had been used under a Section 18 — emergency use exemption — for the past few seasons. The recent actions mean Section 18 exemptions will no longer be required, and the uses under which the Section 18 had been granted will now be registered uses, Dunn says. In cotton, sulfoxaflor is used to control tarnished plant bug, also known as lygus. In sorghum, it is used to control sugar cane aphid. Corteva Agriscience, the product’s registrant, welcomed the news. “The new and distinct mode of action will play a pivotal role in efforts to inhibit the increasing incidence of insect resistance to current insecticides,” Bridgette Readel, Corteva market development specialist, said in a statement. EPA’s decision also drew praise from the National Cotton Council. “We appreciate EPA’s decision to make sulfoxaflor available for use on cotton,” NCC Chairman Mike Tate, an Alabama cotton producer, said in a statement. “EPA has been diligent in requesting new studies of sulfoxaflor use on cotton and other crops that provided additional data for the agency’s scientific review per court order.”

28 States Register Nufarm’s Nematicidal Seed Treatment Nufarm Americas Inc. has gained approval in 28 states for its new seed-applied nematicide, Trunemco, for use in soybeans, corn and cotton. TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

This follows Environmental Protection Agency registration in May. States in which it is now registered include Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina and North Carolina. For the latest in state registrations, visit Nufarm. The seed-applied nematicide is expected to be available for the 2020 crop year. Trunemco contains the active ingredients Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain MBI 600 — a strain of natu-

rally occurring non-pathogenic soil bacterium — and cis-jasmone. B. amyloliquefaciens produces chiti-nase, an enzyme that digests or deforms chitin, a major structural component of nematodes. Chitinase also may interfere with nematode egg hatching. A natural plant stress elicitor, cisjasmone has been shown in research to act on specific genes, resulting in a defense response against certain plant-feeding pests.

MAKE EVERY SEED COUNT MONITORING & MEASUREMENT

GREG HOWARD Dalhart, Texas

TECHNOLOGY ‘SETS PLANTER UP FOR SUCCESS’ “Our family farm operation grows cotton, yellow and white food corn and alfalfa in the Texas Panhandle. We’ve worked with Precision Planting technology for a while. Every year, we look at the new technology they come out with to see if it will improve the job of planting on our operation to get off to a good start, which is so important. “The electric drive on each row unit does away with the chains and shafts so we get more consistent seed placement. This technology does a good job of getting the spacing right so the plants are all a similar size. It really sets the planter up for success. “The 20|20 monitor lets us look at a lot of information on a row-by-row basis to fine-tune the planter. One feature is the Good Ride reading for each row that shows how smooth it is on the row unit, which helps determine optimum speed. One goal in planting is to get as uniform emergence as possible, which increases yield potential. “Using the SpeedTube, we are able to plant up to 7.5 mph at 99.9% singulation to cover as many acres as possible, especially with cotton. Our best cotton yields are normally the first-planted fields. WaveVision allows us to accurately keep up with our seed population even in dusty conditions. “DeltaForce does a marvelous job of keeping the right ground contact to help with placing seed at the right depth. The 20|20 monitor allows us to see that we have 100% ground contact and are running with the right down pressure setting to limit compaction. If the planter hits a soft spot, DeltaForce adjusts for that and doesn’t allow the seed to be planted too deep. You don’t want the seed to run out of vigor before it gets out of the ground, and you don’t want it planted too shallow and dry out in windy conditions. We also have CleanSweep cylinders that move the corn residue to the side so the wheels on the individual row units ride on smooth, flat ground to keep seed depth consistent. “Precision Planting technology helps us be more consistent from one side of the farm to the other. It’s a plus.” 20|20®, DeltaForce® and Precision Planting® are registered trademarks of Precision Planting LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2019 Precision Planting LLC.

precisionplanting.com AUGUST 2019 | COTTON FARMING

Specialists Speaking Eyeballing The Cotton Crop ALABAMA Steve M. Brown Our Alabama crop is all over the board in terms of growth stage and condition. I’ve seen good, bad and ugly… and late. Struggles have been many. High mid-May temperatures and lack of rain interrupted the planting cycle. Stands are erratic in places. May, June and early July rains were very spotty. Thrips and aphid pressure was often extreme, while spider mites, plant bugs and stink bugs have been plentiful. Pigweed and morningglories were as hard to control as ever. We don’t have an exceptional crop, but rains in late July and August could resurrect some cotton to good and propel other fields to really good. At this stage, a couple of key inputs can help maximize potential. Most importantly, don’t give up bolls to stink bugs. The last few days of July and all of August are prime time for boll development and bug damage. Stink bugs feed on seed and introduce pathogens into the boll, reducing both yield and quality. When walking fields, I frequently crack young bolls (about the size of a quarter in diameter) to look for signs of internal damage in the form of warts or callous tissue on the inside of the boll wall and general discoloration in, on or around seed. If they exceed thresholds, stink bugs can be a profit-killer. Obviously, intervention for stink bugs should coincide with considerations about worm pressure. Foliar fertilization is a secondary management input that may boost fields with good potential. Foliar nitrogen in the form of urea or similar products can be useful if at-plant or sidedress N rates were borderline and plant growth and color are suspect. Potassium is a little tricky. As bolls develop, K moves rapidly from the leaves to seed. Even with adequate soil levels and good fertility programs, heat stress can limit K uptake in pre-bloom cotton, resulting in deficiencies during boll fill. Foliar K can sustain the plant a little longer and may make a difference in situations with marginal K levels in plant tissues. Admittedly, foliar fertilization provides only incremental amounts of N or K but can help finish a good crop. smb0165@auburn.edu

significantly to yield and profit. It is this group of bolls and their development that we base our end-of-season decisions by accumulated heat units (HU) or DD60s beyond the date of cutout. General termination guidelines include plant bug, cutout + 250 HU; bollworm and tobacco budworm, cutout + 350 HU; irrigation, cutout + 350 to 650 HU; stink bug, cutout + 450 HU; defoliating insects, cutout + 500 HU; harvest aid initiation, cutout + 850 HU. For more information, contact your local county Extension agent. brobertson@uaex.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper Scattered rainfall has continued to fall over the past few weeks, and here on July 12 we are expecting a tropical storm to provide another large rain in the coming days. Our crop is growing rapidly, and aggressive plant growth regulator applications are being made across most of our acres. Late May-planted cotton is not quite blooming yet, but we will likely have blooms in most of our crop by July 17. Light thrips pressure on our early planted cotton transitioned to very high levels on our late-planted cotton, but (to date) plant bug numbers have generally been low and retention has been high. Although I would have preferred to have more of our cotton planted at an earlier date, the West Tennessee crop appears to fall in the good to excellent range. I’ll be posting a blog during the first few weeks of August about the last effective bloom date. Understanding what that date means and how it affects management decisions is extremely important to maximize profitability. Investing resources to protect fruiting bodies that develop after this date is a gamble. Based on historical weather data, there will be a less than 50% chance that those bolls will mature and make it into the picker. Keep an eye out for that article on news.utcrops.com. As always, reach out to your local Extension agent if you have any questions or concerns. traper@utk.edu

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds

Mother Nature has certainly kept this season interesting. At this writing, things are coming on pretty well pre-Barry. Some of our older cotton looks really good. It started with plenty of horsepower with a lot of fields at nine to 10 nodes above white flower at first flower. Some of the younger cotton has struggled a bit, and nodes above white flower won’t be quite as good but still not bad. As these remarks are being prepared, Tropical Storm Barry is in southern Louisiana. The gorilla in the corner of the room is how much rain and other storm-related issues will arise from its passing. Most are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Tracking maturity by monitoring nodes above white flower from first flower to cutout (NAWF=5) can offer great insight on the condition and potential of the crop. As we approach this time of the season, we are interested in using this tool to aid in crop termination. The first fields planted are not always the first to reach cutout. Establishing the date of cutout (NAWF=5) for each field is important to identify the last cohort or group of bolls that will contribute

Tropical Storm Barry made an appearance during mid-July; however, rainfall appeared to be heavier in east Mississippi than in the Delta. While rain was substantial in some areas, we may have dodged the first bullet since October 2018. Open bolls will likely not be a common sight until late August or early September this year compared to mid-August in years past. Managing this crop throughout August and into September will become a balancing act. Our last effective bloom date, or the one on which a bloom has a good chance of maturing and making it into the picker basket, generally occurs during the third week of August, depending on location in Mississippi. Fall weather is unpredictable, but some thought should be given to pushing management a bit later than normal given the lateness of this crop. There is no guarantee we will have a long fall and that prolonged management will pay off. However, to maximize potential yield, conduct a thorough examination of predicted weather. We desperately need warm temperatures until early to mid-October to ensure fruit maturation on this crop. dmd76@pss.msstate.edu

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Specialists Speaking LOUISIANA Dan Fromme This year’s cotton is extremely variable due to the difference in planting dates from the last week of April through the second week of June. Excessive rainfall and replanting earlier in the season is responsible for the alteration in planting dates. Growth ranges from the five- to six-leaf stage to the second week of bloom. From a statewide perspective, the crop at best can be considered in the fair to good range. For the first part of July, temperatures were around the mid 90s during the day and the upper 70s at night. The first part of July was dry. Irrigation started across the state during the last week of June. However, Louisiana did experience rainfall from Tropical Storm Barry that came in out of the Gulf. As of July 11, cotton producers were concentrating on controlling plant bugs and bollworms. According to Dr. Sebe Brown, entomologist with the Louisiana State University AgCenter, treatment thresholds for Bollgard II, Twinlink and WideStrike cotton are when the presence of 20% eggs per 100 plants is found. For Bollgard III, WideStrike 3 and Twinlink Plus cotton, recommended treatment thresholds are when 6% fruit injury with the presence of live larvae is found. Also, Dr. Trey Price, plant pathologist with the LSU AgCenter, reports that no bacterial blight or target spot has been found in commercial cotton fields. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

OKLAHOMA Seth Byrd The 2019 cotton season got off to a slow start in Oklahoma. But as we reach the mid-point, the overall status of the crop has improved. Once stands were established and the first two to three true leaves were developed, favorable weather conditions became more prevalent, and crop progress during the second half of June into July was tremendous. As of mid-July, cotton planted early to mid-May is flowering with most of the rest of the crop putting on squares. Weed issues have been largely controlled as warmer and dryer conditions have slowed flushes and allowed for timely post-emergence applications. Insect pressure has also been light, with no reports of any major outbreaks so far.

Early season struggles still had an enormous effect, namely in planted acres and the condition of the remaining crop. Large areas in the central, northwest and panhandle regions that were planted failed to produce a stand, and producers turned to alternative crops. In the north central and eastern areas of the state, wet conditions prevented growers in many areas from planting summer crops all together. For a large number of acres that remain, the crop is two to three weeks behind where it should be, due to either delayed planting, delayed emergence and/or slow early season progress. It is already apparent we’ll be reliant on a clear, mild September and perhaps ﬁrst half of October to reach the yield goals many had set during the winter. seth.byrd@okstate.edu

GEORGIA Mark Freeman The Georgia crop started out extremely well with just about perfect planting conditions in late April and early May before coming to a screeching halt from the lack of moisture and extreme heat in mid- to late May. Since then, the crop has progressed quite nicely and yield potential looks strong across most of the state. Because our crop has a lot of variability in terms of maturity, peak bloom in Georgia could fall anywhere from July 1 to the middle of August. Maintaining adequate soil moisture is critical for top yields. Monitoring soil moisture and scheduling irrigations can be done either by using a soil moisture sensor system or by following the checkbook approach. In either strategy, water demand increases after ﬁrst bloom with peak water requirements in the third and fourth weeks following bloom, then decreasing each week after until irrigation ceases at 10% open boll. As I write this July 8, the forecast shows a high chance of rainfall for the next 10 days and even the possibility of some tropical weather on the way. With this moisture comes the risk of foliar diseases such as target spot and areolate mildew. As we learned in 2017 and 2018, areolate mildew can quickly defoliate the canopy if left unchecked. Scouting for and monitoring foliar diseases should be done thoroughly and frequently. If fungicides are needed, quickly address the issue with effective products. It is also important to be able to correctly

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CARROLL SMITH

Oklahoma cotton specialist Seth Byrd says cotton planted early to mid-May is flowering with most of the rest of the crop putting on squares.

Specialists Speaking identify foliar diseases as some are related to nutrient deficiencies and fungicide applications may not be effective. For more detailed information regarding irrigation or pest management, please visit ugacotton.com or contact your local University of Georgia Extension agent. markfree@uga.edu

short by an early freeze. As field activities pick up and folks get their post-emergence auxin herbicide applications out, always remember to follow the product labels. We need to continue being good stewards of the technologies, and keeping herbicides on target will go a long way in helping us with that goal. mmaeda@ag.tamu.edu

FLORIDA David Wright

MISSOURI Calvin Meeks

Cotton has gotten off to a relatively good start and has been actively blooming for several weeks. There is always the question about applying late or foliar nitrogen on cotton after a sidedress application during squaring or early bloom. In general, we do not recommend nitrogen after the third week of bloom. Our studies indicate that late nitrogen does not add yield unless there is poor boll set due to insects or other factors. Petiole samples may show low nitrates in the plant in late bloom (it is natural for nitrates to decrease with maturity), but applications after that period do not add yield in most cases. Growers tend to want their crop to maintain a deep green color throughout cotton growth and development, but this stimulates vegetative growth without enhancing yield. If late foliar applications have been a normal practice, I would encourage you to split a field to see what effect it has on your farm if adequate nitrogen has been applied earlier. wright@ufl.edu

The Fourth of July brought us some flowering cotton here in the Missouri Bootheel, but the latest Crop Progress and Condition Report shows only 15% of the cotton is squaring, putting it behind the five-year average of 62%. From my observations, I’d say squaring and flowering are a good bit further along than the report indicates. The bump in temperature at the beginning of July should help build heat units nicely. As of this writing, the cotton appears to have great yield potential, but I have concerns about the high rainfall levels. We have been considerably wetter than normal, and hopefully this tropical system doesn’t make its way northward. Cotton crop conditions were rated rather poorly in the Crop Progress and Condition Report due to the abundant rainfall. Some growers in drier areas are holding off irrigating due to the lack of root growth. With the bloom period upon us, the plants’ water needs increase from 1 inch per week to 2 inches during the third and fourth weeks of bloom. Peak bloom will occur the last two weeks of July, and water demands will taper off as we move into August. Cotton during this period will transition from needing 2 inches of rain per week to 1-1.5 inches during the final stages of bloom. Regardless, the crop is currently growing rapidly. A final plant growth regulator application will be needed to ensure sufficient crop earliness, especially if higher temperatures hang around and we keeping getting large amounts of rain. An emphasis on plant bug and bollworm control for the remainder of the season should be on everyone’s minds. Also keep an eye out for target spot. Stink bugs are a possibility as well with some already showing up as I write this. Hopefully, the 2019 Missouri cotton crop will catch fall weather similar to 2017 with rain during August to help finish it out. A warm, dry start to the fall will allow for timely defoliation applications and an on-schedule harvest. meeksc@missouri.edu

TEXAS Murilo Maeda The cotton crop is moving along nicely in Texas despite having gone through somewhat of a rough start. As has happened for the past 66 years, the nation’s first bale of cotton for the 2019 season has been delivered in the Rio Grande Valley. The FM1944 GLB2 variety was grown and picked in Hidalgo County. In the Coastal Bend, the crop is at cut-out, and there are already quite a few cracked bolls. Dr. Josh McGinty, Extension agronomist in Corpus Christi says the area has been rather dry and hot the past few weeks of June into early July. Some afternoon heat and moisture stress is visible for the first time this season around the region. One more good rain would help finish the crop, but the forecast doesn’t look too promising. Yields in South Texas will be variable. Some of the early planted cotton that survived the blowing sand is looking great and will easily make 2.25 bales. Some late fields that were replanted a couple times will be lucky to make 1.5 bales. The Upper Gulf Coast has had some problems with stink bugs and bollworms, but we’ve seen no trouble with them in the Corpus Christi area just yet. Farther up the state into the Rolling Plains, seed in many fields went in the ground late due to the continuous rain during planting season. However, it started to dry out late June into the first week of July. Fleahoppers showed up in the area, with some fields needing treatment. Dr. Emi Kimura, Extension agronomist in Vernon, says the crop looks good overall, but it is critical to keep fields weed-free to achieve high yield potential. In the High Plains and Panhandle of Texas, we have finally warmed up and many fields are well into squaring. For the most part, fields are looking good, but running a little late. A good round of showers across the region the first weekend of July definitely benefited the dryland crop. As we enter the crop’s reproductive stage, folks need to continue keeping an eye on insect, weed and disease pressure. In early July, there were several reports of fleahopper in the region so farmers should not let their guard down. Making sure we have good early fruit retention is always important and may be crucial this year in particular if the season is cut

COTTON FARMING | AUGUST 2019

NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten As I write this, many areas of the state are dry or on the verge of being dry. This makes growth regulator application decisions difficult. People are wondering if the cotton will take off growing if we get some rain and debating whether to apply a plant growth regulator to prevent excessive growth. We should think of when and why we use PGRs. They are most effective to help control growth until boll load is heavy enough to take over. Most of the cotton is blooming and developing a boll load that should prevent too much excessive growth. This should happen by the time this article comes out in August. PGR applications are seldom warranted in August if the cotton is near cut-out. The exception would be for late cotton that does not have a boll load or in a situation where a lot of insect damage has decreased the boll load. PGR applications in August may make the cotton look a little more uniform, but we have never seen any yield advantage, ease of defoliation or earliness with August applications to cotton with a decent boll load. August should be a time to take care of any possible remaining insect issues and spend some time with your kids and/or grandkids! keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

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For 12 years, the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association has provided an opportunity for college students to experience the cotton ginning industry firsthand through its summer intern program. For 2019, three young people are onboard. They were chosen from a roster of eight well-qualified applicants. This year’s interns are Kalin Clark, Texas A&M University; Garrett Gallagher, Texas A&M University; and Brendon Mikeska, Texas Tech University. Clark is from Azle, Texas, near Fort Worth and will be completing a degree in biological and agricultural engineering in December. He has a good mechanical background and enjoys working on small engines. Clark has worked in several shops and is a skilled fabricator and mechanic. He is working at Oasis Gin Inc. in Seminole and the United Ag Co-op Inc. in El Campo. Gallagher is from Orange Grove, Texas, near Corpus Christi. He is working to complete his degree in agricultural systems management in May 2020. Gallagher is a trained welder and is familiar with plasma arc cutting. He has also been involved with farming and ranching throughout his childhood and adult life. Gallagher’s summer internship is at Texas Producers Cooperative in Sudan and Amherst and Edcot Co-op Gin in Odem. Mikeska is from Wingate, Texas, near San Angelo. His parents are Brent and Sherri Mikeska, owners of Wingate Gin in Runnels County. Mikeska has grown up around the gin and is currently working to complete his degree in applied economics at Texas Tech University. He has work experience at Wingate Gin and Runnels Grain Co. Last summer, he interned for Lummus Corp., where he assisted in constructing and repairing gin machinery throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Mikeska has also served as a field technician for Lubbock Electric. This summer, he is working at Lubbock Cotton Growers and Coastal Plains Gin in Mathis. As the TCGA interns make their way through the summer experience, here is what they have to report.

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Kalin Clark — Texas A&M University “So far, my time at the Oasis Gin North plant has been a very busy and excitingly new experience. We have been hard at work recovering from a fire that recently wreaked havoc throughout the entire gin. Unfortunately, the fire rendered much of the gin unusable, and a massive rebuilding process is currently underway. I have had the opportunity to be on the front lines of this massive undertaking. I have been assigned to a small crew of gin technicians, and every day we are actively in the gin installing and repairing crucial ginning components. “One of the first undertakings my crew and I had was to install new cylinders in an inclined cleaner. This proved no easy task as each cylinder is extremely heavy. We had to use a series of chain hoists to maneuver each individual cylinder into its correct position. On top of that, the new cylinders did not fit perfectly, and with their bearings mounted still rubbed on the steel around the outside of the shafts. To solve this problem, we had to use a

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torch to carefully cut away at the steel until the shafts had enough clearance to spin freely without rubbing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another major undertaking my team was tasked with was to recondition the ďŹ rst stage hot shelf dryers of the gin. These shelves are the original ones and were not damaged in the ďŹ re, but they did require some reconditioning due to many years of ginning. To accomplish this, we pulled off the front covers and blew out all the debris that had collected over the years. Once that was done, we cut a few holes with the torch in the side and welded in some brackets so that a plate could be bolted over the holes we cut. The purpose of this was if a ďŹ re were to start within the shelves, gin hands would have easier access to extinguish them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Due to all the new fans, burners and cyclones being added to the gin during this re-building process, it was necessary to amend the previous air permit for the gin. With the help of the TCGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kelley Green and the North plants, manager, Jackie Culpepper, I have been hard at work getting all the new and needed information on this equipment gathered so we can apply for the air permit and be ready to go for the upcoming ginning season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have learned a great deal about the ginning industry during my time at Oasis Gin Inc. and have met even more great people. I am forever thankful for the opportunity they have given me and how they have accepted me as one of their own. I will miss all the guys here greatly and plan to stay in touch with them as I continue my future endeavors. However, I look forward to heading to El Campo and meeting up with the folks at United Agricultural Cooperative for the second half of my internship. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see what new things they have for me to do and learn!â&#x20AC;?

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Garrett Gallagher — Texas A&M University “I have been working for Guyle Roberson at Texas Producers Cooperative. Texas Producers has two gins, one in Sudan and the other in Amherst. The ﬁrst week and a half, I worked alongside Joe — the Sudan superintendent — and his crew as they inspected the burr rack for damages from the previous ginning season and made repairs as necessary. We then began installing augers that had been rebalanced into the distributor. Next, I made my way over to the Amherst Gin where Gilbert — the Amherst superintendent — and his crew were beginning to do yearly maintenance on the Lummus gin stands. We discovered that one of the stands needed brand new sawblades and brushes, which we replaced. “I have also had the great opportunity to work with Guyle one on one. Texas Producers Co-op not only has two gins, but also a gas station, store, auto repair shop and agronomy team. This one-on-one mentorship has helped me understand how each division operates and how a gin manager with a diverse operation makes management and business decisions. I have also attended the most recent PYCO Industries, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association and Farmers Cooperative Compress meetings, which has furthered my knowledge about the cotton industry. Finally, Guyle has also shown me the importance of making sure your producers, employees and customers feel appreciated. “Overall, I have really enjoyed the internship. Never having been in a gin before, I have learned a lot and look forward to learning as much as I can. After this ﬁrst part of the internship is over, I will move to the EdCot Co-op Gin in Odem, which is run by Sid Brough. I would like to thank Guyle Roberson and everyone from Sudan and Amherst for allowing me the opportunity to come and learn from y’all and experience the West Texas lifestyle.”

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Brendon Mikeska — Texas Tech University “I have been working at Lubbock Cotton Growers in Lubbock and have enjoyed my time here at the gin so far, primarily working on repairs throughout the gin. The first day of the job, I met the manager, Jerry Butman. We spent most of the day talking and then traveled to Brownfield to see progress on a gin that was purchased by Lubbock Cotton Growers. This gin is currently in progress to be shipped to a buyer in Brazil. After wrapping up the first day, I proceeded to work in the gin. I have been here the majority of my time. We put up a second trash line to the burr house and installed two more cyclones on top of the burr house. After this project, we moved to the inside of the gin and repaired the pushers on two presses. After cleaning everything, we changed out the belts and chain and replaced all the bearings on the belt feed before the pusher. “About halfway through the month, I accompanied Mr. Butman to a PYCO Industries meeting. In July, I traveled to Mathis to work for John Steelhammer at Coastal Plains Gin. I would like to thank Aaron Nelsen and TCGA for giving me this opportunity.” TCGA contributed this information.

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My Turn Hooked On Cotton

grew up in Harmony, wanted me to get the experience of picking cotNorth Carolina, a ton, so I did that day. I remember thinking that small town in the this was a momentous sad occasion. Nobody grew cotton commercially after that. Piedmont. Our farm primarily had beef cat- But one old man, Mr. Bolin, grew four rows of tle, beans, corn and small cotton along Highway 901 near our farm. I got to grain all grown on the typ- know Mr. Bolin as he was a bee expert and my ical red clay soils of the father became allergic to bees. I had to take over the bees and Mr. Bolin helped me. He also taught Piedmont. My father and grandfa- me how to catch baby skunks and other things a ther farmed together. We young boy needed to know. I asked him why he Keith had a 5-acre cotton allot- grew the patch of cotton each year as it was never ment, but we quit growing harvested. He said he didn’t want the kids to forEdmisten cotton when I was young. get what cotton looked like. Mr. Bolin tweaked my Small cotton and tobacco interest about cotton as he told me stories about it. All this made me interested in cotton, but allotments were common in my area at the southern end of the Old Tobacco Belt at that time. We the thing that really hooked me was going to quit growing cotton before I was able to fully par- Mississippi. I took Will McCarty’s position as ticipate, but it was picked by hand. Fortunately or area agronomist for the southern half of Mississippi when he unfortunately, I got to have plenty of experi“I asked Mr. Bolin why he grew moved to Starkville to take George Muldenence priming, topping the patch of cotton each year.” dore’s place as state and hanging tobacco. cotton specialist. Everyone used stick I could work with all the crops there, but two barns until about the time I went to college. I remember looking up Cecil sandy loam — the things drew me to cotton. Will took me under his wing, and I loved to predominate soil on our farm when I was taking soil classification at North Carolina State hear him talk about the intricacies of growing University. The soil description called it a yellow- cotton, defoliating cotton, etc. I could tell right ish-brown topsoil. I thought they must have made off the bat that cotton was a complicated crop, a a mistake because our soil was red from top to perennial by nature crop we grow as an annual. bottom except along the creeks. When I learned it The cotton growers seemed to be more serious was because the topsoil had all eroded, I thought and better managers than some growers of other about something I had heard growing up, “cotton commodities. They had to be, cotton demanded it. robs the land.” I remembered this, but later came I was hooked! I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to the realization that cotton doesn’t “rob the land,” but the way we grew cotton — cultivating to work with many great specialists, researchers and cotton producers. I really owe a lot to people all the time — did cause erosion. I was working at Mississippi State in the late like Will McCarty, Charlie Burmester, Ron Smith, ’80s when conservation tillage came along. I Jack Bacheler, Alan York, etc. My greatest professional blessing is to see my remember many experienced cotton folks did not think it would work due to the relatively poor former graduate students contribute to the cotton seedling vigor cotton had. But no-till allowed cot- industry. In fact, I now get to work side by side with one of my former students — Guy Collins. I ton to come back in my part of the state. A few years after we quit growing cotton, my wish I could work more closely with all of them. father took me to a neighbor’s cotton field when — Keith Edmisten I was in the fourth or fifth grade. He told me this Raleigh, North Carolina was the last cotton field in my county. The local kledmist@ncsu.edu gin would be closing after that year. My father

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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