Cotton farming august 2016

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

AUGUST 2016

www.cottonfarming.com

‘COTTON BROUGHT US TO THE DANCE’ ARKANSANS EMBRACE THE CROP THAT BEST DEFINES THEIR FAMILY

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Tommy Wilkins—Kennett, MO

Hal McCay—McCay Gin, Cordele, GA

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Sammy Henderson—Cairo Farmers Gin, Humboldt, TN

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Vol. 60 No. 8

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

AUGUST 2016

www.cottonfarming.com

PAM CARAWAY

F E AT U R E S

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TMC CONTEST KICKS OFF

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IRRIGATION STRATEGIES

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GINNING MARKETPLACE

Last year’s grand prize winner, A.J. Hood, gives an update on the project that is making a difference in his community.

Experts from the west and southwest regions of the Cotton Belt address irrigation options for areas that often experience limited water supplies.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY

Dusty Findley of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association discusses how using gin data can lead to greater efficiencies.

Embrace Cotton

Matt and Sherrie Miles, from McGehee, Ark., come from multi-generational cotton families. Although cotton is in their blood, they farmed only 180 acres last year. After deliberating through the winter, they decided to embrace the crop once again by planting 3,300 acres of cotton in 2016. “Cotton brought us to the dance, and we haven’t forgotten that,” Matt says.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

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Editor’s Note Cotton’s Agenda Western Report

14 Industry News 16 Specialists Speaking 22 My Turn

ON THE COVER: Matt Miles and his son, Layne, farm 9,900 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans and rice in southeast Arkansas. Cover photo by Pam Caraway.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Visually observing cotton leaves through the growing season provides much information. Occasionally, portions of the canopy may develop reddish-purple or red tones. Understanding the underlying cause of “reddening” can help guide input decisions and protect yield potential.

Dr. Tyson Raper, University of Tennessee cotton specialist, describes the phenomenon, discusses possible causes for this shift and explains what (if anything) should be done to correct it. To read “Red Leaves In Cotton: Causes And Implications,” go to the Web Exclusive posting at www.cottonfarming.com.

Cotton C of the Y onsultant ear 2016

CCOY NOMINATIONS

NOMINAT

To nominate a deserving candidate for the Cotton Consultant of the Year Award (co-sponsored by Cotton Farming and Syngenta), fill out the nomination form on Page 11. Deadline for nominations is Aug. 22.

ION FOR The Cotton M If you would (CCOY ) repres Consultant of the Year like ents the who has consultant recognition to nominate made a consu , please to the cotton great contributions take a mome ltant deserving Please use of this nt to fill outstanding industry through outstanding out the recommendaa separate page customer following for biogra leadership relations, tions via form. phical/profes and innova letters or members emails tion. sional Recognized are also encouraged from other farmer information. Additi of the cotton by fellow members s, consul to provid Consultant’s tants and onal e suppor Name: is given to industry, this award industry t for the nominee. the consul Company tant Name (if only meets applicable): these require who not Mailing Address also exceed ments but : s them.

City: Syngenta and Cotton Phone: magazine, Farming State: CCOY sponso soliciting rs, are your Email: In your own Zip: 2016 recipie help in selecting words, please of the Year” the nt, who will tell us why Award: at a specia you are nomina l celebration be named ting the consulta Background: weekend nt above of the 2017 during the for the “Cotton Mid-South Farm & Gin Consultant Show.

The winnin g person who consultant and the nominates receive two the nights’ hotel winner airfare to stay and the & Gin Show 2017 Mid-South Farm in Memp his, In additio n, the 2016 Tenn. recipient CCOY will be the subject of four-page a salute in the Februa 2017 issue ry of Cotton Farming.

Please nominatsend your August ion form by 22, 2016 to:

Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Germantown, Ave. TN 38138 Scan/Email: You can print csmith@onegro out an electron wer.com the form ic version located on of the Cotton Web site at www.c Farming ottonfarming.c om.

Biographical/Ind ustry Involvem ent Backgro und:

Your Name: Address: City: Phone:

State: Email:

Sponsored by

Zip:

Cotton Farming

COTTON FARMING (ISSN 0746-8385) is published monthly January through December by One Grower Publishing LLC, 6515 Goodman Rd., Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654. 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.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Carroll Smith

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

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For The Love Of Cotton

otton has always been a part of my life. I got “lost” in a cotton field as a toddler in south-central Louisiana while my parents were visiting friends. My mom rescued me although I wasn’t frightened. I was just having fun exploring the field of brilliant white bolls. As a youngster, I rode out to the farm with the family to check on the crop and ride my Quarter Horse – Mr. Law Man. That was the name he came with, so we kept it.

While in elementary school, my classmates and I would sit near an adjacent cotton field during recess and watch the crop duster make slow turns in the sky, followed by quick, low passes across the crop. As I got older, I always went to the farm at harvest time. The smell of defoliant signified the crop was ready to go. I still remember dad, with a big smile on his face, standing in the middle of the field next to the boll buggy watching the pickers run down the rows. It was a magical time. The feeling that came with bringing a crop to harvest was always exciting.

My dad, who loved growing cotton, has passed, but the farm is still operating. It’s in our blood; it’s in our hearts. We love cotton.

Another family, whose roots run deep in cotton, is featured in our cover story on page 6 – “‘Cotton Brought Us To The Dance.’” Matt and Sherrie Miles from McGehee, Ark., have a rich history tied to white gold on both sides of the family. They reminisce about their fathers who were “farming neighbors” and share stories of how they got their own start with the help of Matt’s dad’s equipment and 56 acres of Sherrie’s dad’s land. Their son, Layne, and his wife, Ryane, are now part of the team as well.

Miles Farms never completely got out of cotton, but last year it dipped down to 180 acres – for them, the lowest ever. Matt recalls sitting in the office last December and January pondering his 2016 crop mix options: “Do I want to invest in a round bale picker again or try to make it on low grain prices?” They had sold their round bale picker but kept the module builders and a conventional picker. The latter could handle 180 acres of cotton but not the 3,300 acres he was contemplating planting in 2016.

With guidance from the good Lord, the family decided to buy the picker and get back into cotton in a big way. So far this year they have been blessed and are anticipating the excitement of getting “lost” in a field of brilliant white bolls.

Carroll If you have comments, please send them to: Cotton Farming Magazine, 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN, 38138. Contact Carroll Smith via email at csmith@onegrower.com.

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COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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 (615) 377-3322 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 2016 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

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COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Supporting Our Textile Industry Although export of raw cotton has become essential to U.S. cotton producers’ economic well-being, the National Cotton Council continues its longstanding work for our domestic textile industry.

How about assistance in the legislative arena?

n A major effort is the NCC’s work to maintain the highly successful “Economic Assistance to Users of Upland Cotton” program first introduced in 2008 farm law and reauthorized in the 2014 bill. This program makes a payment of 3 cents per pound to U.S. textile manufacturers for all upland cotton consumed.

Payments must be used for specific purposes such as acquisition, construction, installation, modernization, development, conversion, or expansion of land, plant buildings, equipment, facilities or machinery.

More recently, the NCC has been working with the Washington D.C.-based National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and key lawmakers to make sure the Berry Amendment is not weakened in the FY16 National Defense Authorization Act. That Amendment requires the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to purchase textiles and apparel made with 100 percent U.S. fiber and l a b o r. L i k e w i s e , t h e NCC, NCTO and others have conveyed to lawA rebranding campaign for the U.S. textiles makers the critical need sector was recently launched. for Export-Import Bank Reauthorization. The Ex-Im Bank provides important financing for the U.S. textile industry and its ability to export products.

The work with lawmakers on key trade legislation also is aimed at helping the U.S. textile sector. For example, last year the NCC and NCTO urged the Senate Finance Committee’s Cotton Belt Members to oppose any damaging amendments to Trade Promotion Authority legislation. One of those amendments would

have undermined U.S. textiles by extending certain expired or expiring tariff preference levels for textile/apparel products imported here from some countries.

What about more recent support?

n Early in 2015, NCTO leaders agreed the U.S. textile industry needed a complete public relations “remake” to change long-held negative perceptions and establish a baseline appreciation for the industry as a major employer, investor, innovator, producer, exporter and competitor in the global marketplace.

NCTO collaborated with a marketing/public relations firm to determine how the industry could be rebranded. The result was the development and recent launch of American Textiles: We Make AmazingTM, a campaign to which the NCC provided financial support.

This multi-year, public awareness campaign is designed to educate and engage target audiences, build support, strengthen alliances and create a more positive and accurate perception of the 21st century American textile industry. That includes highlighting the industry’s broad array of innovative products and the essential role they play in daily life.

The campaign’s guiding position is: “Our imagination inspires astonishing achievements that impact the world in often unrecognized, yet amazing ways. Through ingenuity, grit, heart and collaboration, the American Textile industry saves and improves lives, protects and motivates adventurers, builds strong communities and makes life more comfortable, more sustainable, more beautiful and more extraordinary.” The campaign theme is being brought to life by combining visual marketing with compelling member stories over video, print and digital platforms. More information on the campaign and its components is at www.ncto.org.

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

Twitter: @CottonFarming

COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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COVER STORY

Cotton is ingrained in the lives of Sherrie and Matt Miles. The photo shows the first bale picked in Desha County, Ark., in 1950.

Sherrie’s father, Joe Snow, is the young boy seated in front of the bale.

‘Cotton Brought Us To The Dance’

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

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att and Sherrie Miles come from multi-generational Arkansas cotton families. Although cotton is in their blood, they farmed only 180 acres last year. In 2016, they embraced the crop once again by planting 3,300 acres. “Cotton brought us to the dance, and we haven’t forgotten that,” Matt says.

The Arkansas couple were high school sweethearts, and their fathers were “farming neighbors.”

“We met when my dad, Charles Miles, went to their house to give her dad, Joe Snow, a gift for helping him pick cotton,” Matt says. “My dad was sick and had gotten behind on picking his cotton. Mr. Joe came out to our farm with his pickers to help him. I finally got up the nerve to ask Sherrie out. We dated through high school and married while we were in college.”

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COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

After graduating, Matt went to work at First National Bank as an ag loan officer in McGehee, Ark., and Sherrie began her career as an insurance agent. They both wanted to farm, but Matt’s dad didn’t have enough land to support two families. Sherrie’s dad had a field that didn’t fit into his program, so the couple got their start in 1990 with 56 acres of cotton while they kept their “day jobs.”

“We used my dad’s equipment and her dad’s land, so we got help from both families,” Matt says. “When we got married, Sherrie had a $10,000 CD her dad had put back for her. To tell you how much faith she had in us, our marriage and our business, she let me cash in that CD and make a down payment on a tractor. We bought our first tractor with her life savings.”

When their first child was born – daughter Sydney – COTTONFARMING.COM

Family Collaboration “When corn and soybeans started cash flowing equal to or better than cotton in some cases, we had the opportunity to rotate, use different chemistries on weeds and get things where we wanted them to be,” Matt says.

Today, they farm 9,900 acres of furrow-irrigated cotton, corn, soybeans and rice in Desha, Ashley, Chicot and Drew counties. Sherrie’s role has expanded to keeping books and crop input records for Miles Farms using Land.db software in the AgriEdge Excelsior program. She also provides Matt with the cost of production for each commodity.

“These costs help Matt decide what we are going to plant each year,” Sherrie says.

Their son, Layne, and his wife, Ryane, have now joined the operation, and daughter Abby is a senior in high school. For the past three years, Ryane has taken over the bookkeeping for the family’s trucking business and uses Adobe Photoshop to draw irrigation information from Pipe Planner on aerial photos of each field. “Next year, in addition to these duties, I will teach her how to keep up with the crop input records once she learns how everything is used,” Sherrie says.

Layne’s primary responsibilities include managing 1,300 acres of zero-grade rice and several hundred acres of corn and soybeans, running the variable-rate fertilizer spreader truck and tag-teaming with their crop consultant, Robb Dedman, on the irrigation for each field.

“Layne has not been exposed to a large amount of cotton acres until this year,” Matt says. “He spends a lot of hours with me learning how to manage it. He is fluent in science and computer technology, which is a big benefit for the next-generation farmer.”

Let’s Buy The Picker!

As cotton prices tanked, the Miles family concentrated more on their grain rotation and grew only 180 acres of cotton in 2015. They sold their round bale picker, but kept the module builders and a conventional picker. When grain prices took a downturn, cotton crept back into their thoughts.

“In December and January, I pondered our 2016 crop mix options,” Matt says. “Do I want to invest in a round bale picker again or try to make it on low grain prices? As a team, we decided to buy the picker and are glad to be back in the cotton business.

“We know cotton and love to grow it, but we believe in rotation and diversification, too. A good rotation sometimes trumps price; diversification makes us farm more efficiently; and cotton yields are good behind soybeans and corn.

“This year we have 3,300 acres of cotton, 2,800 acres of soybeans, 2,500 acres of corn and 1,300 acres of zerograde rice. Although we normally double crop 200 to 800 acres of wheat and soybeans, we decided not to plant wheat this season.”

Twitter: @CottonFarming

PHOTOS BY PAM CARAWAY

Sherrie left the insurance business and began keeping books for a small trucking company owned by Matt, his dad and his brother. It was an easy transition since Sherrie wrote checks and paid bills for her dad’s farm when she was 14 years old. As a young couple with a strong ag background, their operation and their family continued to grow. In 1995, they farmed 2,300 acres of cotton and 200 acres of soybeans.

Layne’s wife, Ryane, uses Adobe Photoshop to draw irrigation information from Pipe Planner – a web-based application – on aerial photos of each field. ‘thebomb.com’ In 2015, Miles Farms’ cotton acreage was planted to ST 4946GLB2 and PHY 499 WRF. This year, the three main varieties are ST 4946GLB2, DP 1518 B2XF and DP 1522 B2XF. Matt also participates in Bayer’s agronomic performance trials to get a look at the new Stoneville varieties and traits that are coming.

“For the past five or six years, I have planted Stoneville varieties,” Matt says. “They are ‘thebomb.com’ coming out of the ground. Emergence is excellent. These varieties are dependable, yield well and have good fiber quality. 4946 has been a good workhorse for us.

“I planted the Deltapine varieties this year to see how they will perform and how to manage them. When overthe-top use of dicamba gets approved, I think it will give us another tool with a little more residual that we can use with Liberty to control pigweed.”

Cover Crops/Biologicals With encouragement from Dedman, the Miles family is going to put in some cover crop plots this year. “We will plant combinations of cover crops, such as cereal rye and tillage radish,” Layne says. “Robb is working on that plan right now. It will be a challenge with furrow irrigation, but cover crops are supposed to make the soil healthier and hold moisture, which is another way to conserve water.

“We also are working with biologicals in cotton. We started with a seed treatment on some of the acres, and then combined a couple other foliar products – vitaNterra and Exploit – with our fertilizer at first bloom. We came back in 10 days to two weeks and put on 2 gallons COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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Matt Miles (left), Layne Miles, farm manager Billy Garner and crop consultant Robb Dedman say communication is key to maintain efficiency and profitability. of liquid potash. It appeared to help with cotton vigor on those acres. We spent about $25 per acre and hope to get a return of $70 to $80 per acre. We generally try to get the majority of our nutrient uptake through the roots, but we like to look at different things.”

Employee Dream Team When asked what he attributes the success of the farming operation to, Matt is quick to respond. “The good Lord is first,” he says. “And then I would say this team of people we have put together makes us successful.”

Matt says their crop consultant, Robb Dedman, thinks outside the box and pushes them to try new things.

“He offers complete crop consulting services and data management,” Matt says. “We would work a lot less if we didn’t have Robb. I give him credit for a lot of the things we are doing today in our production system. Much of our success with 100-bushel-yield soybeans was because of him.”

And now Dedman has taken on consulting responsibilities for the Miles Farms’ cotton acres as well.

“I believe in intense management and communication,” Dedman says. “It’s been a long time since we have had a lot of cotton to deal with. We are taking the intensity with which we grow soybeans and applying that same approach to cotton.”

Farm manager Billy Garner also is part of the inner circle. “Billy knows exactly what is going on in every aspect of the farm, including equipment purchases,” Matt says.

“I am always transparent in my communication with him.

“We have been blessed with our labor, too. One of our H2A workers has been here for three generations. Almost everyone else has been here for 10 to 15 years. Everyone pulls their weight and wants this yield as much as we do.”

Matt is adamant that he would put their employees up against any group in the United States. “This operation runs efficiently and successfully because of the people who are out there. It’s like a big family.”

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COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

McGehee Producers Gin Inc. In 1951, a group of farmers established McGehee Producers Gin Inc. during a time when individuals owned most gins. Since its first operational season in 1952, the farmer-owned facility has continued to thrive.

“The gin being only 2 miles from the farm made the decision to get back into cotton a lot easier,” Matt says. “And the rebate makes a big difference in our cash flow.”

Gin manager Kevin Watts worked at Producers Gin while he was in high school, and then came on full-time in 1981. In addition to good cottonseed prices, Watts says round bales have allowed the facility to increase its capacity because round bales can stay on the gin yard for a long period of time without being damaged.

Last year when cotton acres were down, Watts says they ginned 46,000 bales. This year, cotton acres in the area are up more than 100 percent, so he expects to gin between 80,000 and 100,000 bales.

“Ginning is a volume and efficiency game,” Watts says. “One of our haulers bought double trailers that can carry 10 round bales in one load, which makes the transportation cheaper. We have three Lummus gin stands with 170 saws on each one. Having more saws means you are not losing small seed, and the seed can be cleaned better.”

He also attributes the success of the gin to four full-time employees who have been there for more than 20 years: ginner and supervisor Donnie Peacock, Mike Anderson, Wayne Leek and Watts’ wife, Donna, who is the office manager.

“We are constantly updating and keeping the gin in top shape while we are running,” Watts says. “We care about all our customers, whether they have 100 acres or 5,000 acres. Everybody gets a fair shake.”

COTTONFARMING.COM

WESTERN REPORT

A University of Arizona Tent Talk was held at the site of an advance strains test plot in Buckeye, Ariz., supported by SSP funding. Bayer’s Tony Salcido, far right, and Monsanto’s Paul Sawyer, to Salcido’s right, participated in the discussion.

Special Interest Projects Funded

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he Cotton Research and Promotion Program continues to support Western cotton growers with research programs specifically tailored to the region through Cotton Incorporated’s State Support Program. This program allows regional cotton organizations to have direct input into the funding of projects within each state.

While Cotton Incorporated is already on the ground throughout the Cotton Belt with an understanding of regional priorities, the SSP ensures that 7.5 percent of the proceeds the Cotton Research and Promotion Program receives from producers is directed to areas they feel need special emphasis.

In New Mexico, that has included putting support dollars behind the development of an extruded shrimp meal using glandless cottonseed. New Mexico State University’s glandless cotton breeding program has been supported by SSP funds in the past and is still a big part of a larger program to increase demand for cottonseed as a food source. The initial project has grown into the development of the New Mexico Shrimp Co., a commercial shrimp-growing operation in Mesquite, N.M. The state’s cotton Twitter: @CottonFarming

BY BRENT MURPHREE MARICOPA, ARIZ.

producers have established this project as the No. 1 priority and dedicated all SSP funding to this project for the 2016 program year.

Variety Tests/Insect Pest Management Throughout the Cotton Belt, SSP funds support variety tests. In California, that includes the testing of Acala varieties in addition to traditional upland varieties. At one time, California had a one-variety rule to maintain its high-quality reputation – Acala was that one variety. The funding of variety tests for longer staple upland cotton helps ensure producers know the best options for that variety. In Arizona, the SSP funds help

toward several advance strains testing throughout the state.

Some of Arizona’s SSP funding also goes into sustaining the successful whitefly program. With potential resistance issues noted by several researchers, continued analysis of the systems available for control are essential to keeping the potential volatility of the whitefly under control.

Two other projects in Arizona include the field-scale study of lygus bugs and improving insect management strategies in Arizona cotton.

With the success of pink bollworm eradication in the West, producers want to ensure that the pinky is kept in check and that any new threats are controlled at a high level.

California is using SSP funds to ensure Integrated Pest Management advisers have the tools to manage pests and their controls. The state is developing a database of labeled pest control formulations, evaluating and recording formulations, devising the optimal way to use the products and examining factors influencing pest control with those tools.

Increase Producer Profitability In all cotton-producing regions, weed control is a real issue. In Arizona and California, efforts in other regions are compared and monitored to find the best use of weed control chemistry for the area. And, SSP funding is being used to study the efficacy of the herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba before widespread use is initiated. Other SSP funding in the West is dedicated to weather and heat stress studies, management of Texas root rot and continued work to manage aflatoxin content in cottonseed.

State support funding is roughly one third of the total 2016 budget for Cotton Incorporated’s Agricultural and Environmental Research Department. The core AERD budget is dedicated to helping increase producer profitability and takes into consideration programs across the Cotton Belt. Part of Cotton Incorporated’s role is to make sure that research programs in all regions are not redundant and can be shared throughout the Cotton Belt.

Brent Murphree is The Cotton Board’s Regional Communications Manager for the West.

COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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SPECIAL REPORT

2nd Annual Transform My Community Contest Kicks Off Aug. 1 2015 Grand Prize Winner Helps Fund Construction Of Baseball Field And Playground Designed Especially For Kids With Disabilities.

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.J. Hood knows firsthand the personal gratification derived from taking the time to compose a heartfelt essay about how his community could be transformed. Hood, a grower and farm manager for Tillar & Co., an 18,000-acre tract of land in southeast Arkansas, was motivated to enter the contest in 2015 for very personal reasons. His brother had lived for more than 40 years with several disabilities before losing his courageous battle this past spring.

Transform My Community, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences and Cotton Farming, is a way for cotton growers and crop consultants to parlay suggestions on how local communities could be “transformed” with the positive experiences they’ve had using Transform ® WG insecticide. The 2016 Transform My Community contest kicks off Aug. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2016. Due to Section 18 label use restrictions, only cotton growers and consultants in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee are eligible to submit essays.

“I would have loved for my brother to have had the opportunity to play baseball,” Hood says. “So when I found out that the Miracle League of Southeast Arkansas (SEARK) has set out on a mission to build a ‘Field of Dreams’ for kids with disabilities, I thought it was the perfect ‘community-transforming’ opportunity.”

His entry in 2015 was exactly what Dow AgroSciences had in mind when initiating the contest in 2015. Todd Pilcher, Dow AgroSciences U.S. product manager for Transform, explains.

“Our goals for Transform My Community were to start a program that would make an impression and connect with long-term community development,” Pilcher says. “That is exactly what A.J. was able to do in his essay.”

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Foundation Donation Fuels Fundraising Momentum Formed in September 2014, the Miracle League of SEARK made a push to raise $150,000 to start construction on the region’s first-of-itskind field in southeast Arkansas.

Karen Connelley, president of the SEARK Miracle League, said the Transform My Community cash donation could not have come at a better time, and considers it the catalyst that helped fuel fundraising efforts.

“Fundraising efforts were well underway when we received the gift from Dow AgroSciences,” Connelley says. “Shortly after, when word of the gift got out, we received a matching donation from a farm family who had read the winning announcement in Cotton Farming magazine. That was followed by a commitment from the city of Monticello and things started steamrolling from there.”

A groundbreaking ceremony was held this past May and construction is slated to begin later this fall.

Connelley expects the field will be completed by spring 2017.

Transforming Communities And Cotton Fields While it means a great deal to Hood that his essay was selected and he was able to help transform the city of Monticello, he is also grateful for an insecticide that has transformed his cotton fields.

“Without Transform insecticide, it would be difficult to raise a good cotton crop,” Hood says. “The plant bug populations in our area were significant last season and without Transform we wouldn’t have had nearly the yield and quality of cotton we were able to produce.

“We owe a big thanks to all the Extension specialists and crop consultants who are such strong supporters of Transform as they were a big part of why we received a Section 18 emer-

A.J. Hood was the 2015 Transform My Community grand prize winner. gency exemption in Arkansas. Not only is Transform highly effective in controlling cotton pests, but we need this chemistry to help manage growing insecticide resistance concerns.”

Written essays of up to 500 words in length will be accepted through Sept. 30, 2016. In addition to the $20,000 cash award to support a winning community or organization, the grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize and Yeti® cooler. For more information, contact your Dow AgroSciences sales representative or visit www.TransformMyCommunity. com.

“I didn’t really think we would win but thought it was worth at least taking the time to write the essay,” Hood says. “The SEARK Miracle League is very important to me and my family.

To think that a short essay has done so much to transform Monticello and the lives of so many kids with disabilities makes me very proud. I’m really happy the contest is continuing and would like to encourage all eligible growers and consultants to give serious thought to entering.”

COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton Consultant of the Year 2016 NOMINATION FORM

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 award is given to the consultant who not only meets these requirements but also exceeds them.

Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine, CCOY sponsors, are soliciting your help in selecting the 2016 recipient, who will be named at a special celebration during the weekend of the 2017 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show.

The winning consultant and the person who nominates the winner receive two nights’ hotel stay and airfare to the 2017 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis, Tenn.

In addition, the 2016 CCOY recipient will be the subject of a four-page salute in the February 2017 issue of Cotton Farming.

Please send your nomination form by August 22, 2016 to:

If you would like to nominate a consultant deserving of this outstanding recognition, please take a moment to fill out the following form.

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Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Ave. Germantown, TN 38138 Scan/Email: csmith@onegrower.com You can print out an electronic version of the form located on the Cotton Farming Web site at www.cottonfarming.com.

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Cotton Farming

Irrigation Strategies Farmers In Water-Limited Areas Of The Cotton Belt Face Challenges Head-On.

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

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COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

BOB HUTMACHER/UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

T

he West and the Southwest are areas of the Cotton Belt that typically experience water shortages. Instead of giving up on trying to irrigate their crops, cotton farmers have adopted systems to make the most of the water that they have.

“California is the Part 2 only state that has to rely fully on irrigation to meet crop water needs,” says Bob Hutmacher, University of California Extension cotton specialist. “We are growing cotton in a dry environment with essentially no chance of rainfall during most of our cotton-growing season. Arizona growers may get growing-season water from monsoon rains, but there is little chance of that for most California producers.

“In the past, when we had more consistent, favorable water supplies, better quality water, and weren’t competing as much with permanent crops, furrow irrigation was a typical system used by cotton farmers. Today, we still have large acreages of level basin irrigation – a type of border system – on land well suited for it, such as the finer-textured lake bottom land in the San Joaquin Valley. For these specific soil types, soil characteristics allow this ground to be irrigated quite efficiently at low costs with the level basin system.”

In the San Joaquin Valley where most of California’s cotton is grown, water availability has been a chronic problem for the past 10 years and is tremendously variable by water district. Water costs can run anywhere from $35 per acre-foot on the low end to high-end costs in excess of $400 per acre-foot. Moderate to high yields are needed to cover the cost of production.

When high water prices are combined with water availability problems, many farmers in recent years have been forced to use deep groundwater

Some California cotton farmers install temporary surface drip irrigation systems to be more efficient with limited water supplies. This mixed Pima and Upland cotton alternate-row surface drip irrigation trial was conducted at the University of California West Side Research and Extension Center in Fresno County.

Irrigation Strategies – Part 1 appeared in the July issue of Cotton Farming. To read how technology improves water-use efficiency and profitability, visit http:// www.cottonfarming.com/cover-story/ irrigation-strategies/. wells for irrigation. Even then, portions of the wells have good quality water and others have moderate to poor quality water with salinity and boron issues.

“Cotton has a lot of competition for good quality water from other more valuable agronomic crops, such as nuts, fruits, processing tomatoes, garlic, onions, alfalfa and corn for the dairy industry,” Hutmacher says. “In some ways, this is where cotton’s versatility shines. Because cotton tolerates water stress and salt more than some of these crops, farmers can irrigate the crop with less water and with water from secondary water supplies, such as groundwater wells.”

Drip Irrigation Systems In the past few years, many farmers installed subsurface drip irrigation systems, particularly in heavy soils, for crops such as tomatoes, which pay well. That same system can be used when they go into a cotton rotation. Others have turned to temporary, lower cost surface drip systems. Filter stations are placed on portable skids and can be moved around with forklifts. Where water availability is an issue, this type of system allows farmers to be as judicious as possible with their water use.

Sprinkler Irrigation Systems The solid set pipe sprinkler system is used in medium- and coarser-textured soils mostly in Kern County.

Farmers typically choose this strategy where they have vegetable crops in rotation with cotton. Pipes are set out in the field and left for the season.

In western Fresno County and Kings County where cotton is still grown, COTTONFARMING.COM

farmers often do pre-plant irrigations with hand move sprinklers that allow them to put on small amounts of water – 3, 4 or 5 inches – to carry plants through early, low-water-use periods while reducing potential for leaching losses. Sections of aluminum pipe are carried into fields, put together and moved around in sets to irrigate all of the acreage. In such fields, sprinklers may be switched to furrow irrigation for remaining irrigations.

“Farmers who use this irrigation system are trying very hard to be efficient with water use because it involves a lot of hard work and expense,” Hutmacher says. “California is not unique in trying to be efficient with water use, but we are in a situation where the drought has been so persistent and there is almost zero probability that farmers will get rainfall during the growing season.”

Bordovsky, research scientist and agricultural engineer, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock. “In the Southern High Plains, our highest rainfall months are May and June. Early in the growing season, we can over irrigate with a pivot assuming that all water is stored in the profile for current or later use.

However, we’ve found that much of that water will be lost to evaporation.

Also, by watering too much early in the growing season under pivot, we can create a cotton plant that is much larger physically than we can support through the entire growing season with the water that we have.

“Because subsurface drip is underground, it is not subject to as much evaporation loss. Currently, we are studying how much and at what time to apply irrigation with a subsurface drip system to optimize crop response to our limited water available. We want to have enough water in the ground to germinate the cotton plant.

the water that flows through the drip system. “Ten years ago, we didn’t know what was clogging one of our systems,” Bordovsky says. “When we discovered it was manganese oxide deposits in the drip emitters, we chlorinated the well to clean up the bacteria and then injected hydrogen peroxide into the water – in addition to lowering the pH to 7 – to clear out the drip lines.”

Manganese may not be present in all wells on a farm, and the level of manganese in well water can change over time. Before investing in a subsurface drip irrigation system, Bordovsky suggests the farmer check his water quality prior to installation. If high levels of manganese are present in well water, options to prevent clogging (and their related costs) should be carefully evaluated.

DANA PORTER/TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

Rodent Pressure On Drip Tape Cotton farmers using subsurface drip Soil Moisture Profile irrigation systems must also be cogniDan Munk, University of California zant of rodent pressure on drip Cooperative Extension farm tape. “Where we have acres advisor in Fresno County, says and acres of cotton, rodents monitoring soil moisture is a generally are not as much good tool to use where water of a problem,” says Dana availability is an issue.

Porter, Texas A&M AgriLife “Today we are looking more Extension Service in Lubbock. extensively at the soil mois“Rodent damage is more liketure profile because cotton ly to appear when cotton is is a deep-rooted plant,” he planted near good rodent habsays. “In soils that have high itat, such as a sorghum crop water-holding capacity, cotton or CRP ground. These pests extracts water from deep in gnaw on the irrigation tape, the soil profile later in the seapuncturing or destroying the son. This means that farmers tape. Because the damage is don’t have to irrigate as much A subsurface drip irrigation header manifold with underground, identifying the during this time since the flow meters and pressure gauges for separate zones. plant can get water through its roots deep in the ground. Examining the soil moisture profile works best in clay soils and clay loam soils but can be harder to interpret in coarsertextured soils.”

Subsurface Drip In Texas Subsurface drip irrigation has had a high rate of adoption in water-limited, cotton-growing areas of Texas.

Typically, this technology uses less water with good results than other irrigation systems. Farmers are often eligible for NRCS EQIP cost-share money to help offset the high installation cost. A high concentration of experienced subsurface drip irrigation designers and dealers are available to assist farmers who want to use this strategy.

“We typically don’t have enough water to deliver to the cotton plant when it needs it the most,” says Jim Twitter: @CottonFarming

If it has rained, we may not have to apply as much water. In other cases, we may have to run the drip system longer to wet up the ground in order to plant.”

With any system, achieving uniform irrigation is important. Because subsurface drip is contained and pressurized, and precise control is possible, companies that specialize in this technology can design a system to achieve this goal. Factors taken into consideration include flow rate, emitter size and spacing, and elevation change.

Subsurface drip irrigation is an efficient delivery tool, and some cotton farmers have achieved very high yields – more than 4 bales per acre in certain instances – using this technology. One issue to be aware of is manganese oxide deposits that originate in the well and precipitate into

problem, locating the damage and repairing the tape can be especially problematic.

“To help deter rodent damage, limit attractive habitat close to drip-irrigated cotton fields. Deeper placement of drip tape may help deter some rodents; however, deep tape placement may present a greater challenge in wetting up the seed bed for crop germination.”

With good planning, a subsurface drip irrigation system can be beneficial to Texas cotton farmers.

“Two critical factors associated with having a successful system are hiring an experienced company to design the system for a particular farm and clearly understanding what the maintenance of that system should be,” Bordovsky says. “By following these guidelines, the system should continue to work well for a long time.”

COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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Industry News Cotton Ginning Cost-Share Signup Deadline Ends Aug. 5 The National Cotton Council reminds producers eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program they have until Aug. 5 to sign up. There will be no deadline extension. USDA has begun distributing program payments, which are issued soon after an individual signs up.

A CGCS fact sheet, including eligibility and payment calculation information, is on the NCC’s website at www.cotton.org/issues/2016/ upload/16cgcsfact.pdf. More information also is at www.fsa.usda.gov/cgcs.

It also is in the Farm Service Agency’s recently issued Notice CN-1057 – “Cotton Ginning Cost-Share (CGCS) Program for 2015 Cotton Crop” at www.cotton.org/issues/2016/upload/ ginnote.pdf. In addition, producers may contact their local FSA offices.

To find your local FSA office, go to http://offices.usda.gov.

Field Day Features Deltapine Cotton Varieties, Technologies More than 100 farmers attending the recent fourth annual Paul Freund Farms Field Day in Needville, Texas, had a chance to see and hear about top-performing Deltapine cotton varieties for the Texas Upper Gulf Coast region, as well as cotton technologies, such as Bollgard II XtendFlex, and developing cotton technologies, such as Bollgard 3.

One new Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton variety garnering a lot of attention was DP 1646 B2XF, a full-season product that has shown outstanding yield and quality potential in many areas of the Cotton Belt, including the Texas Gulf Coast. “There’s a lot of excitement around DP 1646 B2XF, and we’ve got a good bit of this variety out this year,” says Tom Owen, an area business manager with Monsanto. “We think it’s going to be a good fit in a lot of areas, including this region. It really travels well.”

Jim Bosch, East Texas technical agronomist for Monsanto, told growers that DP 1646 B2XF has performed well in tests so far this season, showing strong emergence and good vigor characteristics. Compared to other full-season, high-yield potential varieties, “You’re going to get a much

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Jim Bosch, East Texas technical agronomist for Monsanto, provides farmers with background on Deltapine cotton varietal research during the recent Paul Freund Farms Field Day in Needville, Texas. longer staple length out of DP 1646 B2XF,” Bosch says. “It’s been running from a 37 to a 40 staple length, so it’s got a premium length that will add a few pennies to your loan price. That’s a differential that is pretty important to farmers.”

Other cotton varieties Bosch describes as being well-suited to the Upper Gulf Coast region include DP 1518 B2XF, DP 1522 B2XF and DP 1553 B2XF. In 2016, growers can use Roundup brand glyphosate-only agricultural herbicides and Liberty herbicide (glufosinate), while over-the-top use of dicamba is still pending approval from the Environmental Protection Agency. Beginning in 2018, pending approvals, farmers will have access to varieties with Bollgard 3, which will enhance the insect protection in earlier Bollgard products. This next-generation technology will provide season-long protection with multiple modes of action against key lepidopteran pests in cotton fields.

Jonesboro, Ark.; and Andy Zarecor, Newbern, Tenn.

The PEP is now in its 18th year of providing U.S. cotton producers an opportunity to learn more about the NCC’s policy development and implementation process as well as the issues affecting the industry. More than 200 NCC producer members have participated in the PEP, which is supported

by Syngenta Crop Protection through a grant to The Cotton Foundation.

While in Greensboro, the group received communications training, met with Syngenta’s management team and toured the company’s research facilities. In Washington, D.C., the group visited with various Congressional staffers and the House and Senate agriculture committees, met with key USDA officials and received a briefing from Syngenta.

The group also was updated on key industry issues and given a legislative process overview by NCC Washington operations staff.

Final 2015 Cotton STAX County PEP Members Complete Training Yields, Revenue Announced This year ’s Policy Education Program (PEP) participants completed their training during sessions in Greensboro, N.C., and Washington, D.C. The group included: Chris Crivelli, Dos Palos, Calif; Marsh Matthew, Cammack Village, Ark.; Matt Mobley, Moultrie, Ga.; Garron Morgan, Jr., Lamesa, Texas; Tyler Oxford, Frederick, Okla.; Wade Vaughn, Lubbock, Texas; James Wray,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the approved final STAX county yields and county revenues for the 2015 crop year. The announcement at www.rma.usda.gov/ bulletins/pm/2016/16-039.pdf contains links to detailed county data for yields and revenues. A summary spreadsheet, also available on the RMA website and that gives general guidance COTTONFARMING.COM

Industry News on counties eligible for indemnities, is at www.cotton.org/econ/govprograms/crop-insurance.cfm. Based on an initial review, STAX indemnities will be paid in selected counties in 14 of the 17 cotton-producing states for the 2015 crop year. States expected to receive significant indemnities include South Carolina, North Carolina, Louisiana and Missouri.

In South Carolina, actual yields will result in many counties receiving the maximum STAX indemnity. For a non-irrigated South Carolina producer who purchased a 90-70 STAX policy with a 1.2 protection factor, STAX indemnities (in counties triggering an indemnity) range between $107 and $145 per acre. Individual indemnities will vary depending on coverage levels. Farmers should check with their insurance agent for exact indemnities.

A number of North Carolina counties also are expected to trigger indemnities, with actual indemnities varying based on final yields.

North Carolina Cotton Farmer Wins Grand-Prize Package When cotton producer William Dunlow makes yearly plans for his farming operation, he steps back to consider the big picture and get a bird’s-eye view. That’s going to be a little easier now that Dunlow won an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as the grand-prize winner in the 2016 PhytoGen Best Yielder Club sweepstakes.

In addition to the UAV, the grand prize includes UAV operation training and a professional photo shoot at Dunlow’s farm in Gaston, N.C. The photos will be used to create a oneof-a-kind personal coffee table book featuring his operation. Dunlow says he is surprised to win the Best Yielder Club sweepstakes and excited about the prizes.

“I was at a meeting where they were talking about the PhytoGen Best Yielder Club so I pulled out my phone and signed up,” Dunlow says. “I can’t believe I actually won. I am really excited to use the UAV on the farm. I think it could be a good tool to get an overview of a field and check things you can’t see from the end row.”

Dunlow, who farms with his father, David, said they’ve planted PhytoGen cottonseed for the past eight years with great success. Dunlow says Twitter: @CottonFarming

PhytoGen brand varieties were his top yielders in 2015, when he planted PHY 499 WRF and PHY 333 WRF. In 2016, he added two more PhytoGen brand varieties to the mix: PHY 444 WRF and PHY 490 W3FE. “PhytoGen cottonseed was the highest yielder on the farm last year. It’s always at the top, if not the best, on the farm,” Dunlow says. “I love the vigor of PhytoGen cottonseed coming out of the ground. It handles environmental stress well, and it is very uniform across the different soil types on our farm. We plant it because it is consistent cotton, year after year.”

Best Yielder Club grand-prize winner William Dunlow, right, shares his excitement to win the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with his father, David, and PhytoGen sales representative Laurie Coulter.

Dunlow also plants PhytoGen cottonseed because of the potential for excellent fiber quality and high grades.

That’s one of the reasons he was interested in PHY 444 WRF for 2016.

“Fiber quality is a big topic of conversation in our area,” Dunlow says.

“These yields are high, and now the conversation is turning to grades because of the benefits. In this part of the world, we are used to a little premium in our lint grades, and we want to stretch for even higher quality. That’s what sets U.S. cotton apart from the rest of the world.”

The Best Yielder Club sweepstakes also awarded UAVs and operation training to three regional winners in the Southwest, Mid-South and Southeast. The regional winners were: Brady Weishuhn, Vancourt, Texas; Nathan Lee, Tallulah, La.; and James Johnson, Mayesville, S.C. To read about growers’ experiences with PhytoGen cottonseed or to learn more about the Best Yielder Club, visit BestYielderClub.com.

CCOY 2016 NOMINATIONS Cotton Consultant of the Year

Deadline Nears For 2016 CCOY Nominations

How important are cotton consultants? They’re important enough that Cotton Farming magazine and Syngenta continue to co-sponsor a special award each year that honors the top consultant in the Cotton Belt.

Nominees are voted on by past Cotton Consultant of the Year winners. The 2016 recipient will be recognized at a special reception during the weekend of the 2017 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis and featured in a special four-page insert in the February 2017 issue of Cotton Farming.

Don’t delay. Fill out the nomination form on page 11 and send it in. The deadline for entries is Aug. 22.

Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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Specialists Speaking 2016 Cotton Crop Progress ARKANSAS Bill Robertson Our cotton crop is much improved going into July compared to its status the first of June. The July 11 National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Progress and Condition Report for Arkansas reported cotton flowering or setting bolls ahead of the five-year average. Forty-eight percent of the cotton is in good condition, 25 percent excellent and 19 percent fair.

Another measure of crop condition is nodes above white flower (NAWF). The NAWF value at first flower gives a good indication of the horsepower of the plant or its ability to supply the needs of a fruit load. In Arkansas, we target 9 to 10 NAWF at first flower and define cutout as NAWF=5.

We saw a lot of variability in NAWF in our April planted fields.

Fields ranged anywhere from 6 to 7 NAWF at first flower to fields that were still running in excess of 8 NAWF going into the second week of flower. The dominant factor for this range is related to available soil moisture. Fields with NAWF values of 6 or 7 at first flower still have the potential to meet our yield goals. However, timing of inputs is very critical to meet plant demands to avoid an earlier than desired cut-out.

We saw about as much horsepower going into flowering on our early May planted cotton as I have seen in Arkansas. Our most vigorous fields generally average 9 to 10 NAWF at first flower. We have seen many fields with 12 to 14 NAWF at first flower.

A concern of many is high fruit retention. Most fields we are monitoring have 95 percent or higher square retention. The combination of high demand and high retention could be disastrous if a significant stress presents itself. More often than not in this situation, the plant sheds too much fruit for our liking.

It is important to know how much horsepower and the potential demand that exists in your fields to be able to satisfy plant demands to reach your yield goals. Our yield potential is still great at this time. As we go into August, we must continue to manage this crop in a timely fashion to maintain yield potential. We must also keep expenses in check and hope that Mother Nature does not throw us any curveballs. brobertson@uaex.edu

LOUISIANA Dan Fromme The Louisiana cotton crop looks very promising as the latter part of July approaches. The 2016 crop has experienced above-average temperatures throughout the growing season and is progressing quickly. Soil moisture conditions have been good throughout most of the state until the middle of July. Rainfall is now needed, and producers with irrigation are starting to turn on wells.

Square retention was good as we approached first bloom. Plant bug numbers began to increase in fields when cotton began to bloom, but have remained at manageable levels. So far, bollworm pressure has been low but is expected to increase as July progresses. Fields that were planted in April are nearing or quickly approaching cut-out.

Currently, mepiquat chloride applications are being applied to manage height control. We should start seeing some open bolls during the last week of July or the first week of August.

Growers and consultants are focusing on plant bug and bollworm control for the remainder of the season. Timely rains are needed during the latter part of July and the first two weeks of August to finish

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out the 2016 crop. Louisiana farmers are currently cautiously optimistic about their cotton yields as the season moves toward completion. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds The 2016 cotton crop in Mississippi is in pretty good shape as a whole. While we have certainly had our share of issues (too much moisture, not enough moisture, thrips, pigweeds, etc.), the crop has finally started to take shape in many areas. In addition, plant bugs have been relatively light across most of the state as of this writing. I have never been good at estimating yields in August and will wait for pickers to run prior to making any final judgments. However, our crop is respectable, and retention is outstanding in many cases.

By the time this issue of Cotton Farming reaches your hands, we will likely have two to three more weeks for white flowers to appear, be pollinated and form into bolls with a strong likelihood of making it into the picker basket.

We also will be one to two weeks away from terminating furrow irrigation. Mississippi State University scientists recommend terminating furrow irrigation at first cracked boll. The understory of a cotton crop can become very warm and moist after furrow irrigating. Furthermore, there are many disease organisms that can cause hardlock and/or boll rot. Combining a warm, moist environment with cotton bolls that are beginning to crack open and the presence of disease organisms heightens the potential to hardlock and/or rot part of your crop. If you choose to irrigate after first cracked boll, understand that there may be consequences to doing so. darrind@ext.msstate.edu

FLORIDA David Wright This has been an average year so far with shortterm droughts and heavy rainfall in certain locations.

Thrips pressure was heavy at the beginning of the season, but management progressed on schedule.

August is critical for cotton that did not set a heavy boll load earlier in the season. Setting bolls much later than early September results in bolls that often are not mature when the first frost occurs.

Insect scouting, especially for stinkbugs, is critical as they build up over the summer and can damage cotton that is fruiting in August.

Likewise, target spot and other foliage diseases can be a problem with frequent rain showers and high humidity. Timely fungicide applications may help keep the plant healthy for late boll development. With current prices, it is important to attain high yields to be profitable. wright@ufl.edu

TEXAS Gaylon Morgan Harvest has begun in the earliest planted cotton fields in the Rio Grande Valley with ginning expected to begin during the middle of July. Harvest throughout the RGV will in full swing between the third and fourth week of July. Folks are optimistic about the yield and quality for both the dryland and irrigated crops.

The Coastal Bend will not lag far behind the RGV as plans for harvest aids are being made. Expectations for the Coastal COTTONFARMING.COM

NORTH CAROLINA Guy Collins As I write this on July 5, the cotton crop in North Carolina is looking noticeably better than it once did. Planting season was as challenging and frustrating as our past harvest season due to adverse weather. However, warmer temperatures and timely rains in June have resulted in much better growth than was observed early on. Excessive rain, in areas such as the Blacklands, resulted in severe water logging and stunting.

However, most of the state’s cotton is making great progress at this time. Our crop is delayed by a couple weeks in many areas, but weather during the remainder of the summer could change that.

We are only half way through this season, so July and August (followed by a favorable fall) will have a strong influence on how well the 2016 crop performs. Plant bugs have been active in areas, but thorough scouting, timely sprays and rotating chemistries can do a lot to combat these insect pests. At this point, our growers are focused on ensuring that no further crop delays occur. Therefore, it is essential that our inputs are timely throughout the remainder of the season. Favorable rains and temperatures surely wouldn’t hurt, either. guy_collins@ncsu.edu

deficiencies or sample to determine if their nitrogen management practices are adequate. In Virginia, research results show that petiole nitrate-N concentrations need to be between 6,000-10,000 ppm during the first week of bloom to achieve maximum yields.

This year, we may want to be closer to 6,000 to ensure timely cut-out and defoliation given the later planting dates in 2016. whframe@vt.edu

NEW MEXICO John Idowu The cotton crop is doing well here in New Mexico. The temperature is high with a number of days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The cotton is progressing with many fields at the blooming stage. There has been no report of any pest outbreaks. The water situation is also not bad, although we are still expecting precipitation from the monsoon. Generally, cotton is progressing very well after the initial setback of lower-than-normal temperatures during the early part of the season. jidowu@ad.nmsu.edu

VICKY BOYD

Bend crop are more erratic. Some fields look good while others got a slow start due to excessive moisture. Other fields missed multiple mid-season rains.

Much of the Upper Gulf Coast set a decent crop once the plants starting holding fruit. However, some areas stayed too wet for too long, leading to poor fruit set and crop development. The early planted Blackland’s cotton crop looks decent and even the late-planted irrigated cotton looks good. However, the late-planted dryland cotton will need timely rains to make a competitive yield.

The Northern Rolling Plains has pockets of good cotton but is highly variable in its development and yield potential. The Southern Rolling Plains is in a similar situation, but is in better shape overall.

However, some of the timely rains also brought significant hail damage in certain areas. Overall, the Rolling Plains is looking better than it has looked in some time. gmorgan@tamu.edu

VIRGINIA Hunter Frame

MISSOURI Mike Milam

Cotton is late due to May conditions this year, but given warm temperatures and precipitation, it has taken off during the past two weeks. From June 23 through July 7, I was traveling in China with colleagues. As I was leaving, cotton was anywhere from 2 true leaves to 5-6 nodes, depending on planting date and location. When I returned, the crop had jumped, and most fields had multiple squares and were pushing bloom. It was a pleasant surprise to see the growth rate and status of the Virginia crop.

Some areas of the state have received excess rainfall while others have had just enough. Moving into August, Virginia is still a couple weeks behind our “normal” crop progress. If Mother Nature continues to provide warm temperatures and rainfall, we may be able to make up some ground.

As we move into August bloom period, insect scouting and control become the most pressing concern with stink bugs being the No. 1 pest. Producers also need to scout their fields for nutrient

Missouri cotton acres increased from 185,000 to 300,000 this year. According to the July 11 Missouri Crop Progress and Condition Report, 76 percent of Missouri cotton is squaring. The five-year average is 63 percent. Seven percent is setting bolls. The state’s cotton crop condition is rated 5 percent very poor; 12 percent poor; 46 percent fair; 33 percent good and 4 percent excellent.

One of our greatest concerns right now is the heat and lack of rainfall. Our Extension state climatologist is describing this as a flash drought. We had adequate moisture when planting concluded, but high temperatures have taken a toll on soil moisture. According to the Drought Monitor, we have adequate moisture but are rapidly facing an abnormally dry situation. One of my concerns has been high nighttime temperatures in the 75- to 78-degree range, which doesn’t give the crop an opportunity to recover as it normally would.

On a sad note, there has been a lot of dicamba being used in the Roundup Ready Plus Xtend system this season. While this is clearly

Twitter: @CottonFarming

COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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Specialists Speaking off-label, complaints to the Missouri Department of Agriculture are adding up. While much of the impact may be cosmetic, producers who use it are violating federal pesticide laws. Scientists at Michigan State University have documented that non-target terrestrial plant injury was 75-400 percent higher for dicamba and 2,4-D, respectively, than for glyphosate. Stay tuned. milammr@missouri.edu

crop termination and defoliation. The use of plant growth regulators can be effective to help manage excessive vegetative growth that frequently results from heat-stress-induced boll shed. Publications on plant growth regulator use rates and timings can be found on the University of Arizona crops website: http://cals.arizona.edu/crops. rnorton@cals.arizona.edu

OKLAHOMA Randy Boman

TEXAS Seth Byrd

As of this mid-July writing, the Oklahoma cotton crop has progressed well in most areas but is highly variable with respect to planting date. After good to excellent mid-May rainfall occurred in many areas, much of the crop was planted fairly rapidly. Planting of some dryland fields, especially in much of Tillman County, was pushed later into June, with some growers getting caught by locally high rainfall. With good to excellent rainfall in many counties, we are set up for great yield potential for our dryland acres.

Late June and early July brought thunderstorms with winds approaching 70 mph in places. These storm systems resulted in cotton “ragging up” in some locations. Small, unprotected cotton (without cover) was damaged in high-wind affected areas. Most cotton protected by ground cover was in good to excellent condition, with large leaves and high growth rate.

Minimal thrips pressure was noted earlier, but cotton fleahopper populations are worth watching during the squaring phase. Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth is a major concern of many growers, and most have made valiant attempts to use timely control practices.

Most farms where timely residual herbicide applications were made have observed good weed control. Forecasts indicate that summer has finally arrived with a vengeance, and multiple days of triple-digit forecasts for southwestern Oklahoma have been reported.

The June 30 USDA-NASS report indicated 300,000 cotton acres planted in the state, but many observers believe the actual number is smaller. Some areas received several inches of rainfall during the first half of July. Although we have a great start, once again we need rainfall in July and August to have a “bell ringer” dryland crop. randy.boman@okstate.edu

As of July 11, the cotton crop across the High Plains had begun squaring, with some of the earlier planted fields getting close to flowering. Fields that were replanted due to cool weather early in the season, pounding rains or hail were still a few days or weeks away from putting squares on. The vast majority of the crop was planted into good moisture or received rain from mid-May through early June. These favorable conditions got the crop off to a great start. It is now reaching the squaring stage without much stress.

However, late June and early July saw temperatures soar into the 100s with rain being spotty at best, resulting in the start of irrigation across the region. Several isolated storms have come through bringing more damaging winds than beneficial rains – a stark contrast to the wet and cool conditions we experienced just two months earlier as the season began.

We largely avoided serious issues with early season thrips. In northern areas where some fields were affected, timely insecticide applications resulted in instances of only minor injury. While there have been some reports of fleahoppers in the southern counties of the High Plains, it appears this region has escaped widespread infestations or losses due to insects up to this point.

Cotton acres should be flowering by late July to early August.

Some significant rains during this period could be beneficial and provide stress relief as we enter the peak water demand period. If not, it’s likely that irrigation will continue where water is available, while dryland fields may suffer from the hot, dry conditions. seth.byrd@ag.tamu.edu

ARIZONA Randy Norton Most of the Arizona cotton crop is now in the midst of peak bloom with some of the crop entering the back side of the bloom cycle and heading toward cutout. The last few weeks of June and first few weeks of July had significant temperatures resulting in several days of level two (L2) heat stress in the low desert regions of the state. Research has shown that L2 heat stress may result in significant fruit shed, particularly if the crop is progressing toward mid- to peak bloom.

Additional information on real-time heat stress monitoring along with likely crop response to L1 and L2 heat stress can be found at the University of Arizona Meteorological Network website – cals.arizona. edu/azmet. The documents found here describe how L1 and L2 heat stress are calculated and how these levels affect crop development.

A good portion of the Arizona crop was heading into mid- and peak bloom as the heat stress occurred. This type of heat stress results in poor pollination and shedding of 1- to 3-day-old bolls. If poorly pollinated bolls remain on the plant, they will often appear misshapen due to locks not being “filled-out” properly or the lack of proper seed development. This fruit loss not only will impact yield but can also increase the tendency of the crop to develop excessive vegetative growth, resulting in a crop that is difficult to manage through

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COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper On July 11, I would conservatively rank Tennessee’s cotton crop anywhere from good to excellent.

Although some acres struggled with a blackberry winter, many were able to capitalize on a warm late April and several other optimal windows before and after the cold snap. June was hotter than normal and relatively dry, but neither of those climactic trends is necessarily bad for cotton early on. I’ve had many veteran producers within the state refer to this as a “cotton” year with several making the comment that this is the best start they’ve ever had.

Plant bug applications have been increasing as these pests move out of corn into cotton. However, as of July 4, it has been a fairly light insect year. Mepiquat applications have ramped up in response to rapid growth due to recent rains. Fruit retention, as a whole, has been very good, and Tennessee’s crop has tremendous potential.

By the time you read this, the effective flowering period for 2016 will be nearing its end. Keep a couple of things in mind while attempting to realize this year’s potential. First, tag a few flowers on the last effective flowering date and remember that fruit above those tags will likely not be harvested. Second, insecticide applications for many pests can be terminated 350-450 heat units after cut-out. Finally, water use (and requirements) decline after peak flower, but water deficit stress at this period can still reduce yields. If possible, maintain adequate soil moisture through first cracked boll. traper@utk.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

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Using Gin Data Can Lead Greater Efficiencies plate 3/7/14 3:26 PM PageTo 1 We hear about “big data” all the time. All kinds of claims about data are made by all kinds of people. “Data makes our lives better and cheaper.” Or “data is the end of the world,” some say. “Data is why we have so many nice things,” others claim.

Let’s talk a bit about data and how it relates to gins.

Whether we like it or not, we’re in the data business. Yes, even gins. I had the pleasure to teach at the Stoneville gin school this year. During the continuing education section, one of the presenters got a lot of attention. His topic was on the use of individual roll serial number data for tracking modules instead of using module load tags. This started a big discussion, and a lot of very smart people (the students) began talking about the possibilities of using such a system or a variation of it.

I began thinking about all the data you as ginners keep track of every day. Producer information, classing data, module data, module location in the fields, module location on the yard, bales in the warehouse, warehouse receipts – the list goes on.

The more data we have, the more ways there are to use that information. Here is one of the familiar examples used in the school. Because each module retains its own identity, you can marry the classing data, field GPS data, yield information with your fertilizer applications, plant growth regulator data, harvest moisture and others to come up with a LOT of management tools used in precision ag. Map your fields with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and think of how that additional data can be used.

The entity that can put all of this together can make itself quite valuable to the producer customer as well as find new ways to squeeze every penny out of resources farmers have available. Efficiency is the only way we are going to survive

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going forward. Efficiency in moving modules, efficiency in handling bales, efficiency in farming, efficiency in energy consumption and even labor efficiency are needed to get through these years of reduced acres and varying weather conditions.

Think about all the data you have at your fingertips as a ginner and how you might be able to leverage that information to help your customers and yourself be more efficient. What gaps need to be bridged in getting the most out of the data, and who is keeping you from getting it?

Getting together to figure out the answers may be the only way to create greater efficiencies. This will be a topic of conversation with many groups as we move into the upcoming ginning season.

Dusty Findley of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association contributed this article. Contact him at 706-344-1212 or dusty@southern-southeastern.org. * * * * *

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Kyle Campbell – Texas June 2016 Internship Report During the first part of the internship, I am working for Kyle Taubert at Oasis Gin Inc. in Seminole, Texas. It has been a great experience so far, and I have enjoyed my time here at Oasis.

The first day started off with safety training by watching some videos on gin safety and workplace safety. After the orientation, Daniel French took me on a tour of the gin and the grounds, taking me by the warehouse office and around all the warehouses and truck shop. Once the tour was over, I began working on the vacuum flashing on various machines throughout the gin with Daniel and J.R. Maldonado. As we worked on the machines, if I had any questions on how the machine operated, Daniel or J.R. would answer the questions I had.

We worked on various stick and burr machines and other machines where vacuum flashing was needed. This continued into the second week.

During this past week, we have been sandblasting the battery condenser, lint slide and other components to prepare them for painting.

I also have visited with Kyle about the aspects of gin operation and the time put in by a manager or worker at a gin during the ginning season. I plan on visiting more with Kyle to learn about different management aspects to running a cotton gin later in the week and next week before I finish up here at Oasis.

After I complete my time at Oasis Gin Inc., I am heading to Smith Gin CO-OP Inc. in Odem, Texas.

I am greatly appreciative for the learning experience that this internship has provided me and am looking forward to the second half of the internship to see what it has to offer.

Campbell’s report appeared in the June issue of “The Ginnery” – Newsletter of the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association.

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COTTON FARMING AUGUST 2016

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Cotton’s Calendar 2016 Aug. 2-4: Cotton Board/Cotton Incorporated Meeting, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Aug. 17: PCCA Board Meeting and Delegate Body Meeting, Lubbock, Texas.

Aug. 24-26: NCC Board Meeting, Memphis, Tenn.

Sept. 21: Staplcotn Annual Meeting, Greenwood, Miss.

Sept. 26: Calcot Ltd. Board of Directors Meeting, Phoenix, Ariz.

2017 Jan. 4-6: Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Dallas, Texas.

Jan. 18-21: Southern Southeastern Annual Meeting, Charlotte, N.C. Feb. 10-12: NCC Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas.

Feb. 28-March 1: Cotton Board Meeting.

March 3-4: Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, Memphis, Tenn.

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My Turn Laws Of Physics And Economics

W

hen I was invit- the USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service, in ed to write this 2013 Mississippi planted 290,000 acres (choke), the column, I was lowest since records began in 1866. NASS numbers asked “to tell forecast 450,000 acres for 2016.

A scene from the movie “My Cousin Vinney” some stories of things, people and events you may have now comes to mind. Joe Pesci is drilling a witness encountered through your who used the time it took him to cook grits as the career.” Quite frankly, some amount of time he was not watching the street. The of those stories are best told witness said it took five minutes. Joe Pesci asked if the witness expected the jury to believe that the and not written.

I was blessed to have “laws of physics cease to exist on his stove and that known and worked close- hot water soaks into a grit on his stove in one quarWill ly with many legends in ter of the time it takes the entire grit-eating world.”

McCarty I often wonder if the laws of physics and laws of the cotton industry, some departed: Drs. Bob Bridge, economics change from farm to farm and commuBill Meredith, Charles Baskin, George Mullendore, nity. In one area, farmers tell me that cotton takes Dan Krieg and my brother, Robert. Many others too much effort and the returns are not there. Yet, are still with us, such as Drs. Johnnie Jenkins; in other communities, growers tell me cotton is not that difficult and the my brother, J.C.; and Bob returns are better than Thompson. So, yes, I have “Let’s look at ‘hard work’ when any other crop they can stories that could be told, In some areas, gins some involving the last it comes to cotton production.” grow. are closing. Yet in anothtwo authors of My Turn. er area, a brand new gin Or should it be called My Turn in the Box? I also was blessed to have worked has arisen and seems to gin more cotton each year.

Let’s look at “hard work” when it comes to cotin cotton during its heyday. Times have changed.

During that span, we progressed from two-row ton production. In 1930, according to NASS, pickers and trailers to four- and six-row pickers, Mississippi planted a record acreage of 4,163,000 module builders and rolls. Heliothis was controlled acres. Let’s presume the crop was planted with with organophosphates, followed by pyrethroids one-row, mule-drawn planters. With 40-inch row and transgenic varieties. In weed control, we have spacing, someone walked 2.475 miles per acre for moved on to transgenic varieties that soon will a crop total of 10,303,425 miles, equivalent to 412 allow the use of herbicides for which I spent many times around the world. That was just to plant the days chasing down drift complaints on the old for- 1930 crop. Another example, according to NASS, is mulations. Amazingly, growers were able to do all Mississippi’s 1937 record production of 2,692,000 this using tractors with a half-round of slack in the bales. In 1937 there were no mechanical pickers. steering wheel, hitches with several inches of slack Let’s say it took four people working all day to hand pick one bale of cotton. That would have required and no auto-steer or guidance systems.

When weevil eradication began, I told a group of 10,768,000 man-days to pick the 1937 crop, not growers they better catch weevils and place them in counting those who assisted. Today, one person opervials for their kids’ insect collections as the pest was ates the picker and one person arranges the rolls. about to disappear from Mississippi. In a span of a That crew, operating a six-row picker at speeds of few years, we moved from growers literally having 5 mph, picks 8 to 8.5 acres per hour and can easily to clean weevils from the pickers’ breathers and harvest 125 to 175, or more, bales per day.

I don’t believe the laws of physics and economics radiators several times a day to no weevils at all.

Perhaps the saddest change to me is that have changed, but technology has. And new tools Mississippi – the birth place of D&PL, Stoneville make it much easier to plant cotton today.

Pedigreed Seed and so much cotton innovation – has – Will McCarty, Brandon, Miss. gone from planting 1.2 million to 1.4 million acres willm4590@comcast.net annually to planting less than 500,000. According to 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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