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COTTON RESOURCE GUIDE
Cotton Producer Resource Guide
Over its 50-year lifespan, the Cotton Research and Promotion Program has created a strong infrastructure of resources to support upland cotton producers. These resources offer expert insights and unparalleled access to information aimed at keeping cotton producers advised of the ways the program is working to build demand for and increase profitability of cotton. So grab your scissors and get ready to cut this page out, because you are going to want to keep the information handy. Or feel free to send me an email, and I’ll send you an electronic version of the resource list.
In-Person Resources
The Cotton Board regional communication managers are a direct link to the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. They share information about the program with producers, ginners and certified producer organizations. They also host tours of Cotton Incorporated and are available to speak at key industry meetings. All RCM contact information can be found at cottonboard.org. Current RCMs include: Monty Bain, Southeast, with a territory of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Grant Saum, Mid-South, with a territory of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Shelley Heinrich, Southern Plains, with a territory of Kansas, Oklahoma, and North and West Texas. Christi Short, Southwest, with a territory of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Central, South and East Texas.
Producer Tour Program — For more than two decades, The Cotton Board Producer Tour Program has given thousands of cotton producers the opportunity to see their ag promotion dollars at work inside Cotton Incorporated’s World Headquarters and Research Facility in Cary, North Carolina. The Cotton Board, along with tour sponsors, covers the cost and takes cotton producers on this eye-opening tour. Producers interested in attending an upcoming tour should contact their Cotton Board RCM.
Virtual Resources
Cotton & Coffee — The Cotton Board created a virtual meeting series as a quick way to keep producers informed about the activities of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. Each session starts at 7:30 a.m. CDT and includes a 30-minute presentation with time for discussion and questions at the end. Contact your Cotton Board RCM to register to attend. Upcoming 2021 Cotton & Coffee dates and topics include: Aug. 17: 2022 Cotton Incorporated Plan and Budget Overview with Berrye Worsham. Sept. 21: Economic Outlook with Jon Devine. Oct. 19: Cotton Incorporated Efforts in Asia with William Kimbrell. Nov. 16: Cotton’s Blue Jeans Go Green Denim Recycling Program with Andrea Samber. Dec. 14: Cotton’s Importer Support Program with Elizabeth King and Sonja Chapman.
Focus on Cotton Webcasts — These webcasts give real-time access to scientific information on a wide variety of agricultural production topics. To access Focus on Cotton and take advantage of this free resource, please visit planthealth exchange.org/cotton.
Cotton Leader — The Cotton Board’s monthly email newsletter, Cotton Leader, offers timely program highlights and information. To get on the email distribution lists, visit cottonboard.org, click the “email newsletter” link located at the top right of the homepage and enter your email address.
Social Media — From up-to-date news and information to fun cotton contests and giveaways, The Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated’s social media channels are a great way to stay in the loop about the program: Facebook Pages: The Cotton Board, Cotton Incorporated and Cotton. Twitter Handles: @TheCottonBoard, @CottonInc and @DiscoverCotton. Instagram: @TheCottonBoard and @DiscoverCotton. YouTube Channels: The Cotton Board and Discover Cotton.
Cotton in the Classroom — There are a variety of educational resources including videos, downloadable in-class curriculum and activity sheets available at cottonboard.org/news/education/. If you have questions about where to find information or need someone to talk to about the Cotton Research and Promotion Program, reach out to me or anyone at The Cotton Board. We will be happy to point you in the right direction.
BY STACEY GORMAN
WARREN, ARKANSAS
Stacey Gorman is The Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org.
Websites
CottonBoard.org — Information for producers, importers and buyers, including links to Board rosters, annual reports, budget information, RCM and Producer Tour info, upcoming industry events and so much more. CottonInc.com— The leading resource on cotton production and marketing efforts. Cottoninc.com features information and links on everything from performance technologies and sustainability practices to fabric developments and economic analysis. CottonCultivated.CottonInc.com — One-stop source for region-specific cotton ag data, resources and news. CottonLifestyleMonitor.com — Range of marketing data and analyses on the global cotton supply chain. CottonToday.CottonInc.com — Information on cotton’s sustainable practices, resources and byproducts. TheFabricOfOurLives.com — Shop curated cotton collections, learn about cotton benefits care tips, discover fashion trends and much more.
Rhino Medical Supply Tapped As Exclusive Distributor For Cotton Medical Scrubs
Field to Closet’s vision of providing 100% Deltapine cotton medical scrubs crafted with cotton grown in Georgia and created in an end-to-end U.S. supply chain took a giant step forward recently with the announcement Rhino Medical Supply is joining as the exclusive distributor.
“We are thrilled to announce an alliance with Rhino Medical Supply as the distributor of our cotton scrubs,” says Ed Jernigan, founder and CEO of Field to Closet. “Rhino Medical’s focus on sustainable, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable products, along with their emphasis on philanthropy and diversity initiatives, pairs perfectly with our scrubs program. It is truly a perfect union of businesses with similar visions.”
Field to Closet’s Cotton Project uses Georgia-grown cotton from Deltapine seed to reshore American manufacturing by revitalizing an end-to-end U.S. supply chain. The initiative establishes a Farmer GiveBack program to address a fundamental issue in the garment industry, which typically sees the brand or end seller with the most significant profit. The GiveBack program recognizes the rebirth of a robust cotton garment industry isn’t possible without the grower; therefore, this initiative is designed to ensure the grower is included financially by sharing in the profit of the goods sold.
“Rhino Medical Supply seeks companies and products that align with our corporate citizenship commitments, including giving back to others, using renewable resources, and encouraging inclusion,” says Lance Brown, CEO. “Our organization is proud to work with Field to Closet and America Knits to distribute these 100% Deltapine cotton medical scrubs.”
The Field to Closet 100% Cotton medical scrub is treated with the latest technology, PROTX2 AV, which is a metal free, medical grade antiviral, antibacteria, and anti-odor treatment that kills viruses or bacteria within 10 minutes (or less) of contact. This is the first surgical scrub made from 100% cotton that has been treated with this technology. Lance Brown of Rhino Medical calls the technology a “game changer” for the U.S. medical industry in its fight to prevent another pandemic outbreak.
PROTX2 AV has been proven to deactivate 99.9% of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in 10 minutes as well as hospital-associated infections, both viruses and bacteria, according to the press release. The scrub is made in the United States with a transparent supply chain that assures the safety and quality of the product. U.S. companies benefit by avoiding the cost and delays being experienced with global shipping.
“Partnering with Rhino Medical Supply means our scrubs will be available to hospitals and other health care facilities from coast to coast,” says Steve Hawkins, president of America Knits.
To wrap up the initiative’s kick off, 15 rural Georgia hospitals will receive medical cotton scrubs at no cost this summer.
To order the scrubs in bulk, go to Rhino Medical Supply https://www.rhi nomedsupply.com/.
NC State Extension Adds Additional Bollworm Threshold
Currently, North Carolina State University Extension has two thresholds for bollworm, depending on the type of cotton planted. Now, they are adding an additional threshold for Bollgard 3, TwinLink Plus and WideStrike 3 of 4% damaged bolls.
NCSU Extension entomolgist Dominic Reisig explains why:
“Recent research in North Carolina found that yield losses were more closely aligned with damaged squares and bolls than number of live larvae,” he says. “This difference in feeding behavior is an important consideration for Bollgard 3, TwinLink Plus and WideStrike 3 cotton in North Carolina.
“A similar damaged boll threshold for bollworm is used throughout much of the Cotton Belt, however, at a higher level (6% damaged bolls). One difference for this damage threshold difference could result from our shorter season compared to the Mid-South (less time to compensate due to shorter growing season).
“In our research, yield response was variable, with results ranging from 2% to 6% damaged bolls as the economic injury level (economic thresholds are set below this point). An economic threshold of 4% captures the variability in this research and is a good point for growers to determine if a spray is needed in Bollgard 3, TwinLink Plus and WideStrike 3 varieties.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3kE1TDr.
Californians Urged To Watch For The Cotton Seed Bug
According to the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association’s July newsletter, a cotton seed bug was found and identified in Los Angeles in 2019. At the time, it was a single find and no other specimens were located in the vicinity.
In 2020, the cotton seed bug was found and identified in five more locations across three counties, including Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. While the locations are more than 100 miles from the nearest cotton fields, the association is concerned with the potential spread of the devastating pest to California cotton fields.
As its name suggests, the pest attacks the cotton seed but damages the lint on its way into the seed. More importantly, if the pest were to be found in cotton, it could end the shipment of cotton planting seed out of California as a quarantine area would more than likely be established.
CCGGA is currently working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to find a way to trap the pest and possibly keep it in the Los Angeles Basin and maybe even erradicate it.
In the meantime, the association is asking growers and pest control advisors to be on the lookout for the invasive pest. Should you see one of these bugs, please contact your local county ag commissioner or the local CDFA field office.
MS’s Largest-Ever Outdoor Show To Be Held At Trade Mart
The inaugural Mississippi Ag & Outdoor Expo, the largest outdoor show to ever be held in Mississippi, will be held Aug. 6-8 at the new Mississippi Trade Mart at the state fairgrounds in Jackson, Mississippi.
The show will be hosted by The Foundation for Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks and presented by Southern AgCredit.
Here are the show hours: Noon-7 p.m. — Friday. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. — Saturday. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. — Sunday.
Tickets are $12 for adults 13 years and older, $6 for kids 6-12 years old, and free for kids 5 years and under. A concert featuring three musical acts will take place Saturday evening, Aug. 7.
For more information, contact Don Brazil at don@foundationmwfp.com or 769-243-7291. For expo and concert sales, contact Jack Fisher at jack@great southernexpos.com or 601-345-1560.
Texas A&M AgriLife Offers Practical Tips On Legal Issues
Many state and federal laws regarding land ownership can be complicated, but a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service course helps make the content more accessible to landowners.
“Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know” is an online course and handbook that covers key laws that may affect rural landowners and agricultural operations.
The online course combines practical tips and examples to help better explain important legal concepts that are included in the handbook authored by Tiffany Dowell Lashmet. Topics include landowner liability, special use tax valuation, water law, fence law, eminent domain, agricultural leases, renewable energy leases, the Texas Right-to-Farm statue and more.
“Whether you have owned land for generations or are looking to purchase your first acre, this course is designed to provide practical and helpful information to make your experience in land ownership more enjoyable,” says Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist in Amarillo.
The self-paced course takes about 8.5 hours to complete. It is available on AgriLife Learn. Participants can decide to take the entire course for a total cost of $150 or pay $20 for individual, shorter courses.
AgriLife Extension noted those who register online will have access to the course for two years.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was taught at various locations across the state each year. The in-person workshops are expected to resume this year. Those interested in finding a future in-person or online event to attend can visit Lashmet’s Upcoming Presentations webpage.
The handbook can be downloaded as a PDF, and a hard copy can be purchased by emailing lacrecia.garza@ag.tamu.edu.
For more information on landowner resources and information, visit Texas Farm Bureau’s Farm and Ranch Resources webpage at https://texasfarmbureau.org/ advocacy/small-farm-ranch/.
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Americot’s investment into the research and development (R&D) of high yielding, high quality varieties has expanded over the last four years into a full-scale field trial program called Americot Cotton Evaluation (ACE) Trials. This year, our eight germplasm specialists across the Cotton Belt have collectively planted over 200 ACE Trials with cooperating growers. “These trials are very helpful to not only our R&D and sales teams, but especially our growers. We are generating information on water utilization, plant growth regulator (PGR) response and input management that will provide our growers insight and confidence in our current variety lineup and future releases,” says Doug Jost, Ph.D, Director of Research and Germplasm. “Every piece of data, from heat tolerance to PGR management, provides knowledge to our sales teams and growers alike. It builds grower confidence in NexGen® varieties knowing they have the power to perform under their own growing conditions in their own specific regions.”
TODD SPIVEY, PH.D. Carolinas and Virginia
“Similar to 2020, the 2021 season has been one of extremes thus far. From being overly wet coming into the spring, followed by droughty conditions and low temperatures in the 30s into the third week of May, and then back to season rainfall totals as high as 30” in some areas already, we have already seen our fill of cotton stressors. That being said, the Americot Research and Testing Program in the Carolinas and Virginia is in full force again this year, continuing for the third straight year to expand our geographical reach out to the Blacklands in Eastern North Carolina; north to Sussex County, Virginia; and south to Hampton County, South Carolina. Like last year, this year’s plots include a variation of irrigated and non-irrigated plots; a wide range of tillage options from strip-tilled cover crops to conventional, raised beds; as well as a couple of double-cropped plots behind winter wheat.
“Windows of adequate planting conditions were few and far between this year due to the struggle we faced early on. To that end, a significant portion of cotton across the area is late due to either late planting or poor weather causing slow or stagnant growth early in the season. Growers are now tasked with managing for earliness to the best of their abilities. Ensuring that we protect against rank growth is vital for many decisions that will be made later in the growing season, ranging from pest control to harvestability.
“Across the board, NexGen’s newest varieties are still maintaining outstanding vigor, even in the face of terrible planting and early-season growth conditions. Though some stands started a little slow due to poor planting conditions, most fields had solid stands throughout by the end of May. Great stands of NG 3195 B3XF are a common sight across the region with market-leading vigor. Despite all the hinderances already encountered, the NexGen portfolio of Bollgard® 3 XtendFlex® varieties is ready to impress in 2021.”
KAREN GELDMACHER Arizona
“A cool, wet, replant start along the Colorado River rebounded to stands boasting good fruit retention and with defoliation underway, a promising harvest will begin by early September. Approximately 35% of seed production acres in Yuma are NG 3195 B3XF and experimental variety, AMX 20B037 B3XF, due to their quick starts, speedy boll loads and potential to finish early.
Americot’s ACE Trial Program continues to expand testing of NexGen® Varieties
“A perineal area of focus in our Maricopa, AZ ACE Trials is our variety heat tolerance research where pollen dehiscence and pistil morphology are ranked for endurance and boll performance during Level 2 heat stress events. NG 4936 B3XF has shown stellar heat tolerance, ranking number one in 2020 and in the top three every year for the past four years. This research transitions across the Cotton Belt where heat stress is a concern for growers.
“August will bring peak bloom and cut-out to the central and eastern regions of Arizona. On the mind of every grower will be management of fragile drought water allotments to finish the season with adequate irrigations.
“NexGen’s latest accolade must be our experimental ThryvOn™ varieties. Exceptional early-season plant vigor and outstanding stand counts combined with 4th-node first-fruiting branches and excellent square retention have transitioned to boll counts that are sure to impress. Pending final regulatory approvals, I would recommend saving room for NexGen ThryvOn Cotton varieties for your farm in 2022.”
SCOTT RUSSELL Southern Alabama and Georgia
“After saying goodbye to 2020 I think we were all looking for (or dreaming about) a much better planting and growing season for 2021. I cannot say it was better, but I will say it was different. Both Georgia and Alabama started planting season with ample moisture but below average air and soil temperature. A few brave souls did not hesitate and planted into substandard conditions but were blessed with good stands. As conditions improved into mid-May, planting took off like a rocket with the bulk of crop going in within a 10–12-day period. Dry weather slowed later plantings to a crawl but as of mid-June much of the crop was in and to a stand.
“I was excited to see our three new releases, NG 3195 B3XF, NG 4190 B3XF and NG 5150 B3XF, all come to good, solid stands. Many growers report that our latest full-season variety, NG 5150, came out of the ground extremely well. I expect to see expanded acres of all three varieties in the coming years once more growers are exposed to them. We are looking at one experimental variety this season in AMX 20B37 B3XF. I am seeing good establishment of good stands so far. I am very enthusiastic about the future of this variety at this point. Of course, NG 5711 B3XF is pulling the load again. It is important to remember with NG 5711 to apply a PGR between the 8-10 leaf stage to optimize yield potential and obtain better control with your PGR’s later in the season.
“There are still a fair number of acres this season planted in NG 3522 B2XF and NG 5007 B2XF. These two varieties have been extremely consistent when it comes to yield and still have faithful followers. I will remind you that they are the older Bollgard II® varieties so escape worms can be an issue. I urge you to be scouting your B2XF varieties intensely as the season continues.
“Going into 2021 and into the future I would say I am very pleased with the portfolio we have available to growers here in the Southeast. To say we are stacked in the B3 department would be an understatement at this time. With escapes in Bollgard II varieties on the increase, it is important to be looking ahead and making the move to the Bollgard 3 Technology if you have not already. With the lineup we have, I am confident we have something that will fit your management practices.” For further information on Americot Cotton Evaluation Trials in your region, contact your Americot Germplasm Specialist. Visit www.americot.com/research-team for contact information.
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