Cotton farming december 2017

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

®

DECEMBER 2017

www.cottonfarming.com

WRITING THE BOOK

Texas Producer Pens Field Histories To Aid Planning

CF1217 Layout_CF 11/13 template 11/3/17 9:18 AM Page 2

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Vol. 61 No. 12

Cotton Farming DECEMBER 2017

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

www.cottonfarming.com

F E AT U R E S

8 Writing The Book Texas cotton producer Kevin Belt keeps a three-ring notebook with him — whether he’s in his sprayer or pick-up truck — to record agronomic activities throughout the season. He says the detailed records help him remember what he did in previous seasons and assist him when he meets with his cottonseed representatives to plan next year’s crop.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 6 Cotton’s Agenda 15 Industry News

20 Specialists Speaking 30 My Turn

ON THE COVER: Kevin Belt farms cotton and other row crops near Plainview, Texas.

Cover photo by Jeanne Marie Photography.

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SERVICE, VALUE ARE KEY

12

SUCCESSION PLANNING

16

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE

23

KEEPING THE CROP CLEAN

26

WHERE DO GINS FIT?

28

GINNING MARKETPLACE

Independent crop consultant Billy Bryant helps farmers do the best job for the least cost.

An experienced attorney with agricultural knowledge can help the transition go smoothly.

Dow AgroSciences donates $20,000 Transform My Community prize to Delta Streets Academy.

USDA and university researchers look for ways to detect and extract cotton contaminants.

TCGA’s Kelley Green discusses how cotton gins fit into the FDA regulatory structure.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY

NCC reminds warehouses, cotton gins bag and tie codes are required for warehouse receipts.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Maintaining market share, enhancing consumer awareness, and continuous investments in research and development are needed to advance the cotton sector. Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

SUPPLEMENT ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

DECEMBER 2017

2018 Southern Soybean Varieties Check out different traits

Look for Soybean South following page 24 in the Mid-South and Southeast editions of Cotton Farming. Stay informed and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter at www.soybeansouth.com.

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.

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DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

3

Editor’s Note Carroll Smith

Cotton Farming

®

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

A Time For Reflection

A

s the season comes to a close or at least slows down a bit, those of us in the agricultural world typically take time to reflect on the past year’s events in preparation for the upcoming one. In many respects, 2017 was an emotional roller coaster for cotton.

In the Specialists Speaking section, our experts addressed what went right, what went wrong and what to consider in making adjustments for next year’s crop.

For example, challenging weather and herbicide applications were the buzz in many areas.

California cotton specialist Bob Hutmacher says irregular weather patterns affected planting timing and early growth rates in the San Joaquin Valley. Texas cotton specialist Gaylon Morgan says, “A final estimate on bales lost from Hurricane Harvey still has not been released, but the best guesstimate remains between 200,000 to 300,000.” And, “The ability to adequately steward the newly labeled auxin herbicides had a lot of people nervous this year and continues to be a major talking point.”

In the Southeast area of the Cotton Belt, Florida cotton specialist David Wright says, “Nematodes were as bad this year as we have ever had them, especially root-knot nematodes on sandy soils. If cotton is to be grown in these fields in 2018, farmers will have to consider planting nematode-resistant varieties or applying a proven nematicide.”

Although the cotton specialists addressed adversity, they did not dwell on it. Instead, they encouraged farmers to apply what they learned to help them make good decisions in 2018. And despite hurdles along the way, excellent yields and grades are being reported in many areas, such as Oklahoma, Arkansas and North Carolina.

Oklahoma cotton specialist Randy Boman says, “The new top performance varieties are producing high yields and high quality when given good production environments. Oklahoma’s crop quality is evaluated at the Abilene, Texas, USDA classing office, and results for the first 75,000 bales indicate various measures of fiber quality are good to excellent. ... If we make the November National Agricultural Statistics Service estimate, we will harvest the second highest per-acre yield ever at 951 pounds per acre. The 1.1 million bale crop forecast will be the largest in the state since 1933, when 1.266 million bales were produced on 2.86 million harvested acres.”

So stay optimistic and take time to reflect, do your homework and enjoy friends and family.

Happy holidays!

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 DECEMBER 2017

Southeast Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Ashley Kumpe ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (901) 767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Charlie Beek (847) 559-7324 For circulation changes or change of address, call (847) 559-7578 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David Burns – North Carolina David Lynch – South Carolina Bob McLendon – Georgia Larkin Martin – Alabama Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi Charles Parker – Missouri Jimmy Hargett – Tennessee Allen Helms – Arkansas Jay Hardwick – Louisiana Ronnie Hopper – Texas Ron Rayner – Arizona John Pucheu – California

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors.

All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Copyright 2017 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

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COTTONFARMING.COM

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Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Advocating Farm Friendly Tax Reform Congressional leaders hope by Christmas to wrap a bow around the first comprehensive tax reform in 30 years — a measure on which the National Cotton Council has actively conveyed its priorities.

What input has the NCC provided? n Among recent actions, the NCC joined other agricultural organizations on letters to Congressional leadership conveying support for tax reform provisions involving: 1) the use of cash accounting; 2) Section 199 deduction; 3) capital gains; 4) interest deductibility; and 5) estate tax repeal. I also joined other agricultural representatives to discuss priorities with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin after which I noted in an NCC statement that, “It is critical to maintain key features, such as interest deductions and cash accounting, while also eliminating the death tax and reducing the capital gains tax rate.”

Do current proposals have implications for agriculture? n Similarities and major differences exist between the House and Senate proposals. Both would establish new tax benefits for businesses organized as pass-through entities. The House bill provides a special rate for a portion of a passthrough active income while the Senate bill provides a deduction.

Both bills include limits on which types of passthrough entities Congress and the President hope to get tax reform could qualify. Both legislation signed into law before Christmas. bills also would: 1) eliminate the Section 199 domestic production activities deduction — a significant provision to many agricultural cooperatives — and changes also are made to net operating loss provisions; 2) allow businesses to fully and immediately deduct capital investment expenses through

2022; 3) limit businesses’ ability to deduct interest payments, although the limit wouldn’t apply to certain small businesses, including farms and agriculture up to a set revenue amount; and 4) maintain cash accounting.

Regarding the estate tax, the House proposal would permanently repeal the tax effective on Jan. 1, 2024; maintain the gift tax at current levels until that date, then cut the rate to 35 percent on gifts over about $12 million; permanently repeal the generation-skipping tax effective on that date; and maintain full stepup in basis. The Senate proposal would double the current estate tax exemption of $5.49 million per person and maintain the step-up in basis.

What about other business provisions? n The Senate proposal shortens the recovery period from seven to five years for any machinery or equipment (other than grain bins, ginning assets, fencing or other land improvement) used in a farming business. It also repeals the required use of the 150 percent declining-balance depreciation method for property used in a farming business. That method will continue to apply to any 15-year or 20-year property used in the farming business to which the straight-line method does not apply, or to property for which the taxpayer elects the use of the 150 percent decliningbalance method. The corporate tax rate would be reduced to 20 percent. Section 1031 likekind exchanges of land are preserved.

The NCC continues to monitor the development and negotiations of tax reform proposals to ensure that the effects of these are considered along with the needs of farmers and other cotton industry segments. While Congress and the President hope to get tax reform legislation signed into law before Christmas, that action may be pushed into early 2018.

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

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

COTTONFARMING.COM

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COVER STORY

Writing The Book West Texas Producer Keeps Field Histories To Track Trends And Help With Future Seasons’ Planning

BY VICKY BOYD MANAGING EDITOR

K

evin Belt farms by the book.

The producer of cotton and other row crops near Plainview, Texas, keeps a three-ring notebook with him to record agronomic activities throughout the season.

Each field has its own page, where Belt notes variety, planting date, spray applications, amount of water applied — if irrigated, and other items of importance including weeds or disease. He also records the spray nozzle he used for each agricultural chemical application.

The notebook goes with Belt whether he’s in his sprayer or his pick-up truck.

With a three-rotation that includes one year of cotton, he says the records help him remember what he did in previous seasons.

Having the detailed field histories also helps when he meets with hi s c o tto n se e d re p r e s e n t a t i v e s to plan next year’s crop, says Ken Legé, cotton development specialist with PhytoGen Cottonseed based in Lubbock, Texas.

“A lot of your growers don’t keep these types of records, and they’re key,” Legé says. “As a seed rep, we want to try to put the right variety on the right acre.”

West Texas farmer Kevin Belt shows off the fruit set from a lower branch of PHY 490 W3FE.

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

VICKY BOYD

A Wide Variety Of Environments Belt, a fourth-generation cotton grower and 1985 Texas Tech agricultural economics graduate, has fields near Cotton Center in the southern part of Hale County north to Edmonson. Between the two, the elevation ranges from 3,400 feet above sea level in the south to 3,500 feet in the north.

“There’s a lot of difference between COTTONFARMING.COM

Dwindling Groundwater Belt farms in an area overlying the Ogallala Aquifer, a prehistoric underground lake covering about 174,000 square miles and eight states, including Texas.

Since 1930, overdraft has significantly reduced the aquifer’s groundwater storage under most of the eight states, according to a Kansas State University study. In the Texas High Plains, for example, storage has decreased by about 30 percent from 1930 to 2010, according to the study.

The scarce water supplies are the driving force behind Belt’s three-year rotation, where he plants cotton one year, followed by fallowing the field the second summer. That fall, Belt plants winter wheat. He rents the ground out for custom cattle grazing, which brings in enough revenue to basically pay for wheat crop inputs, and then harvests the wheat. Belt was quick to point out that the only way the cattle arrangement pencils out is because he owns the ground.

Then he’ll start the rotation again, no-tilling cotton into the wheat stubble the following spring. By fallowing fields between crops and leaving wheat stubble in the field, Belt says he’s able to capture and store moisture in the soil for his cotton crop.

Water Tops Selection Criteria Water also is Belt’s top selection criteria when he mulls what cotton varieties to plant each season.

If you’re successful in matching the proper variety to each field’s water Twitter: @CottonFarming

AMANDA POWELL

the south and north in Hale County, so you have to think about maturity,” Belt says.

Because of lower elevations and a slightly farther south geography, his southern-most fields typically enjoy a one-week to 10-day longer growing season than those to the north.

Belt also farms a mix of irrigated ground, with wells averaging of 50 to 100 gallons per minute, and dryland fields. To maximize irrigation water-use efficiency, he uses LEPA, or low-energy precision application, center-pivots. He was able to apply about 10 inches per acre to his irrigated fields this year.

“Most of our ground is irrigated, but it’s getting less and less,” he says. “That’s why we’re looking to the drought-tolerant varieties on all of our ground.”

West Texas cotton producer Kevin Belt keeps a notebook with him whether in his pick-up truck or sprayer to record agronomic activities for each field. situation, then yield and fiber quality will likely follow suit, he says.

On his irrigated ground or southern-most fields, he’ll plant an indeterminate variety, such as PHY 450 W3FE or PHY 490 W3FE. Although they may require more than one application of plant growth regulator to rein in growthy habits, Belt says, “With the growth and vigor we have, we’re not afraid to go strong on the PGRs.”

“With the growth and vigor we have, we’re not afraid to go strong on the PGRs.” In areas with a moderate-length growing season, he may plant a mid-indeterminate variety. And on his dryland ground and fields to the north, he’ll plant a determinate variety.

In the past, Belt says he worried about having a long enough growing season at the higher elevations to make a quality crop.

“We’ve had a problem with low micronaire because you don’t have the maturity to finish it out,” Belt says.

But Legé says PHY 220 W3FE, one of the varieties Belt planted this season, has produced high micronaire under those short-season and dryland conditions.

Thanks to unusual weather this year, Belt also received 15.5 inch-

es of timely rains. As he showed off a dryland field of PHY 490 in late September, Belt and Legé marveled at the plant health and lower branch fruit set, which was more representative of an irrigated field than nonirrigated.

During a normal year, Plainview averages less than 20 inches of rain, according to a Texas Tech University’s West Texas Mesonet weather station. And in 2011, a year Belt says he would rather forget, the area received less than 5 inches because of record drought.

Other Selection Criteria Belt says he also looks for varieties with Verticillium tolerance as well as Bt for worm control. Until recently, Verticillium was only a spotty problem in the High Plains.

With the fungal disease more widespread this season, Belt says he was glad to have the disease tolerance provided by PhytoGen varieties. He also liked the Bt insurance offered

by WideStrike 3 in many of the PhytoGen varieties.

Although most High Plains growers historically only have to spray non-Bt cotton about once every eight or nine years, 2017 turned out to be bad for worms. Many growers without the Bt protection had to make at least one insecticide application this year.

Having varieties that are storm proof also is important in the High Plains, Belt says, since rain and wind are not uncommon when bolls are open.

DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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SPECIAL REPORT

Independent Crop Consultants Provide Service, Value To Growers

BY PATRICK R. SHEPARD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

n 1983, Billy Bryant was so excited about starting his profession as an independent crop consultant that the day he graduated from Mississippi State University, before he left the campus, he took his test and got his consultant license.

By that time, he had racked up eight years’ scouting experience. He had worked during the summers for consultant Billy Harris, who was a Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association charter member. After graduating with a degree in agronomy, Bryant worked part-time for consultant Jim McCrory for two summers.

“I started with nothing after graduation, so it took me a few years to build up my consultant business,” says Bryant, who services crops within a 20-mile radius of Greenwood, Mississippi. “I scouted for a few growers that first year, and I also worked for a Leflore County farmer, Walter Pillow, who let me work on his farm anytime I wasn’t scouting for other growers. This was a really good experience, seeing firsthand what growers face.

“Pillow knew where I was headed, so he spent a lot of time teaching me things that would’ve otherwise taken a lifetime to learn. That was in 1983, and here in 2017, I still work for him. His three sons have taken over the large operation, and I scout all their crops.”

Bryant offers full consultant services, from soil sampling and variety selection all the way through defoliation.

Starting in November, he sits down with his growers to develop a farm plan for the next year, beginning with variety and hybrid selection.

“We’ll determine what crops and which varieties will go for each field,” he says. “And then in February and March, I pull soil samples and start scouting in April.

September and October are big soil sampling months, which is my busiest time of the year. I generally run two Polaris Rangers and two GTS units.”

Bryant’s four major crops are cotton, corn, soybeans and peanuts. He also services wheat, grain sorghum and rice.

Trained Expert Bryant says farmers benefit from hiring an independent crop consultant in several ways.

“When a grower hires an independent crop consultant, he brings somebody on his team who’s trained in insect control, weed control, disease identification and fertility,” he says. “He gets a whole lot more than just a bug checker.

We’re trained to identify problems, so we can pick up on things a farmer might miss.

“A crop consultant generally goes to a farm on a schedule. This consistency gives the farmer an opportunity to visit with me personally if he has questions about a problem he might have in his fields.”

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

Billy Bryant consults within a 20-mile radius of Greenwood, Mississippi.

MACA Membership Benefits Independent crop consultants constantly participate in ongoing education, especially in February and March, which normally have two to three consultant meetings a week. Then crop consultant Billy Bryant and other members have their annual Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association meeting, “which is always an excellent educational meeting,” he says.

“To be a MACA member, you need a consultant member to sponsor you, and you have to show proof that you are completely independent. We have a committee that monitors any potential violations; if a consultant is found having anything to do financially with a company, he’s asked to leave the association. So when a grower hires a MACA member, he’s assured that the consultant has been properly vetted and is completely independent.

“MACA is only for independent crop consultants. Growers value our independence in making seed, chemicals or fertilizer recommendations, which are made strictly for their benefit on their farm.

Anyone can claim independence, but our association guarantees it.

“The biggest benefit of MACA to me is its continuing education programs. Additionally, the association is a liaison between the consultant and the allied industry and the government.”

Bryant maintains good working relationships and friendships with Extension personnel, including plant pathologist Dr. Tom Allen, entomologist Dr. Angus Catchot and cotton specialist Dr. Darrin Dodds.

“We spend time together in the field, helping growers minimize problems,” he says. “Consultants also have alliances with allied industry. As an independent crop consultant, I make unbiased recommendations on products to help growers do the best job possible for the least cost.”

COTTONFARMING.COM

CONGRATULATIONS, GARY DYKSTERHOUSE COTTON FARMER | GLENDORA, MISSISSIPPI GRAND PRIZE WINNER

From left: T.Mac Howard, Delta Streets Academy head of school and executive director; Delta Streets Academy students Imanol Moreno, Jaylin Jackson and Brandon Lewis; Gary Dyksterhouse, cotton farmer and the grand prize winner of the Transform My Community contest.

RUNNERS-UP Steve Frizzell, Cotton Consultant Star City, Arkansas

Ann & John Stobaugh, Cotton Consultants McGehee, Arkansas

® DOW Diamond, Isoclast and Transform are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow. Transform WG is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2017 Dow AgroSciences LLC

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

11

SPECIAL REPORT

Succession Planning An Experienced Attorney With Knowledge Of Agricultural Scenarios Can Help The Transition Process Go Smoothly

BY TERRY GREENBERG

S

uccession means many things and may include transitioning ownership of property after the owner’s death or during the farmer’s lifetime, should the owner decide to quit farming,” says John Shanklin, of the McCleskey Law Firm in Lubbock, Texas, which is surrounded by the massive West Texas cotton patch.

And a succession plan may not always involve family, he says.

There are numerous succession options. Two common ones are making sure children have equal shares and wanting the operation to remain in farming in perpetuity. The following scenario outlines these and other options.

A cotton farmer has two sections of land and is contemplating how to pass it on to his four children.

• One child is disabled.

• One died, leaving three children.

• One is farming the property for his father.

• The last one is an insurance salesman in New York and has no interest in farming.

Dad wants his children to have four equal shares. The answer?

It may become more complicated once you have more information, which is why it’s helpful having an attorney walk you through the process.

“The lawyer’s job is to point out all the potential problems and show you the answers,” says Jerry Kolander, McCleskey’s managing partner.

Consider these details Kolander adds to the above scenario.

• The disabled child has special needs, and an inheritance could destroy his or her Medicaid benefits. He might need a special needs trust.

• The son who farms has debt

12

COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

BILL LANE

“

An experienced attorney, such as John Shanklin, left, can help a farmer develop a succession plan for his land. issues and lives behind his dad’s house. His inheritance could go into a trust with a spendthrift provision to protect him from creditors.

• The portion for the child who died should go into a trust for the farmer’s grandchildren when they turn 18.

• What about the one in New York?

There are ways to make sure he gets his 25 percent.

Have A Plan, Know Options Most of the people who come to see Kolander or his colleagues have an idea of what they want to do, but just as many have not thought through all the scenarios.

Tommy Swann, another McCleskey attorney who grew up in West Texas, says, “I had one farmer come in who was trying to preserve his farming operations forever but had no idea if future generations want to farm.”

A farmer wanting to keep his farm operating in perpetuity is a common concern. However, there may be logical reasons to do this that eventually become illogical.

For example, Shanklin heard of a farmer who wanted to put the land in a trust and restrict the trustee from either selling it or allowing anyone other than family to farm it.

“But what if someone doesn’t want to farm that land?” he says.

Swann adds, “Or if it doesn’t become profitable, and the land is more valuable as commercial property,” which happens in Lubbock as the city of about 250,000 people continues to grow into former cotton fields.

Things To Think About And there’s a lot to take into consideration in forming a plan. Here are just a few examples.  Family dynamics. Is it clear what the heirs want? Are all family members on board?

“How do they get along?” asks Kolander.

Swann remembers a family of three children where two ganged up on one, creating conflicts after their parents died while the children were trying to Continued on page 18 COTTONFARMING.COM

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Industry News Cotton Farmer High Yielders Deserve A Ton Of Credit Big yields deserve big recognition.

Now in its 13th year, the FiberMax One Ton Club has recognized more than 1,000 elite cotton growers, and signups are now open. Qualified growers who attend the annual banquet in Lubbock, Texas, also can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a two-year lease on a Ford F-350 Super Duty King Ranch truck.

To qualify for the FiberMax One Ton Club, growers must produce an average of 2,000 pounds per acre on 20 or more acres planted to FiberMax varieties. Growers must plant 100 percent FiberMax cotton seed on qualifying acres from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2017.

“Growers need an advanced skill-set and elite germplasm to produce excellent yields,” says Kerry Grossweiler, Bayer campaign manager. “The FiberMax One Ton Club allows us to celebrate a grower’s knowledge and accomplishments and applaud them for a job remarkably well done.”

If you’re a grower in any of the 17 cotton-producing states who meets the 4-bale yield requirement, learn how to sign up for the One Ton Club by visiting with your sales rep or Bayer Agronomic Services Team member. Gin recap sheets are required for verification.

Qualifiers will be recognized at the One Ton Club grower awards banquet in Lubbock, Texas, on April 5, 2018, where they will have the opportunity to enter to win the truck lease.

Growers must be present to enter and win the sweepstakes. Learn more at www.FiberMax.com/OneTonClub.

Tyson’s son and chairman of Tyson Foods, pledged an additional $1 million toward the expense of furnishing new laboratories in the center.

Tyson says he learned during conversations just before the dedication there was still a need to equip some of the labs in the research wing of the building.

He pledged the $1 million from the Tyson family and says he hopes other donors will join him in contributing toward the important work that will be done there.

“This is an unexpected addition to their generosity,” says Mark Cochran, vice president of agriculture for the University of Arkansas System.

“We’ve got about 40 percent of our lab space that still needs to be finished.

This will help us fill out those laboratories, so we can get more scientists and more graduate students into that research wing.”

Alltech Supports Texas Farmers And Ranchers After Hurricane As Hurricane Harvey’s winds died down, yet while the waters were still

rising, Alltech launched Hope After Harvey to raise support for Texas farmers and ranchers, who lead the U.S. in cattle, cotton, hay, sheep and goat production.

Alltech committed to match donations made to its 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Alltech ACE Foundation. As a result of Hope After Harvey, Alltech representatives presented Texas Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Research and Education Foundation with a $42,607.12 check.

The funds will be used to provide support and relief to those in agriculture who were affected by Hurricane Harvey.

“We’re very grateful for Alltech’s donation and others like it from across the state and country,” says TFB President Russell Boening, a South Texas dairyman, farmer and rancher.

“Every dime contributed to our Hurricane Harvey relief fund will go directly to the men and women who grow our food and fiber, who suffered losses when Harvey hit. Rebuilding won’t be easy. But with the generosity of companies like Alltech, Texas agriculture is sure to recover.”

Get a strong start and high yield potential with these Stoneville varieties. ®

Tyson Adds Another $1 Million To Furnish U of A Laboratories Alongside Garland Avenue, on the highest point overlooking the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences promises to be the new standard for agricultural research and education in Arkansas.

Construction of the new building was stimulated by a $5 million gift from Tyson Foods and the Tyson family to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

During a dedication ceremony held Nov. 16 for the new 54,000-squarefoot building, John Tyson, Don

ST 5020GLT ST 5517GLTP ST 4949GLT

Talk with your Bayer sales representative or agronomist to learn more about these varieties, or visit Stoneville.com Stoneville . Our Science for Your Art. ®

©2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Stoneville and Stoneville Design are registered trademarks of Bayer. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.Stoneville.com CR0917STONEVA283V00R0 A-29353-2

Twitter: @CottonFarming

DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

INITIAL MECHANICAL

15

PHOTOS BY DOREEN MUZZI

From left, Delta Streets Academy student Jaylin Jackson; cotton farmer and grand prize winner of the Transform My Community Contest Gary Dyksterhouse; DSA head of school and Executive Director T.Mac Howard; DSA student Brandon Lewis; Dow AgroSciences sales representative Jonny Spivey; and DSA student Imanol Moreno.

Where Dreams Come True Mississippi Cotton Farmer Wins $20,000 Transform My Community Grand Prize For Delta Streets Academy

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

T

.Mac Howard grew up in Rankin County, Mississippi, and attended Mississippi State University. Fueled by his strong faith, Howard made his way to New Orleans after his sophomore year to participate in a summer internship with Desire Street Ministries.

Mo Leverett was executive directive and storied University of Florida and New Orleans Saints football player Danny Wuerffel was fundraiser for the organization at the time. Today, Wuerffel is executive director of Desire Street Ministries, which, according to its mission, seeks to “love our neighbor by revitalizing impoverished neighborhoods through spiritual and community development.”

Delta Streets Founded In 2008, Howard moved to Leflore County, Mississippi, where he taught math at Greenwood High School. He soon realized many of the students needed leadership, support and mentoring that extended beyond normal school hours.

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

Thus, Delta Streets Ministries was established to provide an after-school and summer program for young men living in at-risk neighborhoods. Although the effort was helpful, Howard saw the need for a more long-term, all-encompassing commitment. And with the help of other like-minded individuals and the First Baptist Church, Delta Streets Academy was established in 2012 with an enrollment of 14 students in seventh and eighth grade classes. Today, the school serves 60 young men, including two seniors who will be heading to Mississippi State University next fall.

According to DSA’s mission, “Delta Streets Academy equips young men by providing Christcentered disciplined education. We promote the highest achievement in academics, a biblical worldview, a competitive athletic environment and character development.”

The First Baptist Church in Greenwood donates part of its facility, including the kitchen for lunches, to house the school. DSA also owns the former Delta Chevrolet building in which it conducts vocational classes, and an athletCOTTONFARMING.COM

across 2,561 acres.”

Dyksterhouse says Transform WG insecticide is a part of Due West Farm’s integrated pest management program and combats both insect pests and insecticide resistance.

“Perhaps the most important facet of Transform is that it works,” he says. “We are thankful to have this insecticide as we aim to help our cotton reach its full potential.”

ic facility across the street complete with weights and locker rooms for physical activities.

Dow AgroSciences Makes Donation Although DSA has made substantial progress and is accredited by the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, it is privately funded and faces ongoing financial challenges to stay in operation.

“The growth of Delta Streets Academy has outpaced its funding,” says cotton producer Gary Dyksterhouse, Due West Farm, Leflore County, Mississippi. “Tuition cost, which is $75 per month per student, doesn’t even cover 10 percent of the actual cost of educating each young man.

“I entered the Transform My Community Contest, sponsored

by Dow AgroSciences and Cotton Farming magazine, with the hope of helping the school fulfill its goal of combating the threat of hopelessness that is born out of poor education and lack of opportunity. As the $20,000 grand prize winner, I would like to thank Dow AgroSciences for its generous donation to this cause.”

Transform WG Helps Cotton Thrive The Transform My Community Contest was open to farmers and consultants in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

Participants submitted a short essay about how their community organization could be transformed with a $20,000 donation from Dow AgroSciences. Entries were judged on compelling need, creativity and tie-in to the Transform WG insecticide theme.

“Our goal for Transform My Community is to positively impact our cotton farming communities,” says Mike Fox, insecticides product manager for Dow AgroSciences. “We are continually impressed by the heartfelt submissions we receive from farmers and consultants desiring to do more for their communities.

“Naming a grand prize winner is always difficult. This year, we are proud to award $20,000 to Delta Streets Academy on behalf of grand prize winner, Gary Dyksterhouse.

DSA is helping the young men who attend the school realize their dreams, and we are proud to play a small role in making that happen.

“We also are committed to helpTwitter: @CottonFarming

Mississippi cotton farmer and Transform My Community grand prize winner Gary Dyksterhouse chats with Braxton Lewis, a 10th grade student at Delta Streets Academy. ing cotton growers transform their fields for maximum yield. That’s why Dow AgroSciences’ Transform WG insecticide, which offers superior plant bug control, is proud to sponsor Transform My Community and support Delta Streets Academy with this year’s grand prize award.”

In his winning essay, Dyksterhouse says, “Delta Streets Academy is having great success, and it needs Dow AgroSciences’ funding to help the students continue to reach their full potential. In that same light, Due West Farm needs Transform WG insecticide to combat the overwhelming threat of plant bug infestation.

“Last year, our farm ran a Mississippi State University plant bug test plot in which the cotton was not sprayed for plant bugs after a certain date. The test plot yielded 700 pounds per acre less than our average yield

‘To Help Mold And Equip’ Howard, Delta Streets Academy head of school and executive director, says, “We are beyond ecstatic about the $20,000 TMC grand prize money Dow AgroSciences has donated to our school. This donation will allow our dedicated staff to continue to help mold and equip the young men who walk through our doors daily. We are humbled that Dow AgroSciences saw DSA as a worthy cause.”

Brandon Lewis, who is in the 10th grade at Delta Streets Academy, has dreams just as many other kids his age do.

“Academics are very important and will help me get through college,” he says. “Long term, my dream after finishing college is to be a farmer. Delta Streets is helping me academically and requires a higher standard than any other school I have attended.”

Walter Cronkite once said, “I can’t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything he’s got.”

To accomplish this task, one must be well prepared. And for young men like Brandon Lewis who want to give 100 percent to pursue their dreams, Delta Streets Academy stands ready to give them that chance.

Please visit deltastreetsacademy. org and Delta Streets on Facebook.

Transform My Community Runners-Up In addition to Gary Dyksterhouse being chosen the grand prize winner of the Transform My Community Contest, two runners-up were recognized for their outstanding entries. Each one received a $500 donation to his cause.

• Star City, Arkansas, cotton consultant STEVE FRIZZELL submitted an entry on behalf of Lincoln County Lend A Hand Food Pantry. This facility is run by community volunteers and serves about 500 individuals each month. It also sponsors a school backpack program for children suffering from food insecurity. Backpacks are stocked on Friday afternoon to provide nutritious food for the weekend. To learn more, contact Karen Burns at 870-370-0500.

• ANN & JOHN STOBAUGH, also named runners-up, are cotton consultants in McGehee, Arkansas. The Stobaughs work with McGehee’s Boys & Girls Club to transform the work force of the community. The club, which began in 1999, serves 160 students who use the facility daily for homework, crafts, sports, national BGC programs and safety. To view the latest news and events, visit Boys and Girls Club of McGehee on Facebook.

DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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Continued from page 12

probate the will.

“It helps if you can get along, but it helps to plan as if you can’t,” Shanklin says with a smile.

 As mentioned before, does the farmer want the land to stay in farming forever?

Swann says, “We tell clients to consider whether their heirs want to farm, or if the land could be profitable in other ways they haven’t thought of. It’s like a father who expects his son to be a great athlete, but the son enjoys playing the violin. You can’t force a child into something.”

Kolander adds, “An attorney outlines the pros and cons and what risks the client is willing to run, so he or she can decide on options. There’s a way to keep the property as a farm, but do you tie future generations to specific things to make that happen?

And what about people having to buy family members out to someone who will farm?”

Shanklin says, “What if the land might become valuable because of surrounding development and one family member cannot afford to buy another out? Based on the appraisal, he could leverage the land, but now they’ve encumbered it at a high level, and the land is not producing enough.

That would be stressful.”  A re there government programs that can complicate things?

Shanklin has heard from farmers about complications with government subsidies where the IRS says a trust that owned land was a sham.

Swann adds, “Make sure your plan takes government programs and tax consequences into consideration.”

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

BILL LANE

 W hat if the succession does not involve family?

“I had a client who had a young guy helping him farm, and the client needed an easy way to transition his operation to the young man. We set up a new limited liability company, and our client loaned the younger man his contribution to the LLC. Once the young man received distributions from the LLC to pay the farmer, he’d bought his way in,” says Shanklin.

It also set them up to make it easier for the younger man to eventually buy out his partner.

From left, Texas attorneys Tommy Swann, John Shanklin and Jerry Kolander encourage farmers to take time to explore their options and develop a viable succession plan.

 Having a will … or more “A will is the minimum,” says Kolander. “In Texas if you die and have a farm, Texas laws govern how that farm passes to your heirs if there’s no will.”

Shanklin says farmers may want to look into going beyond the will, putting the land into an LLC or trust and removing it from the estate.

It’s important to hire an attorney who is familiar with any government programs and taxes that may affect the succession. And how do you pick the right one? These are things he or she should understand to make sure the succession plan is viable: • Economics of farming, • Working knowledge of government agriculture programs, • Estate planning, • Tax law effect, • Desire to maintain a farming lifestyle, and • Experience in working with farmers and their families.

A farming operation is a business that often involves ownership property and family members. To make sure it continues to thrive in the future, don’t leave your succession plan to chance.

Do You Have A Plan?

The questions are endless because options are endless, which means answers are endless.

All of this is why a farmer needs to know what he or she wants to do, communicate with family members if they will be involved and secure qualified legal assistance to help formulate a plan that fulfills the farmer’s wishes.

The McCleskey Law Firm in Lubbock, Texas, is a full-service practice with more than 90 years experience representing members of the farming community in and around West Texas, eastern New Mexico and Oklahoma. Terry Greenberg is principal of Greenberg Media Management, representing the firm. Contact him at green bergmediamanagement.com.

 Is there any existing debt, and how will it be handled? Are taxes owed?

If taxes are involved, Swann says it’s a good idea to work with an accountant.

Forming an LLC can help with debt issues, Shanklin says, but the farmer and his family should consider what could happen in the future because an LLC may not always be the answer.

COTTONFARMING.COM

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Specialists Speaking Yield And Grade Reports Coming In ARKANSAS Bill Robertson The 2017 season presented several unique opportunities and challenges. Despite early yield projections of an average crop, there were reasons to continue to be optimistic. The latest challenges were the cool nighttime temperatures we experienced late season. Perhaps our saving grace was cold mornings accompanied by sunny and warm days. This scenario kept plants active and led to top crop maturity that got us to the finish line in pretty good shape.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service November Crop Production report estimated production at 1.06 million bales, up 60,000 bales from the Oct. 1 forecast and up 220,000 bales above last year.

Yield is expected to average 1,162 pounds per harvested acre, up 66 pounds from last month and up 87 pounds from 2016. If realized, this will be a record yield for the state, 61 pounds above our five-year average of 1,101 pounds per acre. Harvested acreage is estimated at 438,000 acres, up 63,000 acres from 2016.

As the season comes to an end, plans for next year should be falling into place. Evaluation to begin the process of variety selection should be a priority. First, review the performance of newer varieties to the ones you grow. And then compare notes with on-farm variety testing programs near you and the official variety trial or OVT conducted by Dr. Fred Bourland that help provide information to select the best varieties for you. Visit ArkansasVarietyTesting.com for university variety performance results.

Contact your county Extension agent for updates on this season’s testing programs and the dates and locations of upcoming county production meetings. brobertson@uaex.edu

CALIFORNIA Bob Hutmacher In 2017, California cotton growers finally had some decent rain and snow to enhance our irrigation water situation. There is no doubt we are hoping for a somewhat similar scenario for 2018.

Despite the water situation, or perhaps in part due to rainfall patterns and pest pressure, 2017 was a mixed year in terms of yield attained in many areas of the San Joaquin Valley.

Spring of 2017 brought some irregular weather patterns that affected planting timing and early growth rates. Most San Joaquin Valley growers typically want to get Pima cotton planted by April 15-20.

This increases their chances of getting a long, full growing season and limiting late-season problems associated with extending the crop later into the fall.

Coming out of a wet winter and spring, we anticipated there could be more complicated insect management issues in 2017, with potential for both more beneficial insects as well as pests. Looking back at the 2017 season, growers and consultants in many areas faced recurring, expensive problems dealing with both above-normal populations and repeated lygus infestations. And aphid problems were the worst seen in quite a few years.

The University of California Pima and Upland variety trials basic yield results are in the process of being summarized. They will be available in January from your UC farm adviser or on the UC cotton website: http://cottoninfo.ucdavis.edu. Basic fiber quality tables from

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

the farm adviser trials can be accessed later in January or early February on this same site.

Look at variety performance across multiple conditions represented in these and seed company trials where possible to get a more balanced view. rbhutmacher@ucdavis.edu

FLORIDA David Wright As another cotton year comes to a close, there are many things to look back on to help make better management decisions for next year. As always, timeliness is key in every aspect of management.

Planting season started out dry, followed by about three months of wet conditions that resulted in management being delayed for nitrogen application, weed control and growth regulators. Often, the window of opportunity for management was only one to two days. However, as we progressed through the season, cotton grew off well and weeds were mostly controlled.

Yields have been good overall, and harvest season was decent. The hurricane in early September resulted in cotton lodging that did not do as much damage as it could have. Nematodes were as bad this year as we have ever had them, especially root-knot nematodes on sandy soils. If cotton is to be grown in these fields in 2018, farmers will have to consider planting nematode-resistant varieties or applying a proven nematicide.

Overall, the price of cotton ended up being the main concern for many growers. wright@ufl.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds December brings many things, including marque matchups in college football, deer and duck hunting and, of course, the Christmas holidays — often a time to reflect on past events and consider future dreams.

As I ponder all of the events that pertained to Mississippi cotton production this past year, I am reminded that no two years are the same. The 2017 season will likely be remembered for weather challenges, company mergers and issues surrounding dicamba, as well as other events.

The weather presented numerous challenges and played a primary role in cotton harvest persisting until Thanksgiving and, in some cases, beyond. It also affected yields that were good in some cases and could’ve been better in others. Although there is not the buzz surrounding cotton yields this year as there has been over the past several years, I have not run across many folks who are considering pulling out of cotton in 2018.

Heading into next season, all eyes will be on dicamba applications and how much off-target movement occurs with this product.

Off-target dicamba movement ignited a firestorm in the agricultural community and well beyond in 2017. On a similar note, 2,4-D usage and potential issues will also be of interest next year. Only time will tell if we learned from things we did right and things we did wrong in 2017 and apply what we learned in 2018.

On a final note, the Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course will be held at The Mill Conference Center in Starkville Dec. 4-6. In 2016, more than 600 folks attended this event, and more than COTTONFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking

500 have pre-registered for the 2017 Row Crop Short Course as of this writing. Make plans to attend and gather as much information as possible to help make 2018 the most productive season yet.

Have a safe and happy holiday season and a Merry Christmas. dmd76@pss.msstate.edu

MISSOURI Mike Milam The Oct. 2 Crop Progress and Condition Report indicates dry conditions have allowed harvest to advance. It has certainly been warmer than usual, too.

In mid-November, the 15-day forecast shows very little chance of rain, but we need some to help settle the dust.

Last year at this time, producers had harvested 13 percent compared with 6 percent this year and 8 percent for the fiveyear average. Cotton condition was rated 2 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 49 percent good and 6 percent excellent.

The first yield estimate in the Cotton and Wool Outlook had Missouri at 1,151 pounds per acre. This number was much higher than our yield record of 1,117 set in 2014. This month, the yield estimate increased to 1,196 pounds per acre. Defoliation is picking up pace, and many unharvested fields look promising. We had good boll set this year, but looks can be deceiving. In my experience with yield trials, Twitter: @CottonFarming

some of our best-looking varieties often had lower yield. This was probably due to the fluffiness of the cotton deceiving our eyes.

We have already seen an increase in soil testing, and this is an excellent time to do it. The field is visible, and problem areas can be sampled separately. In my humble opinion, with our dicamba issues this year, I think there will be more restrictions on its use next season. milammr@missouri.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Guy Collins As I write this commentary on Oct. 31, harvest weather has been cooperative for North Carolina farmers thus far. We have been lucky to have missed several major storms, and we’ve only experienced minor harvest delays due to a few rainy days. Luckily, we have been able to capture the yield potential we have worked for throughout the summer months, unlike what we experienced in the falls of 2015 and 2016. For the first time in quite a while, we are able to preserve both yields and quality. Yields are variable as predicted, although higher than normal statewide. Most growers have completed one-half to two-thirds harvest at this point. We are hoping the remaining fall weather will be cooperative so we can continue to harvest high yields, preserve fiber quality and finish up strong.

DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

21

Specialists Speaking It’s still rather early to discuss variety selection, although this subject will be on many growers’ minds in December when this issue is released. The results of the North Carolina On-Farm Cotton Variety Evaluation Program and the NCSU Official Variety Trials will be made available in the NC Cotton Variety Performance Calculator (https://trials.ces.ncsu.edu/cotton/) once the data become available. guy_collins@ncsu.edu

OKLAHOMA Randy Boman Cotton harvest is in full swing at the time of this writing in mid-November. Both yield and quality for the 2017 crop have been outstanding — with a few caveats due to some late-maturing dryland fields.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service November Crop Production Report indicates an estimated crop of 1.1 million bales from 555,000 harvested acres. However, we received a somewhat early hard freeze over much of western Oklahoma at the end of October. I suspect damage on late, June-planted dryland cotton that was lagging behind in maturity was not factored into the crop estimate. These freeze-damaged fields are being considered for insurance adjustment.

Overall, irrigated fields typically are producing excellent yields.

Reports from earlier maturing dryland fields indicate yields have been good to excellent. With the much larger-than-normal production in 2017, both harvesting and ginning capacity in the state are being severely challenged.

The new top performance varieties are producing high yields and high quality when given good production environments. Oklahoma’s crop quality is evaluated at the Abilene, Texas, USDA classing office, and results for the first 75,000 bales indicate various measures of fiber quality are good to excellent. As the later-maturing fields begin to be harvested and ginned, I am expecting some lower quality numbers, which will reduce the fiber’s value.

If we make the November NASS estimate, we will harvest the second highest per-acre yield ever at 951 pounds per acre. The 1.1 million bale crop forecast will be the largest in the state since 1933, when 1.266 million bales were produced on 2.86 million harvested acres.

After harvesting and stalk cutting, producers should be thinking about how to manage fertility and get ahead of the game with soil sampling and analysis. As we move into post-harvest, farmers need to do their homework and ponder responses to challenges encountered in 2017. randy.boman@okstate.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper The Tennessee 2017 harvest season has been more challenging than either the 2015 or 2016 season.

Rain caught many farmers with large cotton and soybean acreages still in the field. Although we have had another dry window, it looks like rain on Nov. 14-15 may push us out of the field again.

Yields for most have been very good — roughly 50 to 75 pounds shy of the record-breaking yields of 2016. We are working hard to get all the variety trial data collected and processed.

I have only a couple hundred small-plot samples left to go and two strip trials.

Many big decisions will have to be made over the next few months on technology platform and variety. I encourage you to hold your salesman at bay and wait until you are able to digest the data. It will be here soon enough. Watch our blog for early results. traper@utk.edu

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

TEXAS Seth Byrd Cotton harvest is making steady progress in the Texas High Plains, and we hope most producers are past the halfway point by the time this issue of Cotton Farming reaches you. Early grades coming out of the classing offices have caused a little worry in regard to strength, uniformity, color and micronaire. Although overcast conditions and humidity levels at harvest may have contributed to strength, uniformity and color grades, low micronaire has been a concern throughout the season due to crop progress delays the area experienced since planting.

When looking back at the 2017 season, it seems ideal weather in July and October was countered by harsh conditions in May and June, and by cool and cloudy conditions in August and September.

However, the yields being reported are still better than average so there’s still some optimism to be found.

Likely the biggest take away from 2017 is how much yield potential was left in the field due to immature plants and unopened bolls.

This reinforces the need for efficient and timely use of water and nutrients to manage maturity to reach the optimal crop condition at the end of the season.

Although a long, warm fall benefitted the entire region in 2016, 2017 reminded us this is still a short-season environment, and managing a crop to mitigate these conditions is a season-long chore. seth.byrd@ag.tamu.edu

TEXAS Gaylon Morgan A final estimate on bales lost from Hurricane Harvey still has not been released, but the best guesstimate remains between 200,000 to 300,000.

Lint quality has been fairly good for the cotton ginned through the first of November in Corpus Christi; however, higher color grade cotton seems to be working into the system.

The central and northern Blacklands yield and fiber quality have been good, and farmers were more or less finished with harvest by early November. The Southern Rolling Plains had completed harvest on nearly all the dryland cotton with yield averages between 1-1.5 bales per acre. Irrigated field harvest was just getting underway at this time.

The Permian Basin will wrap up harvest by mid-November with average, but highly variable, yields across the region. The Northern Rolling Plains had about one-third of its cotton harvested with good yield reports of more than 1.5 bales per acre for dryland, and 2.5 for irrigated, as of early November. The Abilene Classing office is reporting higher-than-normal color grades, but the numbers seem to be declining as harvest progresses.

The 2017 season continued the trend of overwhelming adoption of the auxin-tolerant varieties. The ability to adequately steward the newly labeled auxin herbicides had a lot of people nervous this year and continues to be a major talking point. However, we survived the season with minimal complaints and good weed control. Moving into 2018, applicators cannot afford to relax on following the application requirements to keep the auxin herbicides on target.

Also in 2017, more premature senescence occurred in South Texas and the Rolling Plains than in recent years and was primarily the result of early season high boll load and inadequate potassium uptake.

Preparing for 2018, soil sampling and a realistic yield goal should be the backbone of every nutrient management program. Banding fertilizers can increase nutrient-use efficiency and be one method to reduce 2018 fertilizer input costs. gdmorgan@tamu.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

SPECIAL REPORT

USDA And University Researchers Work To Prevent U.S. Cotton Contamination

BY DEREK WHITELOCK USDA-ARS

U

.S. cotton is considered to have some of the lowest levels of contamination in the world. However, that reputation is in jeopardy as complaints of contamination from domestic and foreign mills are on the rise.

Of particular concern for the United States is plastic trash that collects in cotton fields, black plastic film used as mulch, plastic twine typically used for hay baling, and plastic film used for round module wrap.

Education And Research Efforts So, what is the cotton industry doing to keep plastic contamination out of U.S. cotton?

The answer has two parts: education and research.

First, there is a nationwide campaign led by the National Cotton Council to educate the industry about plastic contamination and how to prevent it. Second, Cotton Incorporated supports collaborative research efforts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture ginning laboratories in Texas, New Mexico and Mississippi; the USDA Cotton Structure and Quality lab in New Orleans; and at Texas A&M University, Oklahoma State University and the University of North Texas.

These efforts focus on detection using imaging/optical techniques and separation using physical/electrostatic methods. The Cotton Foundation also has requested proposals and will be assisting with future research.

Contaminants In The Field And Gin The best way to keep plastics out of U.S. cotton is to prevent them from entering the cotton stream in the first place. One research project is investigating harvester-mounted cameras to detect contamination in the field and warn the operator before it enters the harvester and ends up in the module.

Another research effort gearing up next year will look at using unmanned aerial vehicles or drones mounted with cameras to fly over the cotton field and detect and record the location of contaminants. These coordinates can then be transmitted to the cotton producer’s smartphone and located manually, or an autonomous Continued on page 25

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RESEARCH & PROMOTION

Cotton Incorporated And Archroma Redefine

Products Use Notice for “This Is My Field” Advertisement for Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System and “Xtend Your Weed Control” Advertisement for XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology

‘100% Cotton’

BY STACEY GORMAN

XtendiMax ® herbicide with VaporGrip ®

COTTON BOARD DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Technology is a restricted use pesticide for retail sale to and use only by Certified Applicators or persons under their direct supervision.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR

USE

ON

PESTICIDE

LABELING.

It is a violation of federal and state law to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology may not be approved in all states and may be subject to use restrictions in some states.

Check with your local Monsanto dealer or representative or U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency for the product registration status and additional restrictions in your state. For approved tank-mix

products

and

nozzles

visit

XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com.

NOT

ALL

formulations

of

dicamba

or

glyphosate are approved for in-crop use with cotton with XtendFlex® Technology.

ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. Cotton

with

technology

XtendFlex ®

contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate,

dicamba

and

glufosinate.

Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate.

Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs.

Individual

results

may

vary,

and

performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible.

Always

read

and

follow

IRM,

where

applicable, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Bollgard II®, Roundup Ready ®, VaporGrip®, are

XtendFlex®

registered

and

trademarks

XtendiMax®

of

Monsanto

Technology LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company. All Rights Reserved.

MDIC-17064 CF-LC-DEC

24

COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

T

he Cotton Research and Promotion Program aims to innovate cotton throughout the supply chain — from growing the crop to the processing and finishing of the final cotton garment. Cotton Incorporated has partnered with Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, to use dye made from cotton to color 100 percent cotton fabric.

The two entities have collaborated to present what they believe is the first ever dye derived from cotton plant residues. EarthColors is Archroma’s innovative method of creating dyes in warm, neutral shades from nature.

EarthColors Technology The patented technology addresses two key concerns of the textile industry: sustainability and traceability. These sulfur-based dyes are designed for use on cellulosic fibers, such as cotton. Although most dyes in the textile industry are synthetic, using petrochemicals (oil) as a base, EarthColors is a biosynthetic alternative that uses natural waste from the agricultural or herbal industry.

“As soon as we heard about the EarthColors technology, we wanted to explore the possibilities of cotton as a natural dye source,” says Mary Ankeny, Vice President, Product Development & Implementation Operations at Cotton Incorporated, who led the project from the organization’s side.

There is an ample supply of cotton biomass. The global volume of cotton harvesting and ginning byproducts, which includes burs, stems, immature bolls, lint, sticks and leaves, can be as much as three million tons per year.

Dyeing a natural fiber with dye processed with natural ingredients has appeal for many environmentally conscious brands — a niche Archroma strived to fill.

Archroma creates dyes from nature, such as cotton plant residues, in warm, neutral shades.

“Our EarthColors technology demonstrates our dedication to support and inspire sustainable fashion with warm colors that can be traced from the field to the shop,” says Nuria Estape, Head of Textile Specialties Global Marketing & Promotion, at Archroma.

Traceability Level Indeed, each batch of EarthColors dye offers a high level of traceability in the form of a hangtag with a Near Field Communication chip. Data on the chip, which can be accessed through a smartphone, explains the manufacturing process of the dye and where the natural materials were sourced.

Cotton Incorporated first presented fabric samples dyed with the EarthColors cotton-derived dye in 2016 at the Premiere Vision trade fair in Paris, France. The knit and woven constructions, produced at Cotton Incorporated’s laboratories, demonstrate the range of brown hues achieved using 100 percent cotton biomass as the source.

This innovation is just another way Cotton Incorporated is exploring new markets to help make cotton more profitable.

For further information, contact Stacey Gorman at sgorman@cottonboard.org.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Continued from page 23

land vehicle can be dispatched to retrieve the plastics before harvesting.

Research efforts on detection methods at the gin also are underway. A color camera system is being developed to view the backside of the module feeder cylinders to detect plastics wrapped on the spikes or pieces of plastic that slip through.

For contaminants that make their way into gin machinery, a prototype system is being tested and refined.

It detects colored contaminants in seed cotton in places where the flow is slower and more spread out, such as in rectangular ducts between cylinder cleaners and stick machines. For neutral colored or transparent plastics, researchers are investigating infrared detectors and light sources that sense differences in chemical composition rather than color.

Extracting Contaminants Assuming these detection methods are successful, what can be done to extract plastic contaminants from the cotton? Previous research shows that with current gin machinery, about 17 percent of plastics that enter the gin

end up in the bale. Research is underway to modify this machinery to more effectively remove contaminants.

In addition, extraction methods using jets of air to fluff the cotton and float lighter contaminants away are under investigation. Another innovative concept exploits the differences in the static electric charge that cotton and plastics acquire to develop a “plastic magnet.”

These differences cause plastics and cotton to be attracted to opposite charges when exposed to a high voltage electric field. It is anticipated this behavior can be used to encourage the lighter plastics to move away from the seed cotton.

These projects are all in different levels of development. Whatever the development phase, researchers and scientists working on these concepts at USDA facilities and the universities are committed to helping the U.S. cotton industry find solutions to the current cotton contamination problem.

Derek Whitelock, acting research leader, USDA-ARS Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory, Mesilla Park, N.M., contributed this article.

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CCOY

Cotton Consultant of the Year established 1981

Wes Briggs 2015 CCOY AWARD RECIPIENT

“Working for good growers who do things the right way and on time without cutting corners has been a blessing.

Without them, none of the success I have enjoyed would have been possible.

“My employees and I work as a team. It’s a joint effort. I tell my guys to never get stagnant — always strive to be excellent when nobody’s watching.

“As for being selected as the recipient of the 2015 CCOY award, I am proud to be part of a legacy that was started many years ago. The past recipients have paved the way for guys like myself. It is truly an honor and very humbling.”

Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

25

SPECIAL REPORT

Where Do Cotton Gins Fit Into The FDA Regulatory Structure?

BY KELLEY GREEN TEXAS COTTON GINNERS’ ASSOCIATION

T

here have been a number of articles from various sources about how Food and Drug Administration issues affect the cotton industry, and more specifically, how they affect cotton gins. In Texas, this came to the forefront again after Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast. This issue is still in flux, but there are a few things we know that should be implemented at your gin.

Gins were originally required to register with the FDA, under the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. This requirement went into effect Dec. 12, 2002. Gins are required to renew their registration every two years, so most gins should have registered and then renewed about seven times. The entire process is completed online with a username and password specific to your company.

The Food Safety Modernization Act changed the FDA’s rules in 2011. When the new act was passed, the portions of the rule affecting cotton gins did not change. Since the inception of the rule, we believe cotton gins were properly classified as a holder of a raw agricultural commodity.

Under this classification, cotton gins must register as a food facility and maintain some basic records.

FDA Adds Language On Sept. 17, 2015, FDA published its Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Food for Animals; Final Rule.

In the preamble to this rule, FDA issued an opinion that cotton gins were subject to subparts C and E, as they are not solely engaged in the storage of raw agricultural commodities. It is important to understand that the rule didn’t change — FDA simply put language into the preamble stating its opinion of how cotton gins should be classified.

Unfortunately, this opinion did not match the industry’s interpretation of the rule.

For the past two years, the National Cotton Council, National Ginners’ Associations and other regional ginner organizations have been working to convince FDA that its 2015 interpretation is incorrect. As the rule stands today, gins must register with FDA and maintain basic records related to where the gin’s seed came from and where this seed is delivered. We have until September 2019, or September 2020, depending on the size of your business, to work out the proper classification of cotton gins for the other requirements of the rule.

Coordinating With Customers In the meantime, it is important to understand that seed buyers, feed mills and oil mills are also covered by this rule. Most gins will sell at least a portion of their seed

26

COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

Most gins sell at least a portion of their seed to seed buyers, feed mills and oil mills.

to these types of facilities. As a part of their compliance with FDA’s rules, these facilities must certify that they are using ingredients that meet FDA’s guidelines for food safety. This is a part of the written supply chain program requirement.

If cotton gins are classified as solely engaged in the storage of raw agricultural commodities, then we would not be subject to the written supply chain program requirement.

On the other hand, some of our customers may be subject to this requirement. If this is the case, then your customers may request that you provide certification that the seed you are selling them meets FDA’s requirements.

The certification might not be required by FDA, but may be required by your customers for them to meet their FDA compliance requirements. If this happens, your customers may provide you with a certification form. Your regional ginner associations may have one for your use as well.

A Food Safety Issue Many federal rulemaking issues we deal with out of Washington, D.C., are political in nature. This one is not as politically motivated. It originated as an effort to eliminate some of the food safety issues we have seen in the news over the past few years. Unfortunately, those who are writing and interpreting the rules don’t always understand the industries they are attempting to regulate.

We are hopeful we can get the rule to the point where the regulation is reasonable, but still keep a close eye on this issue. Food safety concerns are not likely to go away anytime soon, and we will continue to be affected each time the food safety regulations are updated.

Kelley Green, director of technical services for the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association, contributed this article.

COTTONFARMING.COM

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Ginners Marketplace COTTON

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

3 template 3/7/14 3:26 PM Page 1

Bag And Tie Codes Required For Warehouse Receipts

With the 2017 crop now being harvested, ginned and stored, the National Cotton Council is reminding industry members of the importance of proper bale identification, including adherence to multiple requirements.

First, all warehouses with U.S. Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation cotton storage agreements and cotton gins are reminded that bag and tie codes are required elements of warehouse receipts. This year’s Joint Cotton Industry Bale Packaging Committee action to require the inclusion of bag and tie codes on warehouse receipts was approved by USDA-CCC in Kansas City. A note referencing the new requirement is included in the current year's specifications for cotton bale packaging material.

As stated in the specifications “... the JCIBPC strongly encourages software vendors to accommodate fields for bagging and tie types in their software ...” (for gins and warehouses). Gins should make sure warehouses are aware of the type of bags and ties they are using and the tare weight of their

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Cotton Ginners Marketplace

96” TO 144” INCLINE CLEANERS, STICK MACHINES & AIRLINE SEPARATORS HIGH CAPACITY VACUUMS USED & FACTORY REBUILT GIN MACHINERY BALE HANDLING SYSTEMS COMPLETE LINE OF REPAIR PARTS FOR MURRAY, MITCHELL, H.E., CONSOLIDATED, CONTINENTAL, MOSS, LUMMUS, HORN & CMI 806-745-8156 1-800-776-8182 FAX 806-745-0564 E-MAIL: NORTHERNLUCUS@YAHOO.COM WWW.NORTHERNLUCUS.COM

28

COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

COTTONFARMING.COM

combined bags and ties in accordance with a gin’s form CCC-809, the “Cooperating Ginner’s Bagging and Bale Ties Certification and Agreement.”

Second, properly tag bales and make sure the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service classing coupons always match the permanent bale identification tags on bales. This will help avoid the use of invalid PBI tags on bales and AMS classing coupons. With many gins and warehouses using extra (safety) tags, it is important to make sure all barcoded and eye-readable numbers on a bale match those on the AMS coupon.

Without continuous monitoring of the tagging and sampling process by gins, numbers easily can get out of sequence. This is particularly true with systems that automatically tag bales. Typically, AMS coupons are in a box and the PBI tags are on a separate roll. Some auto-labeling systems use a second roll for safety tags.

With multiple rolls and coupons in use, the need for continuous monitoring of tag numbers is imperative to account for the increased potential for miss-tagging.

Third, gins are reminded that according to the Guide for Cotton Bale Standards, a requirement for a “Grade A” bale is the placement of PBI tags on, not under, bale bags. Gins should be aware that the practice of placing anything, including PBI tags, underneath the bale bag will be treated as lint contamination by some textile manufacturers. Mills and warehouses also have made it known that the PBI tag should always be placed on a round side, not the flat sides (top or bottom of a bale), even if safety tags are used.

MODULE FEEDERS

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COTTON GIN BRUSHES

BATS & BRUSHES

VERTICAL COMBO DRYER

ROUND MODULE MACHINERY

RAM MANUFACTURING COMPANY 1333 E. 44th. ST. Lubbock, TX 79404 806-745-5552 Fax: 806-745-5582 rammfgco@rammfg.net www.rammfg.net

The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association provided this information.

Lummus Corporation has available the following quality, high-capacity used gin machinery.

All machinery is offered “as is, where is” (unless noted otherwise) and is subject to prior sale.

“As is” machinery can be repaired/reconditioned for an additional charge.

1 – Consolidated 96” R-5000 Stick Machine* 2 – Consolidated 120” R-5000 Stick Machines* 1 – Lummus 60” overshot Standard Battery Condenser* 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot Standard Battery Condenser* 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot MC Battery Condenser* 1 – Belt-Wide 75-HP Flooded-Suction Hydraulic Booster Pumping Unit

1 – Lummus Bale Handling System for up-packing press 1 – Lot, miscellaneous Burner and Moisture Unit components (contact us for details) * - does not include any Steel Supports or Platforms

®

Physical Address: 225 Bourne Boulevard • Savannah, Georgia 31408-9586 USA Mailing Address: P.O. Box 929 • Pooler, Georgia 31322-0929 USA Phone: (912) 447-9000 • Fax: (912) 447-9250 Toll Free (USA Only): 1-800-4LUMMUS (1-800-458-6687) Web Site: www.lummus.com • E-mail: lummus.sales@lummus.com

© Copyright 2017 Lummus Corporation TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

DECEMBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

29

Cotton Ginners Marketplace

1 – Lubbock Electric Hydraulic Pumping Unit for Gin Dor-Les® or E.E. Dor-Les® Press (single reservoir with multiple motor/pump groups)

1 - Complete 2/141 Gin Plant consisting of: Unloading System with 15” diameter single-lane Powered Telescope, Rock Trap with Trash Vacuum, 72” Unloading Separator/Feed Control with Vacuum Wheel and Flight-Saver, and No. 50 Unloading Fan; First-Stage Drying/Precleaning System with Continental 3 MBTU Burner and No. 40 Push Fan, 54” Tower Dryer, 96” Continental Inclined Cleaner with Vacuum Wheel over 96” Horn 3-Saw Stick Machine (with double 96” x 24” Vacuum Wheels), Second-Stage Drying/Precleaning System with Continental 3 MBTU Burner and No. 40 Push Fan, 54” Tower Dryer, 96” Continental Inclined Cleaner with Vacuum Wheel over 96” Continental 2-Saw Stick Machine; Distribution/Overflow System with Continental 2-Stand Conveyor Distributor and 72” Automatic Overflow Hopper with Breaker Cylinder; Feeding/Ginning System with two (2) Continental 141-Saw Gins (converted) and 96” Comet Supreme Feeders; Lint Cleaning System with four (4) 66” wide Continental 16-D Lint Cleaners (two tandem arrangements); Condensing/Pressing System with 50” Moss Battery Condenser, 20” x 54” Continental Bespress, and Bale Handling System with Bale Push Cart (manual) and Bagger (powered); five (5) Smith 35/40 Centrifugal Fans (only one season of operation)

My Turn Angels From Cotton Fields

I

a m f r o m G o l d e n fall apart or over dry. I wanted to make it with a M e a d o w i n S o u t h spirit of excellence.

Today, I have my own business: Must Needs– Louisiana — the land o f s w a m p s , m o s s , Cotton Boll Gifts. The angels are my favorite s h r i m p a n d c r a w f i s h . to make, but I also fashion Southern belles and Outside of seafood, sugar- snowmen from authentic cotton bolls and “poincane was the main plan- settias” from deconstructed cotton burrs.

In the fall, I love going out into the cotton tation-harvested food. The first time my family and I fields. When I pick, I put my hand behind the traveled through an area burr and pull off the boll. When I first started, I with cotton fields, I asked, gathered them in a plastic bag. One year I went Nanette too late after a lot of rain, and the bolls all stuck “Is this snow?” together.

As a young girl, I began Terrebonne I now put them in rows in cardboard flats sewing with my grandmother and won many 4-H so they stay in good condition. I also learned I competitions. I also enjoyed doing other “crafty” can’t pick the cotton if the leaves are too crinkly things. When I was 20, I discovered stenciling, because they break up and create debris. After bought some supplies and stenciled everything in gathering the bolls, I take them home and stack them in a room with sight. some heat to let them I have always created “Cotton is my passion and dry and fluff out. things with my hands.

The angel bodies are Where I grew up, peoprovision. I love everything the soft white lint, and ple had shrimp stands, about this beautiful plant.” the wings are made which consisted of a from burrs. I paint their pick-up truck with a tent over the back. My dream was to get myself a little faces on wooden balls and finish off each truck and put whatever I was making for sale on ornament with a shower of gold glitter.

After completing the cotton boll angel, I add a the side of the road.

I later moved to Natchez, Mississippi, where I tag that says, “Your one-of-a-kind sparkling cotwas in car sales. In 2001, things got slow, and I ton boll angel has been handpicked and crafted was laid off. A friend came to me at church one from an authentic cotton boll with its original day and said I should check out a marketing seeds left intact.” I also inscribe each tag with the director opening at the Cotton Plantation and Bible verse from Hebrew 1:11: “NOW faith is the thing hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Gins in Frogmore, Louisiana.

Today, the childhood dream of a roadside stand During my interview, when we entered the old gin, I was in awe of the tools and machinery has evolved into a yearlong business at craft and how people accomplished what they did with shows, tourist attractions and on the Internet, what they had. While looking around the small followed by a brick-and-mortar shop in the future.

Cotton is my passion and provision from God. I gift shop, I spotted an angel sitting on one of the shelves. I was so intrigued by it I literally love everything about this beautiful plant, espewalked into the counter. As I examined the angel, cially the three-day cycle when the bloom turns it occurred to me how beautiful it would be if it from creamy yellow to pink to fuchsia and then dies off. As the seeds and white lint begin to form were made from a real cotton boll.

I landed the position, and that fall they allowed in the boll, I wait and watch for just the right me to pick some cotton bolls and try my hand at moment to pick my angels from cotton fields. making cotton boll angels. The first one took me a – Nanette Terrebonne while. I arranged the wings in a way that looked Natchez, Mississippi and felt right and figured out how to work with mustneedscottonbollgifts@gmail.com the other segments of the boll so the angel didn’t

Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling unusual “farm tales” or timely stories from across the Cotton Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting story to tell, send a short summary to csmith@onegrower.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

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COTTON FARMING DECEMBER 2017

COTTONFARMING.COM

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COTTON YOU CAN COUNT ON. Harvesting a successful cotton crop starts from the ground up.

Selecting precise seed varieties and trait technologies to match your unique conditions helps ensure your seed will reach its full yield and fiber-quality potential.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TRAIT Bollgard ® 3 XtendFlex ® cotton combines three modes of action for insect control and herbicide tolerance.

Bollgard ® 3 gives growers access to high-quality germplasm, which helps provide enhanced protection against damage caused by pests such as bollworms and armyworms.

XtendFlex ® Technology allows for the use of glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba as a part of your weed management practice.

CROPLAN ® seed offers a broad range of high-performing cotton seed with Bollgard ® 3 XtendFlex ® Technology, in addition to the current lineup of Bollgard II ® germplasm, which allows farmers to pick a variety that best fits their agronomic needs.

MANAGING THROUGHOUT THE SEASON The right management practices can go a long way in maximizing optimal yield and fiber-quality potential.

Take tissue samples from early to late bloom to address nutrient deficiencies.

Scout for pests all season long, because insect pressures can reduce yield potential.

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Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems.

Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship.

B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state.

Insect control technology provided by Vip3A is utilized under license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. NOT ALL formulations of dicamba or glyphosate are approved for in-crop use with cotton with XtendFlex® Technology. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. XTENDIMAX® HERBICIDE WITH VAPORGRIP® TECHNOLOGY AND IN CROP USES MAY NOT BE APPROVED IN ALL STATES. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with cotton with XtendFlex® Technology.

Cotton with XtendFlex® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, dicamba and glufosinate. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Bollgard®, Respect the Refuge and Cotton Design®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup®, XtendFlex®, XtendiMAX® and VaporGrip® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design® are registered trademarks of Bayer. Insect control technology provided by Vip3A is utilized under license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

WinField United is a trademark, and CROPLAN and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. © 2017 Winfield Solutions, LLC

CF1217 Layout_CF 11/13 template 11/20/17 9:29 AM Page 26

Text your ZIP code to 844.846.2018 to get local variety recommendations.

Michael Joe Morgan NEW PRODUCT EVALUATOR (NPE) SINCE 2012

Individual results may vary. Always read and follow IRM, where applicable, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions.

DeltapineŽ is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Š2017 Monsanto Company. All Rights Reserved. DP-18005-CF-DEC-BC-MSSE