Brian Pieralisi, Extension cotton specialist, said planting date made a big di erence in how cotton fared across the state this year.
10 FROM SKY TO FIELD
MSU pioneers explore next-gen ag drones with a U.S.-based drone manufacturer to innovate groundbreaking unmanned aircra system technology.
19 COTTON RESEARCHER KUDOS
Keerti Rathore, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife plant biotechnology, has been named the International Cotton Advisory Committee Researcher of the Year.
20 GINNERS MARKETPLACE
the official publication of the ginning industry e Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association releases its summer intern reports and features a Q&A with Wesley Neuendor and Nathan Haden.
The Cotton Winter Nursery was established in Mexico nearly 70 years ago, but in 2015 it was relocated to a new facility five miles northwest of Liberia, Costa Rica. The location was chosen primarily because of the suitable cotton-growing environment, affordable labor force, available water and reliable flights. Its goal is to help maintain the profitability and sustainability of U.S. cotton production.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
“JT” Johnson, with the aid of other contacts and colleagues at UGA, has helped Brantley Gilbert, country rock singer and songwriter, transform his Jackson County, Georgia, farm into a sustainable area of wildlife management. “When I found this farm, I knew it was the one. I knew we were going to hold onto it for a long time,” Gilbert said. Go to www.cottonfarming. com for this Web Exclusive report.
Editor’s Note
Carroll Smith
More Than One Way To Scout A Crop
When I was about eight years old, my dad would take me to the farm on Sunday afternoons to see how the cotton crop looked. He usually switched up which horse he would ride, but I always rode my trusty Quarter Horse Mr. Lawman. The man we bought him from had already named him, so we didn’t see any reason to change it since that was the name he was used to.
Even as a child, I remember being amazed that Dad would get back in the saddle after his favorite horse was accidentally shot out from under him while hunting in Tensas Parish as a teenager. But, he did. There was work to do, and doing it by horseback just made sense at the time.
On our Sunday outings, I had fun riding down the turnrow, taking in all the sights and sounds of nature. Dad’s eyes, on the other hand, were constantly moving across the field looking for anything that might pose a threat to the cotton crop. One of the main culprits he searched for was what all the farmers in our area called the “devil weed” — better known to most as morningglory.
If he saw one along the edge of the field, he slid off his saddle, pulled it up by the roots and threw it out on the turnrow where it would be picked up the next day and destroyed to prevent it from reestablishing itself. If he spotted a morningglory in the field, he rode out there, pulled it up by the roots and dropped it on the turnrow as well.
At that time, the crop consulting profession was in its infancy, so Dad did the best he could by himself. He later hired Roger Carter, owner of Agricultural Management Services in Clayton, Louisiana, as his consultant, which was a gamechanger in terms of increasing efficiency and profitability on the farm.
As far as getting around to scout, many consultants swear by walking the rows — putting footprints in the field. Some still travel by horseback, while others have tried out dirt bikes, motorcycles and ATVs. A popular option today is the side-by-side — or four-wheeled utility terrain vehicle. And as technology advances even further, drones are becoming an effective crop scouting tool.
If you’re wondering why I am talking about consultants and scouting while the pickers are getting ready to roll, it’s because we just wrapped up the 2024 Cotton Consultant of the Year award program and are looking forward to announcing the winner in February. Plus, it’s a good excuse to revisit those Sunday afternoons scouting the cotton fields on horseback with my dad.
Here’s hoping you have a bountiful harvest!
Carroll
If you have comments, please send them to: Cotton Farming Magazine, 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN 38138.
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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
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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.
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Cotton’s Agenda
Gary Adams
NCC Champions Coalition For Crucial Farm Bill
The farm bill is typically passed every five years and supports the nation’s farmers through a variety of safety net, credit, conservation and other vital programs.
What unique strategy has the National Cotton Council implemented to support the passage of the farm bill?
■ In response to the economic conditions affecting the nation’s farmers, the National Cotton Council spearheaded an initiative that led over 300 national and state groups to send a letter to congressional leaders, urging them to pass the farm bill before the end of the year. Various farm groups, which typically do not meet with Congressional offices together, united to present a cohesive front. This strategy involved representatives from the National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, U.S. Peanut Federation, National Sorghum Producers, USA Rice Federation, American Bankers Association, and the Farm Credit Council.
The National Cotton Council organized multiple commodity groups and lenders in visits to nearly 100 House and Senate offices.
What was the purpose of this unified meeting with Congressional offices?
■ The purpose was for Members of Congress to hear directly from farmers of all commodities and regions of the country about the challenges they are facing. The goal was to highlight the consequences of inaction for farmers, especially when
they seek their 2025 operating loans. The groups met with nearly one hundred offices across the House and Senate, including key Congressional leadership, over two days in Washington, D.C.
What prompted this coordinated effort by the farm groups?
■ This effort came on the heels of a letter outlining the dire straits of the farm economy and the need for assistance this year, which was signed by 304 agriculture groups. The letter emphasized the critical need for Congress to pass a new farm bill that strengthens the safety net for farmers. The letter and Fly-In included a press strategy, organized by the NCC, to bring broader attention to the challenges farmers are facing. This resulted in coverage by various media outlets.
What are some key points from the letter to Congressional leaders?
■ The letter highlighted several critical issues, noting that the farm economy is in a downward spiral, with many producers facing multiple years of unprofitability. It projected that the estimated 2024 net farm income for U.S. agriculture would be down by more than 27% from 2022 levels. Additionally, federal support for production agriculture in 2024 is expected to be at its lowest since 1982. The letter also emphasized that the farm safety net has not kept pace with inflation and is inadequate to provide effective relief, underscoring the need for a durable farm safety net, strong federal crop insurance, and enhanced international marketing and promotion programs.
What is the expected outcome of this initiative?
■ The farm groups hope that Congress will act before the end of the year to pass a new farm bill that strengthens farm policy for America’s farmers. Failure to do so could leave thousands of family farms without options to continue producing in 2025 and beyond.
Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America.
Mississippi’s Summer Drought Impact
Cotton Planting Dates Made A Difference This Year
This summer felt not only hot and dry, but close to half of Mississippi was in moderate to severe drought and temperatures were mostly in the 90s throughout August.
Mike Brown, the state climatologist and Mississippi State University professor of meteorology, said much of the northern two-thirds of the state fluctuated between drought and adequate moisture.
“Warm temperatures, lower humidity and lack of precipitation pushed us into a drought,” Brown said.
This year’s drought was made worse by the drought of 2023.
“While precipitation returned to normal in most locations toward the end of this past year and early into 2024, normal was not enough to offset deep soil moisture losses from 2023,” he said. “We needed to have several months of 110% to 125% of normal rainfall in order to recharge our deep soil moisture.”
The weather was expected to turn a bit cooler and become wetter in late September or early October.
Pastures Hit Hard
Pastures and hay fields may have struggled the most in this summer’s dry weather, and their quality has dropped.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 27% of pastures were in very poor or poor condition. Of these pastures, 37% were in fair shape, 33% were good and just 3% were in excellent condition.
Hay was rated similarly as of Aug. 25. The USDA rated 24% of hay as very poor or poor, with 35% as fair, 37% as good and 4% as excellent.
Rocky Lemus, forage specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said hay production is 40% below normal since only two hay cuttings were achieved under the drought conditions.
“Some producers are tapping into their stored hay supply to maintain the livestock since available forage in the pasture is low,” Lemus said. “This will put a strain on the amount of hay that might be available this coming winter season.
Dryland cotton that was planted early experienced the most stress from the drought across most of Mississippi. This cotton was growing Aug. 14 in Oktibbeha County.
This means the possibility of low supply and higher prices per bale of hay.”
Cattle producers can reduce their winter hay demand by incorporating cool-season annual grazing systems. They should look now at the availability of these forages and seed prices.
How Cotton Fared
Cotton was not impacted as much by the weather because half the crop is irrigated, and cotton needs heat to properly mature. Brian Pieralisi, Extension cotton specialist, said planting date made a big difference in how cotton fared.
“Some of the earlier planted cotton really took the brunt of the drought if it wasn’t irrigated,” Pieralisi said. “Later planted cotton was in a better position for late July rains.”
Most of the state received rain the third week of July and then in early August, but before that, most of the state’s cotton growing regions had no rain all of June and half of July. The lack of rain was accompanied by high temperatures.
“Even though cotton can handle heat well, the plants need a cooler night and
less humidity to reduce stress,” Pieralisi said. “That’s one of the limiting factors for pushing the envelope for higher yields.
“High humidity, especially at night, doesn’t allow the canopy to cool through respiration as well as it could with lower humidity.”
Some growers have begun defoliating cotton, with the bulk to be picked in late September to very early October.
Mississippi growers planted 520,000 acres of cotton this year, up about 30% from 2023.
Will Maples, Extension agricultural economist, said even though the drought in Mississippi may impact crop yields, it will have minimal impact on market prices.
“Drought in this region usually does not move the futures market because it is a smaller production region compared to the Midwest,” Maples said.
“It definitely has some significant impacts on non-irrigated producers, but in total, they are too small to move the market.”
MSU contributed this article.
Keeping Cotton Trendy
Cotton Incorporated’s Trend Forecasting team plays a crucial role in the fashion industry by providing insights and guidance on trends related specifically to cotton products.
Trend forecasting in fashion is the process of predicting what styles, colors, fabrics and overall trends will be popular in the future. It involves analyzing a wide range of factors to predict what consumers will be interested in and what will drive the market.
Cotton Incorporated’s expert team of trend forecasters provide insight into what’s next in color, styling and fabrics. Through extensive global research and analyzing information from across industries, the forecasting team can pinpoint market shifts and cultural directions to predict what’s ahead in fashion trends.
BY STACEY GORMAN WARREN, ARKANSAS
and science, according to DeFranco.
“Our team travels the world to identify the global, cultural and lifestyle trends that influence the direction of textile design and silhouettes at the consumer level,” she said. “We also conduct extensive research to find the most forward-thinking
The team uses its expertise to showcase how to apply to attain these trends using cotton fabrics.
Linda DeFranco, director, Fashion Marketing at Cotton Incorporated, leads the Trend Forecasting team and has been with Cotton Incorporated for more than 25 years. Trend forecasting is a mix of art
concepts in color, fabric and apparel silhouettes and study buying habits, preferences and social media activity to understand what consumers are drawn to.”
A Collaborative E ort
The team works with Cotton Incorporated’s Product Development
division to find and create cotton fabrics that match the trends they’re predicting. They also work with mills and manufacturers around the world to source new, interesting cotton fabrics.
After trends are identified and cotton fabrics are sourced, the team puts together interactive trend forecast presentations and shares them with designers, manufacturers, retailers and mills to help them anticipate worldwide trends. Each presentation is tailored to the client’s individual needs.
“We present these trend forecasts 18 to 24 months in advance of the selling season to help our clients plan their production a year and a half to two years in advance,” said DeFranco.
Each year, the Cotton Incorporated Trend Forecasting team has between 150 and 200 meetings to present their forecast. The ultimate goal is to help these companies reach their fashion trend goals using cotton.
At the end of each in-person presentation, the team leave the client with more than 100 cotton fabric swatches that they can hold and touch. Each cotton fabric swatch is labeled with important technical and sourcing information.
Marketing Perspective
Rachel Crumbley is a senior trend forecaster in Cotton Incorporated’s Fashion Marketing Department. She said Cotton Incorporated’s trend forecasting approach is unique in the industry because they are the only ones showing how all the upcoming fashion trends can be achieved using cotton.
“Brands that can anticipate trends and adapt quickly often gain a competitive edge by being among the first to offer new styles. Aligning cotton fabrics with future trends helps cotton stay relevant and appealing to brands,” Crumbley said.
For more information on Cotton Incorporated’s trend forecasting services and to see the current forecasts, visit trendforecast.cottoninc.com.
Stacey Gorman is The Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org.
Cotton denim fabric trends take a romantic turn as oral motifs are interpreted through embroidery, eyelet, print and woven techniques.
Created for yield setters, innovators and good ol’ fashioned troublemakers.
Introducing Stoneville ® Cotton with new Axant™ Flex Herbicide Tolerance Technology, 1 cotton’s FIRST quad-stacked herbicide trait. Engineered to come up stronger and yield higher. Legacies are built by trailblazers.
1Availability of cottonseed containing the Axant Flex technology for the 2025 growing season and beyond is subject to many factors, and such seed may not be available in all cotton-growing areas. Commercial sales of cottonseed containing the Axant Flex technology will be subject to contractual terms and conditions and stewardship obligations, which may include, among other requirements, audit rights, liquidated damages applicable to growers, and restrictions on where the crop resulting from such seed may be sold, transferred and/or exported. Axant ISO herbicide (EPA Reg. No. 7969-433) is not registered for use on isoxaflutole-tolerant cotton nor available for sale for such use. Information on using Axant ISO herbicide on isoxaflutole-tolerant cotton is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to promote the sale of this product. Any sale of Axant ISO herbicide after registration is obtained for use on isoxaflutole-tolerant cotton shall be based solely on the EPA-approved product label, and any claims regarding product safety and efficacy shall be addressed solely by the label. Axant ISO is currently not available for sale.
From Sky To Field
MSU Pioneers Explore Next-Gen Agricultural Drones
Mississippi State University is pioneering a partnership with a leading U.S.-based drone manufacturer to innovate groundbreaking unmanned aircraft system technology.
MSU’s Agricultural Autonomy Institute, or AAI, and Hylio, a Texasbased drone manufacturer, are leading the way in researching the emerging technology of agricultural spray drones. These advanced systems are poised to revolutionize how farmers manage agricultural product applications, providing a new autonomous tool to complement traditional application methods by tractors and crop-dusting planes.
“In June of 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration streamlined regulations for agricultural product applications by drone,” said Madison Dixon, AAI’s associate director. “MSU is a longstanding leader in both agriculture and aerospace research, but strict regulations made agricultural product applications by drone very challenging for both research and commercial operations alike. The new regulations have completely changed that.”
Research Partnerships
In December 2023, Mississippi adapted its own regulation. By February of this year, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station had secured a special permit, allowing MSU to commence spray drone research.
As interest grew, AAI seized the opportunity to form research partnerships with U.S.-based drone manufacturers.
“We first contacted Hylio and discussed MSU’s broad drone research portfolio and our new focus on spray drones at AAI, and they were excited to collaborate,” Dixon said.
Founded in 2015 by Arthur Erickson and fellow University of Texas classmates, Hylio initially focused on providing service-based drone solutions before pivoting to agricultural applications in 2017. The company has since developed numerous product offerings including the AG-272, a high-capacity drone capable of carrying 18 gallons and lifting off at 450 pounds, including payload.
MSU Flight Training at Hylio, Inc. in Richmond, Texas. From left, Madison Dixon, the university’s AAI associate director; Watson Burch, AAI undergraduate research assistant; Will Rutland, Extension associate II; Antonio Taveres, plant and soil sciences doctoral candidate and James Ikerd, AAI graduate research assistant.
This “Texas-sized” drone can operate in swarms, offering a scalable solution that rivals traditional agricultural machinery in terms of area coverage and efficiency. Hylio’s proprietary swarm technology also provides real-time data from all drones simultaneously, operating from a single user-friendly interface.
“This technology, which the FAA approved in February, allows our drones to operate on an industrial scale,” Erickson said. “We can cover up to 150 acres per hour, similar to a tractor.”
Exclusive Designation
AAI, in collaboration with MAFES and the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, purchased an AG-230 spray drone platform and signed a cooperative research agreement with Hylio over the summer. An MSU team recently traveled to the company’s headquarters in Houston for flight training.
“Hylio and MSU share common goals in advancing drone technology for agricultural applications,” Erickson said. “With our products and MSU’s programs, we can work together to pioneer best practices and teaching methods that will one day put this technology in the hands of a lot of American farmers.”
Seminar Highlights Drone Regulations, Research
Those interested in learning about the use of unmanned aircraft systems as row crop application sprayers are invited to a seminar at Mississippi State University.
The MSU Spray Drone/UAS Seminar will be held at the Bost Extension Center Oct. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. This meeting will be presented in person and available online. Topics include regulatory updates, the current Federal Aviation Administrationapproved spray drone list, current and potential spray drone restrictions and ongoing spray drone research at MSU.
MSU is partnering with the Mississippi Agricultural Industry Council and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce to host the event. Speakers from MAIC, MDAC and the MSU Agricultural Autonomy Institute will be featured.
Supporting sponsors include the MSU Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board and the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board.
There is no cost to attend, but preregistration is required both for online and in-person attendance. To register, visit http://msuext.ms/spraydrone24.
Online attendees will be able to participate and ask questions and will be emailed the link to the seminar once registration is completed.
Industry News
Southern Agriculture Industry Advancement Scholarships
AMVAC, an American Vanguard Company, is excited to announce the selection of seven recipients of its 2024 Southern Agriculture Industry Advancement Scholarship, formerly known as the Cotton Industry Advancement Scholarship.
The winners and the schools they attend are:
■ Maranda Hains , Louisiana State University.
■ William Tucker LaMastus , Mississippi State University.
■ Emma McAnally , Texas Tech University.
■ Zoë Annabelle Meeks, Texas A&M University.
■ Bennett Carl Harrelson, Clemson University.
■ Megan Mills, Texas Tech University.
■ Anna Claire Graves , Mississippi State University.
AMVAC is awarding each recipient a $2,000 scholarship to help them pursue their intended careers in agriculture. Career plans for this year’s recipients range from weed science and agronomic research to agricultural autonomy and legislative policy.
“AMVAC is proud to support the education of these highly qualified individuals who are committed to serving in and advancing key areas of agriculture,” says Wen Carter, Marketing Manager at AMVAC.
Scholarship winners were selected after being nominated by consultants or professors. The student must have also studied or worked in the ag industry between 2021 and 2023 and must be a senior in high school or currently enrolled in an agriculture program at an accredited college or university.
Meeks, a Texas A&M junior majoring in agricultural economics, attended a Texas 4-H Congress while in high school and says the experience ignited her interest in agricultural policy. Last summer she interned in Washington, D.C. with the National Cotton Council.
“That was a really cool moment for me, going from experiencing agriculture on our cotton farm to working in Washington, D.C., and seeing how critical it is that we get legislation passed that supports the agriculture industry,” she said.
Hains, who is pursuing her master’s
degree at Louisiana State University in weed science and researching new herbicides, notes that the scholarship and support of AMVAC is particularly important as she and others strive to build careers supporting the industry and helping farmers.
UT Extension Farm Equipment Expo Scheduled
Extension agents in the lower Middle Tennessee area and specialists from the University of Tennessee Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science are offering a Farm Equipment Expo on Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at the Coffee County Fairgrounds, 99 Lakeview Drive, in Manchester, Tennessee. There is no cost to attend and lunch will be provided.
The event will include presentations to assist producers with making informed financial decisions and proper safety and maintenance of farm equipment, as well as demonstrations with various types of equipment. Local farm equipment dealers and vendors will be at the event and skin screening tests will be available free of charge for participants. Pesticide points will be available.
“One of the most important decisions producers make is purchasing equipment for the farm,” says Rachel Painter, UT Extension farm management specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.”
“Maintenance and safety of equipment is extremely important, and we want to provide an opportunity for producers to see proper cleaning, winterization and calibration in-person with equipment demonstrations on-site,” says Amy Prince, UT Extension agent in Coffee County.
Register to attend online at tiny.utk. edu/farmexpo or contact your local agricultural Extension agent for more information and registration.
Voluntary 4-Bale Module Averaging Pilot Program
The National Cotton Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are pleased to jointly announce the launch of the 4-Bale Module Averaging Pilot Program. Continued on page 15
CCOY
Cotton Consultant of the Year established 1981
Footprints In The Field CCO Y
The Cotton Consultant of the Year award, sponsored by Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine, has honored the “boots on the ground” segment of the industry for more than four decades. The prestigious award recognizes a cotton consultant who demonstrates outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation.
Each year, the nominees are voted on by the past CCOY recipients. This award is even more special as the winner is chosen by his or her peers.
Syngenta and Cotton Farming are pleased to sponsor an award that recognizes the vital role cotton consultants play in production agriculture.
The services consultants provide their farmer clients are invaluable for achieving e iciency and profitability.
Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by
Cotton Winter Nursery Benefits The U.S. Cotton Industry
BY PENG W. CHEE AND DONALD C. JONES UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
For most crop species, it usually requires 10 to 12 growing seasons of generation advancement and selective breeding to produce a new variety. Winter nurseries are, therefore, essential to crop breeding programs as they allow breeders to grow more than one crop per calendar year, enabling multiple cycles of selection within the same time frame.
This accelerates genetic gain, allowing breeders to develop superior genotypes more quickly and advance them through the breeding pipeline. Winter nurseries also serve as counter-season locations to increase the seed supply of advanced breeding lines for further testing.
Ultimately, this helps shortening the time from initial crossing to bring new cultivars to market. For these reasons, winter nurseries have been established for all major crops grown in the United States.
70 Years Strong
The Cotton Winter Nursery was established in Mexico nearly 70 years ago, but in 2015 it was relocated to a new facility five miles northwest of Liberia, Costa Rica. The location was chosen primarily because of the suitable cotton-growing environment, affordable labor force, available water and reliable flights.
Mr. Alfonso Palafox, who had 10 years of previous CWN experience in Mexico, is the manager of the facility and operations. He has been instrumental in establishing the farm and building the facility to what it is today. The nursery provides services that include advancing generations, increasing seeds and making crosses for public and private breeding programs.
How does the CWN benefit the U.S. cotton industry? It serves two critical purposes to ensure cotton production in the United States remains profitable and sustainable.
Mr. Alfonso Palafox, manager of the Cotton Winter Nursery and operations, stands in front of the new facility.
DR. DON JONES, COTTON INCORPORATED
First Benefit To U.S. Cotton
The first is preservation and characterization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Cotton Germplasm Collection currently housed at College Station, Texas.
The CWN serves as an in-situ preservation and characterization site. The nearly 10,000 accessions in the collection serve as reservoirs of genetic material. An accession is a unique genotype in the germplasm collection. If the U.S. cotton germplasm collection has 1,000 accessions, it means that there are 1,000 different genotypes in the collection.
The reservoirs of genetic material have a wide array of traits that provide the foundation for breeders to develop improved cotton varieties with better yield, fiber quality and disease resistance.
Because a significant portion of the germplasm collection is day-length sensitive and would not flower during the U.S. mainland’s long daylength-conditions in summer, conducting plant characterizations and seed increases during the winter months is efficiently done in the short day CWN environment.
Second Benefit To U.S. Cotton
The second purpose is development of germplasm and cultivars. Virtually all cotton germplasm or cultivars developed by public breeding programs have had their developmental journey pass through the CWN.
Wild cotton accession
Below: Drs. Jodi Scheffler and James Frelichowski from USDA-ARS collecting data on cotton accessions in the CWN.
Though often overlooked, many important native traits that commercial breeding companies offer have come from public research endeavors. The initial germplasm in which these traits were discovered were likely grown in the CWN.
For example, bacterial blight and root-knot nematode resistance — two agronomically important traits growers seek in elite cultivars —were discovered by public breeders, with considerable pre-breeding taking place in the CWN before being utilized by commercial seed companies. More recently, FOV4 resistance in cotton would not have been achieved without the generation advancement and seed increases that occurred in the CWN.
UGA Explains Its Stake
Like most public cotton breeding programs in the United States, the University of Georgia’s cotton breeding program relies on the CWN to accelerate germplasm development. Each summer they create about 100 new hybrid combinations by crossing elite breeding lines to initiate a new breeding cycle.
The resulting seeds are sent to the CWN soon after harvest in the fall. There, Palafox and his team grow the seeds from each hybrid, carefully self-pollinating every flower to ensure genetic purity. The seedcotton produced from each plant is harvested, delinted and returned to Georgia in time for spring planting.
This usually results in a good seed supply, allowing them to make plant observations and begin the first cycle of selecting new experimental breeding lines with desirable traits such as higher yield potential, improved fiber quality and disease resistance. While this process may seem trivial, it provides an extra growing season, effectively allowing two breeding cycles within a single year.
UGA Graduate Students
The CWN is also an indispensable resource for our graduate students, enabling them to create and advance genetic populations for their research. Typically, M.S. students have two years and Ph.D. students three years to complete their research and course of study.
Gaining an additional growing season — whether to advance generations in a segregating population or to generate sufficient seeds for field testing — can be the difference between graduating on schedule or having to stay an additional growing season
to collect enough data for their research.
Funding to support the maintenance and operation of the CWN includes user fees and financial support from Cotton Incorporated, USDA and the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors.
Although these costs are significant, the CWN provides a steady stream of breeding innovations, ensuring that cotton producers have continued access to high-performing varieties that are more productive, of high quality and less vulnerable to environmental stresses and diseases.
Olvey,
This helps maintain the profitability and sustainability of U.S. cotton production.
Peng W. Chee is a UGA professor of cotton breeding and genetics, host-plant resistance, quantitative trait loci and genomics. Donald C. Jones is the director, agricultural research at Cotton Incorporated.
Dr. Jim
O&A Enterprises, and Mr. Alfonso Palafox inspecting cotton breeders’ seed increase plots.
Peng Chee is a UGA professor of cotton breeding and genetics.
This voluntary program aims to enhance cotton bale fungibility through modern techniques, increasing efficiencies in warehouse bale selection and improving overall quality.
The initiative stems from the collaborative efforts of the NCC’s Cotton Flow Committee and the Quality Task Force, which identified cotton bale fungibility as a key area of mutual interest.
Gary Adams, NCC President and CEO, stated, “I am pleased we are able to jointly announce this pilot program. We believe this represents an important step forward in enhancing cotton bale fungibility and improving U.S. cotton’s competitive position.”
The pilot program includes specific criteria for averaging bales and reporting data back to customers. Participation is flexible, allowing customers to submit modules in multiples of four up to a total of 48 bales.
averaging-pilot.
Save The Date For The 2025 Beltwide In New Orleans
The National Cotton Council and its cooperating partners welcome all to the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Jan. 14-16 (Tuesday-Thursday) at the New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, Louisiana.
A dynamic program, along with the opportunity to network with peers from across the Cotton Belt, separate this conference from all others in agriculture. The conference will be educational, as well as enjoyable.
Come, learn and experience all the sites and attractions that New Orleans has to offer. Mark your calendar and plan to attend!
Georgia Cotton Commission Announces Board Members
been reappointed to another term on the board. Chad Mathis, a cotton, peanut and corn farm of Arlington, Georgia, was reappointed to the board as well.
Bart Davis operates Davis Farms with his wife, daughter and two sons. He holds a State FFA Degree as well as being named Georgia Star Farmer. He was honored in 2023 as the Georgia Farmer of the Year and the Cotton Achievement Award winner. Davis also serves as chairman of the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of Georgia, an alternate delegate to the NCC and a Director for Southern Cotton Growers.
To learn more about the program and how to participate, visit http://www.ams. usda.gov/about-ams/4-bale-module-
Chad Mathis is a partner in Mathis Farms General Partners along with his father and brother. He graduated from Valdosta State University with a BBA in Marketing, returned to the farm in 1998 and has three sons. Mathis has served on the Cotton Commission’s board since 2018. In addition to service with the Commission, Mathis serves the industry as a delegate to the NCC, as an officer of the Southern Cotton Growers and a director of Cotton Incorporated. He is also a graduate of Leadership Baker. Continued from page 11
Georgia Cotton Commission Chairman Bart Davis, a cotton, peanut, corn and cattle farmer from Doerun, Georgia, has
1.
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7&8. Mailing Address of Known Office/Headquarters: 875 W. Poplar Ave., Ste. 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 Contact Person: David Boyd (901-626-1730)
9. Publisher: Lia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470
10. Owners: Cornelia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470; Dr. David Scott Guthrie,Sr., 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470; Morris Ike Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159; Mary Jane Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning/Holding1% or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None
12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 1, 2024
15.a. Total Number of Copies (net press run): (Average No. Copies each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 15,735) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 13,085)
15.b.(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,825) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 6,520)
15.c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,825) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 6,520)
15.d.(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,656) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 6,401)
15.d.(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 17) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 0)
15.e. Total Nonrequested Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,673) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 6,401)
15.f. Total Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 15,498) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 12,921
15.g. Copies Not Distributed: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 237) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 47)
15.h. Total: (Average No. copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months –15,735) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 12,968)
15.i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 50.49%) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 50.46%)
18. I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete. Lia Guthrie, Publisher
2024 Cotton Harvest Update
ALABAMA Scott H. Graham
In the August edition of Specialists Speaking, I mentioned that July was good to the crop. Unfortunately, that trend did not continue. August was not kind. Scattered rains seemed to hit towns and cities and missed most cotton fields. As I write this Sept. 4, some April-planted cotton has been defoliated and will be picked soon. Overall, the crop is ahead of schedule compared to the five-year average. This is, no doubt, due to the extreme heat and dry weather we experienced over the past month.
One thing that makes working cotton in Alabama fun is the geographical distribution in which it is planted. This year, cotton was planted in 59 of 67 counties. The difficulty in that is that each region has its own unique insect, weed, disease, etc. issues. Making statewide generalities can be difficult. However, this year, August drought reached nearly every corner of the state.
Overall, early planted (late April through early May) cotton has the best yield potential. Cotton that was at mid-bloom when July rains hit were able to fill out bolls and make a crop in just four or five weeks. Midto-late-May-planted cotton was not as lucky. At this point, we are hoping forecasted rains in the coming days will provide enough to help fill out some upper bolls in the later-planted crop.
As we get into October, the late-planted cotton will be (or will soon be) defoliated. The Mid-South Cotton Defoliation Guide is an excellent resource for options and expectations based on your situation. With the current price of cotton, we will need to open and defoliate this crop as economically as possible. That doesn’t mean that we should “cut back and try to get by.” Much like the most expensive insecticide is one that doesn’t work, a poor defoliation result will cost more in the long run by adding another trip across the field. Let’s do our best to get it done right the first time.
We are hoping everyone has a SAFE and bountiful harvest! If I can ever be of any help, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know. scottg@auburn.edu
ARKANSAS Zachary Treadway
As I write this the day after Labor Day, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel with this cotton crop that has ridden a roller coaster of a growing season weather wise. When I started at the University of Arkansas on May 20, we were coming out of an extremely wet pattern that caused some producers in Southern Arkansas to abandon cotton planting altogether. That was followed by a period of extreme heat and very little rain. Independence Day brought some relief in temperature and some much-needed precipitation to some. Another hot, dry pattern set in, which has just come to an end with the departure of August.
The morning air is starting to carry a little chill, and I suspect that air will also soon carry the familiar perfume of defoliant. Arkansas producers are on the cusp of defoliation, and I expect sprayers to be rolling in the next couple of weeks applying the first shot. The Aug. 12, U.S. Department of Agriculture report had Arkansas at 640,000 acres of cotton, which was down from the 670,000 acres reported in the June acreage report. This is still up 130,000 acres from last year’s crop. The majority of the 2024 crop is categorized as good to excellent, and hopes are high for a successful harvest.
I have always heard it said that cotton defoliation is a mixture of art and science, and there is no “one-size-fits-all” program. Defoliation programs should be tailored to fit the situation to achieve the optimal result. The Mid-South Cotton Defoliation Guide is a great tool for producers to use as a reference when developing defoliation programs. The 2024 version is out and can be found with a quick internet search or by reaching out to myself or any cotton specialist in the Mid-South. This wraps up my first entry in the Specialists Speaking section, and I am honored to be included with such a distinguished group of scientists. I look forward to continuing to do my part supplying cotton producers with useful, pertinent information. If there is ever anything I can do, please reach out. ztreadway@uada.edu
GEORGIA Camp Hand
Generally speaking, the month of October is when cotton harvest normally gets going good in Georgia. By the first week in October, we are normally around 10% harvested, and at the end of October, we are normally close to 50%. In normal years, growers in the southern part of the state start with peanuts in September then move to cotton in October. However, this is not a normal year.
This time of year, myself and Dr. Scott Monfort, the University of Georgia’s peanut agronomist, do a few pre-harvest updates for county agents and growers, and it is rare we are on the same page. Normally, both of us are saying the same thing: “Be timely with harvest to get the best crop you can.” However, this year certainly has been different. Cotton has matured quickly, and the peanut crop is behind if it was planted in May, meaning there is a window where we could defoliate and pick some cotton before inverting peanuts. I would encourage growers in that position to be timely with defoliation and harvest so we can get this crop out and begin preparations for next season.
I stay in contact with our county Extension agents with respect to strategies related to defoliation including rates and other thoughts surrounding the forecasted weather, so if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your local UGA county Extension agent.
We had a good field day season and, as we approach winter, are beginning to plan winter meetings. We are looking forward to getting back out on the road and seeing everyone.
If you have questions about these topics or anything else, feel free to reach out to myself, other members of the UGA cotton team or your local county Extension agent. We are here to help! camphand@uga.edu
LOUISIANA Shelly Kerns
With roughly 144,885 planted acres, the cotton crop continues to finish up here in Louisiana. Recent hot weather has been beneficial for cotton development, and we are seeing a lot of growers begin their first round of defoliations.
Heavy rains delayed planting for many growers in Louisiana, and they were not able to plant their cotton until early to mid-June. For later-planted cotton, we are still in the blooming phase and approaching cut-out in most fields. Although some are close to being harvest ready, there have not been any reports of harvest yet.
Thinking about harvest, we are seeing a lot of lodged cotton that may interfere with picking. Last month, prolonged cloudy weather led to a large fruit shed event in the lower canopy of many cotton plants. The plants that
Specialists Speaking
are lodging are o en loaded with fruit in the upper canopy. We received rains in Northeast Louisiana last week, leading to heavier plants, which likely contributed to the lodging. We are set to receive more rain this week, which is interfering with a lot of defoliant application plans.
If we get cooler weather a er this rain event, growers may want to evaluate how the e cacy of their chosen defoliants perform in cooler conditions. e hope is that we have a period of dry/ warm weather a er all this rain to nish up some of the later-planted cotton, apply our defoliants and start to get this crop out of the eld. skerns@agcenter.lsu.edu
MISSISSIPPI Brian Pieralisi
I am writing this Aug. 29, and Mississippi is on the brink of cotton harvest but not yet in full swing. A few acres have received one defoliation shot with many acres on the docket for the rst week of September. Approximately 75%-80% of our crop was planted before midMay and is considered relatively early. To that point, harvest will be in full swing by mid-September with hope of a dry fall. It has been dry for summer, and rainfall would be of little help to the crops, but it might help to reduce the number of burn bans.
Drought-stressed cotton will impact defoliation of non-irrigated cotton acres. Leathery, speckled leaves can be di cult to remove if they do not drop by themselves. I have been recommending a super low rate of tribufos + thidiazuron (2 ounces-3 ounces) + ethephon (~24 ounces),
and it’s done a pretty good job.
With about 50% of our cotton acres irrigated, current environmental conditions should favor a clean, relatively straightforward defoliation. In a two-pass program during these conditions, the same TDZ rate + ethephon followed by either/or TDZ + PPO + ethephon should do the trick. At this point, you can only speculate about the second shot because it’s contingent on how the rst application worked and environmental conditions at the application timing.
All we can do now is prepare and wait until we get harvest in full swing. It won’t be long! Good luck. bkp4@msstate.edu
MISSOURI Bradley Wilson
It is about time for cotton to be removed from the eld and to nd out what we have produced in 2024. As of Sept. 4, early planted cotton acres in Missouri are beginning to be defoliated.
Some of the planted acres in late May and early June will likely be defoliated in late September and early October. However, most of the cotton acres will be defoliated in the rst two weeks of September.
Based on growing conditions in 2024, I believe we will see cotton lint yields be average or slightly above average. We won’t really know what we have in yield until pickers start entering elds, and I hope our yields are higher than I have forecasted here. brwilson@missouri.edu
Specialists Speaking
NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten
Cotton has begun to open as I write this in early September, and some of the earlier planted cotton is as much as 20% open. Most of the cotton in the state is somewhere between a week early to normal in terms of maturity.
We need to keep a close eye on the maturity of the crop as the fruit set after the June drought is fairly compact and may mature quickly if the weather allows. Using nodes above cracked and cutting bolls to look at seed maturity, we need to make sure we are defoliating in a timely manner. Our research has shown that we are better off defoliating in mid-October when we still have temperatures and active plants for boll openers and defoliants to work well. When we delay defoliation into November, it can end up in situations where it is difficult to open bolls.
We have a pretty good crop overall, especially considering how dry June was. I hate to even mention it, but we need to keep our eyes on tropical storms and not defoliate fields that cannot be harvested before a tropical storm. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu
TENNESSEE Tyson Raper
This season has been a rollercoaster. As I write this on the fourth of September, we are beginning to defoliate our earliest crop. A front that moved through over Labor Day weekend brought the first rain many had seen since July. As a result, our earliest-planted acres quickly moved to physiological cutout, and our late-planted acres were hit with drought during one of the worst possible timeframes.
I’ve mentioned this before, but boll counts are not a great way to predict yield, and the 2024 season will prove this point. Boll counts appear to be just below normal in dryland acres, but our boll size is not what it has been in recent years.
As you read this on the first of October, many are likely looking at their latest-planted acres and deciding how late is too late to start defoliating. Generally, we need to begin defoliation and boll opening during the first week of October. Pushing much deeper into October risks freezing mature bolls to harvest small, immature bolls that will likely not gain much in maturity from another handful of heat units anyway. traper@utk.edu
TEXAS Ben McKnight
As I write this in early September, the cotton harvest in the Lower Rio Grande Valley has been wrapped up for some time. This region went from a prolonged dry stretch to several rainfall events in July, in many cases leading to seed sprouting in open cotton. Yields were mostly below average for the region, and a conservative estimate for abandonment at this point in time is approximately 40%.
Cotton harvesting in the Coastal Bend wrapped up for the 2024 growing season in late August, and yields were a little better than anticipated after a lengthy stretch of hot, dry weather mid-season. Much of the cotton acreage in the Coastal Bend was planted earlier than usual in late February, and these early planted fields were too far along to capitalize on good rainfall amounts beginning in late June and spanning through July. The majority of fields in the Coastal Bend region produced 650 pound to 1,000 pound per-acre yields, and fiber quality so far appears to be good for the region based on reports from the Corpus Christi classing office. Recent rainfall in the Upper Gulf Coast has slowed down the progression of the cotton harvest in the Upper Gulf Coast. Early planted fields
that were harvested prior to the rainfall beginning were producing good yields, and early yield reports ranged from 800 pounds to 1,200 pounds per acre. The long-range weather forecast has a drier span of weather ahead for the next few weeks into September, and harvesting should resume as fields dry out.
Harvesting has begun in the Blackland Prairie, and early yield reports are leaning in the direction of above-average yields for the region this year. Many of the early reports range from 650 pounds to 1,000 pounds per acre, and a few fields are yielding above 1,200 pounds per acre. Based on the look of the cotton crop in the Blacklands, anticipated yield of most fields appears to remain within this range as harvesting continues into the month of September. bmcknight@tamu.edu
TEXAS Ken Legé
Our harvest season typically begins around mid-October and, hopefully, wraps up by Thanksgiving; although, it has been known to linger into December or even January, depending on weather conditions. As of this writing (early September), we have not even applied any harvest aids, so I have no information on harvest updates from West Texas yet.
Our season has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride with good planting rains and fairly frequent rainfall throughout June and July for most areas. Then the rain abruptly stopped, and the continuous triple-digit heat began for most of August. What looked like a great crop in the latter part of July quickly deteriorated under evaporative demand that exceeded a half-inch per day for many days during awful August. Fruit shed and wilting was very common for most fields, even those that had good irrigation capacity. Harvest aid effectiveness could potentially be complicated by the thick cuticles on the leaves as a result of the heat and drought in August as well.
Seed counts per lock have been adversely affected by the August weather, and I expect boll size will be reduced as a result. In general, the later (late May/early June) planted fields will be more adversely affected by the August weather than the earlier (early May) planted fields. Earlier-planted fields generally bloomed throughout the more mild, wetter period in July; those bolls are larger, and I would expect those fields to have good staple length.
The later-planted fields, which comprise the majority of the High Plains acres, began blooming about the time the heat and drought showed up, so those fields are likely to have reduced boll size, shorter staple length and, of course, reduced yield potential. Micronaire is difficult to predict for both the earlier- and later-planted crops and will be more likely affected by September and early October weather conditions, primarily temperature.
Since most of the acres in the High Plains are dryland fields that were later planted, I expect crop insurance adjusters will be evaluating fields in late September. It is very difficult to determine how much of the dryland crop will go to harvest versus being adjusted at this date. On one hand, growers do not want to be forced to harvest crops with little yield potential; on the other hand, after two tough years, the industry needs cotton flowing through gins that have had to endure low volume. That said, about 5% of the dryland crop in the High Plains looks very good.
Not all is gloom and doom, fortunately. Most of the region (generally Plainview southward) received substantial rainfall over Labor Day weekend that fell slow and steady. In fact, some areas received several inches. That has made irrigation termination decisions easier for most growers. However, it will likely complicate the dryland crop with some regrowth potential now that it has moisture.
As we harvest the RACE trials across the southern High Plains, look for yield and quality updates on my Facebook page. ken.lege@ag.tamu.edu
Texas AgriLife Cotton Researcher Honored
Keerti Rathore, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research plant biotechnologist in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, has been selected as a recipient of the International Cotton Advisory Committee Researcher of the Year Award.
Rathore and David Fang, Ph.D., supervisory research geneticist and research leader at the U.S. Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service in New Orleans, were selected by a panel of seven eminent experts from seven countries. ICAC honors prominent cotton researchers each year by awarding a certificate of recognition, a shield and an honorarium.
“Dr. Rathore’s accolade is an important reflection of his and his team’s globally impactful achievements in cotton,” said G. Cliff Lamb, director of AgriLife Research. “It also underscores the leading-edge discoveries and innovations that propel our agency mission in Texas, the United States and the world.”
Rathore, who will accept the award during the 8th World Cotton Research Conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in October, said, “I am honored and humbled to receive this award from the international cotton research community. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of many of my lab members.”
Revolutionary Cotton Research
Rathore earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in India, followed by a doctorate from Imperial College, London.
Although his doctoral research and early postdoctoral work were in electrophysiology, he transitioned to applied sciences, learning crop biotechnology at Purdue University while working on a Rockefeller Foundation-funded Rice Biotechnology project.
While Rathore has worked with several crops such as sorghum, rice and potato within AgriLife Research, cotton is where his scientific advances are best known.
Rathore’s research is dedicated to understanding all aspects of generating transgenic and gene-edited cotton, eventually developing and publishing detailed protocols to benefit the cotton biotechnology community.
Rathore and his team have published 28 research papers and six book chapters and have been awarded seven U.S. patents related to their work on cotton biotechnology.
Rathore conceived and developed the ultra-low gossypol cottonseed, ULGCS, trait and obtained deregulation and food/ feed-use approval for event TAM66274. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the green light for ULGCS to be used as human food and in animal feed based on Rathore’s work to remove the toxicity in the seed — a project he had been working on for nearly 25 years.
“Dr. Rathore’s work to make this happen has garnered recognition worldwide,” said David Baltensperger, head of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. “He is recognized as one of the nation’s thought leaders in RNAi use, after using the technology to create the ultra-low gossypol cottonseed.”
Keerti Rathore, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research, is a recipient of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, ICAC, Researcher of the Year Award.
Rathore’s laboratory and team have engineered cotton plants to resist, tolerate or outcompete biotic stresses such as nematodes, fungal diseases, insect pests and weeds and abiotic stresses such as drought.
According to his nomination, Rathore’s goal is the global adoption of ULGCS for humanitarian use. He envisions a future where cotton is valued for its fiber and an alternative protein source.
This dual-purpose use of the crop should improve the sus-
Ginners Marketplace
INDUSTRY.
TCGA Intern Reports And Q&A
The interns sent in their reports, and TCGA sat down with both of them to get an insider’s perspective on their summer and experience with the TCGA Internship program. This Q&A allowed the organization to gain a better understanding of what the interns thought of the job and the industry.
Wesley Neuendor ’s Report
As the TCGA internship ends, I have learned so much from all the di erent gin managers who keep up with the task of maintaining and operating a cotton gin in Texas.
Wesley Neuendor
The internship was very unusual as we were barely able to start up and gin cotton at United-Ag Co-op in Danevang, Texas, before my internship concluded on Aug. 15. With this setback, we also encountered numerous shutdowns because of a blown fan motor, minor electrical issues and two air valve failures near the press box.
Hurricane Beryl set back the production and start up time in the El Campo area, but I was able to see cotton ginned in the final week of the internship. I was also
fortunate enough to go to Odem, Texas, to watch Coastal Ag Cooperative (formerly Smith Gin Co-op) operate where I was able to get a taste of how to run and manage a large-scale gin.
Cotton ginning is a very time-consuming job with a lot of different variables that must work right or the gin will have to shut down for a moment, which is extremely costly to do.
When talking to Tyler Cross at the Coastal Ag Co-op, he gave me good insight into how he keeps a smooth-running operation and does all the book work associated with marketing the cotton, cottonseed, motes and cotton trash.
The final two weeks of the internship were busy. The days were long, but the experience was priceless. I would like to thank Aaron Nelsen for this opportunity, the Windstar Group in West Texas and the United-Ag Co-op sta for hosting us at the cotton gin and getting real hands-on experience.
Q: Knowing all that you know now, would you do it again?
A: I would! Unfortunately, my time down south would have looked di erent had Beryl not come through, but I did enjoy my time regardless. It was also great getting to be up in the Panhandle and getting to know all the folks up there.
Q: What did you enjoy most about the program?
COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING
A: I really liked how each day was di erent. I didn’t know much about the industry, so every day I was learning a new lesson and experiencing new things. I also liked how we got to see all di erent aspects of the industry, such as going up to Samuel Jackson and getting to see the manufacturing side of things.
Q: How would you describe this experience to someone who is looking to apply?
A: I would describe it as a very laborious summer that is also very informative. You must be ready to work, and although you might not know anything about the industry going into it, you will leave with a good idea of what is going on.
Nathaniel Haden’s Report
great experience.
I would like to thank Clay Whiltley and Zack Book for teaching me about the gin industry and Aaron Nelsen and TCGA for this amazing internship opportunity.
Q: Tell about experiencing two di erent locations.
A: I enjoyed it, and I think it should stay that way in the future. It gave us a chance to see how gins operate di erently and how things vary depending on the area and environment.
Q: Describe a highlight of your summer.
A: As an engineering major, I really liked going to PYCO, as well as WesTex Co-op Gin. It was pretty cool getting to see how the hydraulics worked, and we got to meet some very interesting people along the way.
Q: Would you recommend this internship to a friend?
During the last weeks at United Ag Co-op Gin in El Campo, Texas, Zack Book took us to Coastal Ag Co-op in Odem to see ginning in action since the weather delayed our season. They gave us a great tour of the gin, and I learned quite a bit about it. Observing how all the machines worked, from extracting the seeds to compressing the cotton into a bale, was very interesting. We had to finish preparing the module yard when we returned to El Campo, so we made sure all the signs were in the correct place so they could start placing cotton modules.
We learned that we would start ginning a few days before our internship ended. When we started ginning cotton, we had to deal with a few small fires. It was a good experience to help put out the fires and to see how fast everyone reacted to extinguishing the fire and getting the machine ready to start up again. Wesley and I learned how to un-choke the gin when too much cotton came through. Overall, this internship was a
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My Turn
Communication Key To Ag Support
Farming has always been difficult, but it’s even more so today. Prices are low, input prices are high, and, in many cases, lending institutions are making it tougher to get necessary funding.
That makes it an inopportune time to ask growers to do more, but your farm’s financial health may demand it.
Recently, a local Mississippi Delta farmer, while discussing his disappointing yields and a blood-red balance sheet, remarked to me, “Surely the government will step in and help as it has in the past.”
Let’s hope that is the case. However, increasingly the people in Washington, D.C. writing farm policy have fewer on-farm connections than in years past, and the tail-end of a presidential campaign year is not the ideal timing for producing effective, and costly, legislation.
For many people without direct agricultural ties, it may be difficult to understand why a farming business with thousands of acres of land and rows of equipment would need government subsidies. Without understanding the balance sheet realities that come with buying or leasing land and securing the inputs, labor and machinery required to successfully bring a crop to harvest, commodity producers may not fit someone’s image of people who need help paying their bills.
Our industry is filled with great communicators. But much of that communication is insular, and there are increasingly fewer of us. We talk to one other, sharing agronomic practices, equipment modifications and marketing tips. But how often do we correct incorrect assumptions about food and fiber production? In other words, when do we preach to someone outside the choir?
It can be exhausting and time-consuming to correct every misleading or erroneous random comment and Facebook post about so-called corporate farming, crop protection, or profitability, but it’s an effort that’s needed. And, the fact is, there are more ways now to communicate our stories than ever before.
Not that long ago, farmers and others in agribusiness could complain — and rightfully so — that mainstream or “popular” media was biased against agriculture, and that the only news they were interested in printing or broadcasting was of the negative kind.
“Nobody tells the ag story better than those in the tractor seat.”
But communication has come a long way in a short amount of time. For better or worse, we are living in the age of the “citizen journalist,” where anyone with a WiFi or internet connection can be heard, and the public square is no longer dominated by only those with a printing press or a megaphone. It is also no longer limited to those within our local communities.
While this has proven to be a period of disruption and upheaval for established media outlets, it can be seen as a golden age for minority groups that, in the past, have had a difficult time telling their stories — groups such as farmers.
For example, I’m betting that many consumers would be shocked to learn what portion of the price for a grocery store bag of rice, or a cotton blanket, is paid to the producing farmer. If growers want government farm programs that provide the safety net needed when prices dip below profitable levels or when Mother Nature deals a devastating blow, we need to communicate our challenges and market realities to our non-ag colleagues and friends.
The legislators in Congress are getting an earful from their non-ag constituents who don’t see a need to subsidize what they consider to be “Big Ag.” And while we know that “Big Ag” is mostly made up of family farms using economies of scale to try to remain profitable, that is not common knowledge for many of our suburban and urban counterparts. And yes, our commodity groups are working overtime to tell the story of ag, but it may not be enough.
Not everyone is social media savvy, but it doesn’t take a great effort. If you see a falsehood about agriculture in an online news outlet, set the record straight in the “comments” section. If a neighbor, friend or relative is spreading lies about agriculture on Facebook or other social media sites, correct them immediately, and invite them onto your farm for a learning session. If you’re really feeling brave, start your own YouTube channel and give people a taste of real farming from a real farmer.
Nobody is going to tell the story of agriculture better than those people in the tractor seat. And now, more than ever, that story needs to be told if we want commodity agriculture, including cotton farming, to remain profitable for future generations.
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.
