Cotton farming july 2018

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

JULY 2018

www.cottonfarming.com

Irrigation Efficiency Make The Most Out Of Every Drop

Seed House Safety And Maintenance MY TURN:

Jimmy Webb

®

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Vol. 62 No. 7

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

JULY 2018

www.cottonfarming.com

F E AT U R E S

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MORE CALIFORNIA COTTON Farmers in the Central Valley discuss why they are considering allocating fewer acres to tomatoes and more land to Pima cotton.

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SOUTHERN PLAINS REPORT

19

GINNING MARKETPLACE

Cotton Incorporated has developed a strategy to protect Upland cotton from Fusarium wilt race 4 in the Southwest.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY

Follow these tips for seed house safety and proper maintenance at the gin and meet the new interns set to join TCGA for the summer.

D O U BL E F E AT U R E

Each Drop Counts On page 8, Dawson County, Texas, producer Shawn Holladay talks about the hot, dry conditions in his area this planting season and how he used a LEPA irrigation system to help get the cotton up. In the Southeast, excessive rain fell the second half of May, but the sandier soils do not hold moisture for long. Beginning on page 10, North Carolina cotton specialist Guy Collins discusses how to make the most pounds per acre by irrigating appropriately.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 5 Cotton’s Agenda 12 Southern Plains Report

14 Industry News 16 Specialists Speaking 22 My Turn

ON THE COVER: Monitor cotton growth stages to help with irrigation guidelines. Cover photo by Kendra Wenzel.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Scott Stewart, University of Tennessee IPM Extension specialist, discusses the cotton insect situation. It seems more clouded plant bugs than usual are showing up in the Mississippi River Bottoms. He counts them as equivalent to 1.5 tarnished plant bugs because they are more inclined to cause injury to cotton bolls. Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

The fourth annual Transform My Community Contest — June 1 through July 31 — is now open to eligible cotton farmers and consultants.

Go to www.transformmycommunity.com to access the contest entry form.

CCOY NOMINATIONS OPEN To nominate a deserving candidate for the Cotton Consultant of the Year Award (co-sponsored by Cotton Farming and Syngenta), fill out the form on Page 13 or online at cottonfarming.com/ccoy.

Deadline for nominations is July 31.

Cotton C of the Yeonsultant ar 2018 NOMINAT

ION FOR The Cotton M If you would Consultant (CCOY) represe of the like to nomin nts the consulta Year recogn who has ition, please ate a consu nt made take a mome ltant deserv to the cotton great contributions ing of this Please use nt to fill industry a separat outstanding out the through outstanding recomm e page for following endations customer biograp form. via letters relations, leadership members or emails hical/profession and innovati al are also on.

Recognized encoura from other farmers information. Additio ged to provide , consult nal Consultan of the cotton by fellow membe ants and support t’s Name: rs industry for the nomine industry, this award is given to Company e.

Name: the consulta only meets nt Mailing Address: these requiremwho not also exceeds ents but City: them.

Syngenta Phone: and Cotton State: magazine Farming — CCOY sponsors Email: In your own soliciting Zip: — are words, please your of the Year” tell us why 2018 recipien help in selecting Award. Additiona you are nominatin the t, who will l pages may Backgrou at a special be named be attached, g the consultant nd: celebration above for emailed or the “Cotton March 1, Friday, attached 2019, Consultan to the online t nominatio Hotel in Memph at the Peabody n form. is, Tenn.

The winning person who consultant and the nominates receive a the winner two night hotel stay airfare to and Memphis.

The 2018 recipient CCOY also will be featured four-page in a salute issue of Cotton in the March 2019 Farming.

Submit

by July nominations 31, 2018 .

Mail: Carroll 7201 Eastern Smith Ave. Germant own, TN 38138 Scan/Em ail: You can print csmith@onegrow out an electronic er.com the form located on version of the Web site at www.co Cotton Farming ttonfarm ing.com.

Nominat e online: cottonfa rming.co m/ccoy

Biograph attached

ical/Indu stry Involvem ent Backgrou to this form, nd. This emailed or information attached as well as to the online support nominatio letters may n form. be

Your Name: Mailing Address: City: Phone:

State: Email:

TwiTTer : @CoTTon Farming

Sponso red by

Zip:

Cotton Farming JUNE 2018

COTTON

FARMING

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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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JULY 2018 COTTON FARMING

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Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Carroll Smith

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

The Next Best Thing To Rain Is Irrigation

D

uring a recent conversation with West Texas cotton producer Shawn Holladay, he said, “There’s nothing that makes you look like a better farmer than a good rain.” Although no one will argue against rain being the lifeblood of farming, sometimes Mother Nature is stingy with her water.

When there is not a cloud in the sky or a hint of rain in the forecast, the next best thing is irrigation to get the cotton crop rolling and sustain its viability. Across the Belt, farmers use different irrigation methods — including pivots, flood and drip — to deliver precious water to their thirsty cotton crop. Irrigation scheduling tools are helpful in determining when to initiate the process, how much water to put out and when to terminate irrigation after it’s no longer economically feasible.

Holladay uses a Low Energy Precision Application (LEPA) system on his irrigated acres. LEPA reduces evaporation into the air and increases the amount of water available to the plant, which contributes to greater efficiency. Read more on page 8 about the role the LEPA system plays in Holladay’s Dawson County, Texas, operation, especially in a year like this one characterized by extreme heat and high winds during the planting season.

In the Southeast, rains during the second half of May set up a variable crop scenario where individual fields reach particular growth stages at different times. On page 10, North Carolina cotton specialist Guy Collins says, “Most folks probably do not want to hear about watering cotton at this point due to the excessive rains many areas received. However, it is important to note that our sandier soils do not hold moisture for long.”

He goes on to explain how timely irrigation using appropriate rates can promote and manage early maturity. Collins also shows how the checkbook method of irrigation works and shares a few points based on his experience with agronomic irrigation research. He also notes that irrigating before wilting occurs is necessary to achieve optimal yields.

Although irrigation can never replicate the benefits of a good rain that falls at the right time, it’s a tool farmers can use to fill in the water gaps when Mother Nature is unwilling to cooperate.

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 JULY 2018

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.

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COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Building Consumer Trust With the U.S. cotton industry ramping up sustainability efforts and consumers voicing their trust in our fiber, the National Cotton Council is encouraged that more light is being shed on a man-made fiber situation some believe is not sustainable.

How is cotton faring with consumers? n On behalf of Cotton Council International, Harris Insights & Analytics examined the views of more than 7,000 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Germany, Italy, Mexico and China. Natural fibers were viewed as safer, more trustworthy and associated with better quality products than synthetics.

Specifically, 83 percent believed cotton is safe for the environment with U.S. cotton rated among the world’s safest growths.

Consumers also associated cotton with sustainability more so than other fabrics such as wool, silk, polyester, rayon or spandex. On the other hand, U.K. A recent survey found that consumers associ- respondents, for examated cotton with sustainability more so than ple, conveyed concern other fabrics such as wool, silk, polyester, ray- with the environmental impact of manmade on or spandex. fibers specifically pointing to microfibers in the oceans from synthetics such as polyester.

What about this microfiber concern? n In a previous Cotton’s Agenda column, I was compelled to note this growing environmental threat and referenced a study which attributed an important source of microplastic appeared to be through sewage containing fibers from washing clothes. Researchers in that study found garments made with polymer-based cloth can release as many as 1,900 microfibers per wash that eventually end up in waterways, even in bottled water, sea salt and fish. The study suggested that as the human population grows and people use more synthetic textiles, contamina-

tion of habitats and animals by microplastic is likely to increase.

Since then, this concern has continued to gain recognition worldwide with an increasing number of reports in the news media. For example, a recent Bloomberg article that was carried by other news outlets noted that lawmakers in California and New York have proposed state bills requiring that all new clothing made of more than 50 percent synthetic material carry an additional removable tag that reads: “This garment sheds plastic microfibers when washed.” Under the California bill, the sale or offering for sale of such clothing without this label would be prohibited on and after January 1, 2020.

The Bloomberg article quoted the executive director of the plastic pollution advocacy nonprofit 5 Gyres Institute as saying that apparel tags or stickers would be an opportunity to raise awareness that microfiber pollution is a problem.

The article also mentioned “Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Global Drinking Water,” a study which found that about 83 percent of drinking water samples tested around the world contained microplastics. That investigation’s final report, released in 2017, is at https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_final_report.

I also noted in last year’s column that Cotton Incorporated had commissioned North Carolina State University to investigate what happens to cotton and synthetic microfibers from home launderings. The three-part study is examining degradation rates in wastewater, fresh water and saltwater. The study already has found that in a waste treatment environment over a 170-day period, cotton degraded by nearly twothirds; while polyester microfibers degraded only less than five percent. This should further elevate consumers’ trust in cotton as a sustainable textile and hopefully influence their purchasing decisions.

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

Twitter: @CottonFarming

JULY 2018 COTTON FARMING

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SPECIAL REPORT

California Farmers Discuss Reasons For Switching To Cotton

BY LISA LIEBERMAN

A

s Central Valley producers face ongoing low water allocations and stagnant processing tomato prices, farmers say they are considering allocating fewer acres to tomatoes and more land to Pima cotton. Pima cotton — the primary variety grown in the Central Valley — requires less water, has lower employment costs and less pest pressure, the growers say.

Joel Allen of Allen Farms in Firebaugh, who farms in the Westlands Water District, says he has been growing more cotton and fewer tomatoes every year for the past several years.

“Tomatoes take more water than cotton, and to be conservative, last year, we (netted) about $1,500 per acre in cotton versus $1,200 per acre in tomatoes,” Allen says.

Eric Fontana, co-owner of Brinkley Farms, operates in Dos Palos in an area that has senior water rights and therefore more secure supplies than farmers such as Allen.

But he, too, due to stagnant tomato prices and what seems to be a higher demand for Pima cotton, has steadily increased his cotton acreage.

In 2008, Fontana had 550 acres of cotton and 200 acres of tomatoes. In 2013, he dropped his tomato acreage to 80 acres because of an oversupply of processing tomatoes and reduced prices. This year, he says he’s growing 863 acres of Pima cotton and no tomatoes.

back, meaning somewhere between 250,000 to 260,000 acres of cotton will be planted in the region this year.

About 205,000 of that will be Pima, he says.

In a Prospective Plantings report in late March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated California farmers would plant 312,000 acres of cotton this year, up 3 percent from 2017.

Isom says a number of cotton growers are switching to drip irrigation, so they’re able to use 2.5 acre-feet to grow cotton instead of a full 3 acre-feet.

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COTTON FARMING JULY 2018

COURTESY CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Cotton Pros And Cons Although cotton has fewer risks compared to tomatoes, every crop has its potential problems. With cotton, those include the threat of pests, such as lygus and aphids, which have gotten worse.

There’s also the risk of early autumn rains that can stain cotton. The good news for cotton growers is that new varieties of Pima have made it possible to harvest cotton two weeks earlier, thus reducing the threat from early autumn rains.

The newer Pima varieties also have higher yielding capabilities and longer staple lengths.

“When we first started growing Pima in 2006, we were growing up to 1,400 pounds per acre,” Fontana says. “Now we have yields up to 2,000 pounds per acre. That’s not the average, but we’ve Better Bet Than Tomatoes had yields that high.”

During the past seven or eight years, In addition, most Pima cotton is the price for Pima peaked at about $2 Roundup Ready Flex, reducing employper pound, Fontana says. Last year, ment costs, and farmers say the quality growers settled on $1.45 to $1.50 per of the cotton has advanced significantly. pound. Despite the price drop, he says, California farmer Eric Fontana is “Aphids are probably becoming the cotton seems a better bet than tomatoes. growing 863 acres of Pima cotton biggest problem,” Fontana says. “Mills “When I’m looking at my paid-for cot- this year and no tomatoes. cannot accept any sticky cotton. With ton picker and I think of having to pay all the technology out there, we can’t have any traced back someone else to harvest my tomatoes, it doesn’t make a lot to the grower. If you have a contract, they can kick it back, of sense,” Fontana says. and we can’t have that type of reputation for having sticky The other factor with tomatoes is weather. Because so cotton in the valley.” many farmers rely on professional transplanters, if they In terms of what’s going to happen to tomato acreage, have to postpone planting because of a cold snap, probFontana says he isn’t sure. lems can arise.

“Tomatoes are just more susceptible to disease, and Roger Isom, president of the California Cotton Ginners without lucrative prices, it doesn’t make sense to continue and Growers Association, says San Joaquin Valley-wide, with them,” he says. cotton plantings more than doubled to 296,000 acres in 2017 from 116,000 acres in 2015.

With the low water allocations for 2018 — 50 percent for Lisa Lieberman is a reporter in Three Rivers, California.

Central Valley Project agricultural customers in the San The California Farm Bureau Federation granted permisJoaquin Valley — Isom says some growers are dropping sion to reprint this article.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton Consultant’s Corner

Control Insect Pests To Protect High Yields Jason Grafton Grafton Agri Consulting LLC Madison, Mississippi

While attending Mississippi State University, I learned through the friend of a friend about cotton consulting. I knew from that moment this profession was meant for me. I changed my major from forestry to ag pest management, and after graduation, I got my consultant’s license. I was fortunate to pick up my first customer — Triple R Farms in Bolton, Mississippi — right out of college and have grown my business since then.

For the most part, the 2018 planting season was on time in this area. Frequent rains followed by hot weather promoted vigorous plants and good cotton growth, resulting in a light thrips year.

Effective Scouting Methods We generally start looking for plant bugs in this area when the cotton starts squaring. Around June 8, cotton was squaring on the sixth node, so we were in full swing scouting for tarnished plant bugs. We use different types of sampling methods, such as sweep nets and drop cloths, but most importantly, we put as many footprints in the field as possible to lay our eyes on as many plants as possible. There is a good crop mix in this area, and corn planted next to cotton typically affects the initial infestation of plant bugs.

This pest feeds on the squares and, in the worst case, aborts the fruit. When you find squares on the ground, you are behind. I use Transform WG insecticide to control plant bugs early season prior to bloom when we reach threshold numbers. If we are not trying to control weeds and insects at the same time, I apply Transform by itself at 1.5 ounces per acre. Right out of the gate, Transform appears to have little impact on beneficials, and I haven’t observed it flaring any secondary insect pests, such as mites.

Rotate Chemistry To Avoid Resistance When targeting plant bugs, it’s important to rotate chemistry to avoid developing resistance due to repeat usage of one product. After the first application of Transform, we come back with an organophosphate, such as Bidrin or Orthene. Following that application, we may apply Transform again. We first check to see if other insects, such as a bollworm complex, are starting to come in. Sometimes they “drive the boat” as far as which direction we go insecticide wise.

This year, Transform received another emergency Section 18 for use in cotton, which is critical for plant bug control. Transform gives us another good option to keep our fields pest-free so we can produce high-yielding cotton.

As consultants, we look forward to helping our farmers boost their bottom line. I urge them to keep going and bring the younger generation with them in the future.

• B.S., ag pest management, Mississippi State University • Established Grafton Agri Consulting LLC in 2001 • Consults on cotton, soybeans and peanuts • Member and past president of Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association • Married to wife, Nikki. Two children: Davis, 9. Anna Jase, 5.

• Enjoys deer and duck hunting and spending time with his family

Recap: Control Insects, Protect Yields

t

1. Frequent rains followed by hot weather promoted vigorous plants and good cotton growth, resulting in a light thrips year.

2. Around June 8, cotton was squaring on the sixth node, so we were in full swing scouting for tarnished plant bugs.

3. In our program, I use Transform WG insecticide to control plant bugs early season prior to bloom when we reach threshold numbers.

4. Transform received an emergency Section 18 for use on cotton again this year, which gives us another good option to keep our fields pest-free. When targeting plant bugs, we rotate chemistry to avoid developing resistance due to repeat usage of one product.

Sponsored by

® DOW Diamond, Isoclast and Transform are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (“DuPont”) or affiliated companies of ® DOW Diamond, Clincher, Grandstand and Granite are trademarks The DowTransform Chemicalhas Company or anEmergency Exemptions for use on cotton in select states.

Dow or DuPont.

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by U.S. EPA for sale or useofon cotton.

Section(“Dow”) 18 Specific affiliated company of Dow. Clincher CA, Clincher SF, Grandstand CA,cotton-producing Grandstand R, Granite GR be and GraniteToSC aremore about Transform, to see which states or political Applications for Section 18 Specific Emergency Exemptions in additional states may pending. learn not registered for sale use in 18 all states. yourExemptions, state pesticide agency to determine if a product subdivisions thereof haveorSection SpecificContact Emergency to seeregulatory the limitations on the use of Transform under the Section 18 Specific Emergency Exemption labels, is registered for or use yourcarry state.

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W EST T E X AS :

As Dry As It Gets ★

★

★

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

T

witter is known for the limited number of characters allowed for messages. However, the social media platform’s required brevity was no hurdle for West Texas cotton farmer Shawn Holladay this spring. As he posted tweets from the field in southeastern Dawson County, there wasn’t a whole lot to talk about that required an

abundance of words. “Dry” pretty much said it all.

On June 8, when the dryland fields were so parched that a weed wouldn’t even show its face, Holladay tweeted, “I feel like I’m farming the surface of Mars.”

This is an apt description when the dust is flying and all you see is brown all day with nothing green in sight.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHAWN HOLLADAY

On June 8, Shawn Holladay tweeted from @holladayfarms: “I feel like I’m farming the surface of Mars.”

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COTTON FARMING JULY 2018

COTTONFARMING.COM

“When we are trying to get cotton to emerge in a more typical year, we will water an inch or an inch and a quarter per application. But under these conditions, we will water about three-fourths of an inch and try to get around a little faster. There’s really an art to it. If you put out too little, it will dry out.

“But this approach does allow you to get around the field in about four days and just keep the pivots turning until the cotton comes up. Then you can slow them down and start trying to drive some moisture into the ground to get it wet.”

Over the years, every time Holladay changes nozzles, he installs the most efficient nozzle type available.

“We run bubblers on some pivots and just bubble the water out on the ground at very low pressure,” he says.

“We do whatever we can to cut down on any evaporation.

Once we get a canopy made, we run our nozzle spouts low and try not to put any more water into the air after that.”

This tweet greeted @holladayfarms followers June 2: “Pretty morning. Cant say much for the evenings 100+wind. Tuff spring sofar.”

“I have a lot of dryland cotton, so we wait as long as we can to plant before we get into an insurance deadline scenario,” he says. “We would rather plant behind a rain because it’s never a good thing when you are out here planting in these extremely dry conditions.”

Cotton Farming caught up with Holladay later in the month to get a more detailed report of what was going on out there. Luckily, about 20 percent of his operation is irrigated.

“We don’t have big water, but we can do pretty well with a little help from Mother Nature,” he says. “But right now, the dryland cotton in our area is a complete loss. We recently had just enough rain to sprout and kill the seed, and some fields didn’t get enough precipitation to do that.

Typically, the weather is not this dry this time of the year, but everyone will tell you that anything can happen in West Texas, and nothing is ever normal.

“The irrigated crop actually looks good, but as we move into summer, we need Mother Nature to kick in and help us as well. You can’t keep up with a crop good enough to make a profit all by yourself.”

LEPA Irrigation System Holladay uses a Low Energy Precision Application (LEPA) irrigation system on most of his irrigated acres.

This year, he had to apply additional water pre-plant and still had trouble getting the cotton up because of the high winds and more than 100-degree temperatures.

“We were fortunate in that we didn’t have much replanting to do under our pivots,” Holladay says. “A lot of cotton farmers in this area who were not able to achieve a stand because of the timing of the heat and wind had to replant.

Irrigation couldn’t keep up with the water demands of the small cotton plant trying to get out of the ground. The seed ruined while they were watering it. We went through five- to six-day stretches of more than 100-degree temperatures, 30 mph winds every afternoon and humidity down to 10 percent or less. It’s hard to make that work.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

Conditions Reminiscent Of 2011 Holladay recalls the severe drought that plagued the area in 2011.

“Short-term, what we have been experiencing over the past couple of months is not unlike 2011,” he says. “We have no underground moisture, and we are not getting any rainfall. So outside of calling it a true drought, we are as dry as it gets.”

Holladay says the weather forecasters are describing the trend as more normal than dry, which should mean farmers will get some rainfall this summer. However, on June 22, he said a rain is needed in the next 30 days.

“Irrigation is enough to establish a crop, but getting an inch of rain at the right time can make a bale to a bale and a half difference to the acre. There is nothing that makes you look like a better farmer than a good rain.”

On June 22, Shawn Holladay tweeted from @holladayfarms: “Irrigated looking pretty good considering it has had less than an inch of rain since April. Gonna need some help to get over the hump. Forecast starting tmrw 100+ wind.”

JULY 2018 COTTON FARMING

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T I PS FO R

Irrigating Cotton I N T H E SO U T H E AST

BY GUY COLLINS NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

D

ue to prolonged rainy weather during the second half of May, the 2018 North Carolina cotton crop can be categorized into distinctive groups, at least for now.

A relatively high proportion of our acres were planted during the first couple of weeks of May, with very few acres planted from May 15-June 1. A few, yet noticeable, acres were planted in early June and don’t account for replanted cotton. This is the case for essentially all parts of our state and is not isolated to a specific region.

Therefore, our crop will be variable for the forseeable future, with individual fields reaching particular growth stages at different times. Water demands during particular growth stages will be different from field to field and influenced by rainfall. Likewise, the timing and severity of episodic drought will likely affect some fields differently than others.

Most folks probably do not want to hear about watering cotton at this point due to the excessive rains many areas received. However, it is important to note that our sandier soils do not hold moisture for long. Under hot, dry conditions, we are never more than a few days away from drought stress.

Fields that experienced excessive rains to the point of reaching water-logged conditions may develop a relatively shallow-rooted crop. If not drained quickly so that root growth can revive before blooming begins, water-logged conditions that result in a permanently shallow-

rooted crop will likely cause cotton to be more drought sensitive later in the season after blooming begins.

At this point, most established young cotton looks good.

With adequate moisture and heat, growth will soon accelerate, especially once sidedress fertilizer applications are made. Below are a few points growers should keep in mind if they have the ability to irrigate some of their fields.

Be Timely With Inputs In previous articles, we’ve suggested the best way to manage a later-than-normal crop is to be timely with all inputs. These include fertilizer, weed management, plant growth regulators, lygus control, caterpillar control and irrigation if rains subside.

Most folks think irrigation can delay maturity. This is true if cotton is irrigated excessively and not managed well with PGRs, especially on varieties with greater potential for excessive growth.

However, timely irrigation using appropriate rates can be used to promote and manage early maturity by avoiding drought stress that may cause earlier-set fruit to abort and improving retention and development of those earlier-set bolls. We again emphasize the word “timely.”

Much of the irrigation research that has been conducted

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COTTON FARMING JULY 2018

CARROLL SMITH

The length of the squaring period can range from three to four weeks, depending on heat unit accumulation and current growth rate.

COTTONFARMING.COM

suggests if you ever get behind with irrigating, it can be very difficult, and sometime impossible, to catch up. This is especially the case in dry years.

Timely irrigation can help growers bridge the gap during seven- to 10-day dry spells. But most of our irrigation systems are not equipped to handle prolonged drought when hot, dry conditions prevail for an extended amount of time.

Therefore, it is important to be more proactive than reactive with regard to irrigating cotton. This starts by monitoring plant status and soil moisture at first square.

Irrigation At Squaring Stage The squaring stage of cotton is an important benchmark in cotton development, marking the point in which irrigation management requires more attention. Many think cotton should not be irrigated until first bloom, so a robust root system can develop prior to bloom. The thought process behind this makes sense, and the cotton plant does not need, nor respond to much water prior to first bloom.

However, the cotton plant still needs some water during squaring, and under the right conditions — hot, dry, shallow root systems, etc. — it can respond significantly to irrigation during squaring. Although irrigation is most important during fruit development, yield penalties have occurred if drought (to the point of wilting) occurs during the cotton squaring stage. Therefore, irrigating during the squaring stage should not be neglected.

High Yields, Less Water There are several effective methods used for irrigating cotton. I hope this article will provide basic irrigation guidelines to help growers avoid yield penalties due to drought at various stages of cotton growth, and generally understand when and how much water a cotton crop needs to achieve high yield potential.

One method of irrigating cotton is the checkbook method, developed several years ago by other faculty at the University of Georgia and modified over time. This method and further discussion of a few other points in this article can be found at http://www.ugacotton.com/vault/ file/2018-UGA-COTTON-PRODUCTION-GUIDE-1.pdf.

The publication also talks about sensor-based methods and software/apps that are valuable in fine-tuning cotton irrigation practices to maximize yields and returns while conserving water.

It is important to note there are other methods available to producers that also may be effective at achieving high yields while using less water than this approach.

This particular method illustrates general cotton water requirements throughout the season, beginning at first square stage.

Tips Based On Experience The checkbook method rates can be adjusted once you gain experience irrigating your farm on your soils. With these general rates in mind, the following are a few points based on my experience with agronomic irrigation research with this and other irrigation methods during my time in Georgia that could help optimize your irrigation program: ➤ This method begins when visible squares appear (seven- to eight-leaf cotton). Occasionally, irrigation may be needed prior to squaring during periods of extreme heat or drought or if some other factor adversely affects plant growth (herbicide injury, nematodes, etc.). However, irrigatTwitter: @CottonFarming

Checkbook Method: Weekly Water Requirements Week 1 of squaring (7-8 leaf cotton):

0.75-1 inch per week

Week 2 of squaring:

0.75-1 inch per week

Week 3 of squaring:

0.75-1 inch per week

Week 1 of bloom (55-60 days after planting):

1 inch per week

Week 2 of bloom:

1.5 inches per week

Week 3 of bloom:

2 inches per week

Week 4 of bloom:

2 inches per week

Week 5 of bloom:

1.5 inches per week

Week 6 of bloom:

1.5 inches per week

Week 7 of bloom:

1 inch per week

Week 8 of bloom:

1 inch per week

Source: University of Georgia Irrigation Scheduling

ing prior to squaring is rarely needed. Also, the length of the squaring period can range from three to four weeks, depending on heat unit accumulation and current growth rate.

Therefore, it is important to observe exactly when blooming begins so weekly rates can be adjusted accordingly.

There also have been instances in my experience where squaring cotton did not require a full inch of water per week during squaring. However, 2012 research clearly illustrated that withholding irrigation to the point of allowing severe drought stress to occur during squaring could result in significant yield penalties (about 300-600 pounds/acre) despite later efforts to irrigate appropriately during bloom.

During squaring, water demands increase as plant size increases. In many cases, growers could apply lower rates than what is described in the chart, as the plant does not use much water during this time. During squaring, avoid wilting by irrigating in a timely manner. The actual rate is less important. However, rates less than 0.2 to 0.3 inches are sometimes negligible and probably don’t do much good if hot, dry conditions prevail for more than a week. ➤ Monitor fields for each of the major growth stages (first square, first bloom, first open boll). Squares should be visible by the seven- to eight-leaf stage (40-45 days after planting in most years….likely later this year in North Carolina), and first bloom should occur at 55-60 days after planting.

At first bloom, there should only be a few blooms on the lowest fruiting branches (one bloom every 5 to 6 feet of row). If you ride by the field and see blooms with little effort, chances are you are already seven to 10 days into the bloom period. Making irrigation decisions based on windshield evaluations will likely cause you to apply the wrong rates at the wrong time, or at least increase weekly irrigation rates later in the bloom period.

These growth stages are important in determining when to begin irrigating and how much to irrigate. In my experience, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to attempt to “catch up” on irrigating if you miss these growth stages by a week or more when hot, dry conditions prevail. ➤ Know your soil characteristics and irrigation system efficiency. Heavier soils retain water longer than sandier soils, and there is variation in the efficiency of various Continued on page 15 JULY 2018 COTTON FARMING

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SOUTHERN PLAINS REPORT

Cotton Incorporated Combats FOV4 In The Southwest

A

cross the South Plains, Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and Kansas, the vast diversity of challenges in this year ’s crop is clearly noticeable.

Weather conditions, seed varieties and weed control issues have brought growers together on the turnrow to discuss critical production practice decisions for the 2018 cotton crop.

In recent months, the discovery of Fusarium wilt race 4 (FOV4) in fields in the Southwest has been quite alarming in the cotton industry.

This race of Fusarium devastated the Pima cotton industry until resistant varieties were screened, developed and made commercially available.

Acres and markets were lost, and financial viability was diminished.

As quickly as FOV4 was discovered in the Southwest, Cotton Incorporated began developing a strategy to keep Upland cotton production protected and viable.

BY SHELLEY HEINRICH SLATON, TEXAS

research for Cotton Incorporated.

“Cotton Incorporated proactively invested in breeders and pathologists to address this threat.

“With FOV4 now expanding into the Upland production area, this investment has been substantially ramped up in both Upland screening/ breeding for FOV4 tolerance and for FOV4 containment. Through Cotton Incorporated, growers are funding six scientists to screen and breed Upland varieties with FOV4 tolerance and four scientists to work on management and detection of FOV4.”

Cotton Incorporated is investing

BOB HUTMACHER/UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Tolerance And Containment “Even when FOV4 was predominately a Pima problem, we knew it could attack Upland cotton,” says Dr. Kater Hake, vice president of ag

both core funds from the ag research department and funds from the Texas State Support program into combatting FOV4. Today, 17 programs are working diligently on genetic development and resistance, plant pathology and field research. The goal is to minimize the financial impact to producers and maximize their knowledge of the influences of FOV4. Without this type of diligence and quick reaction, the pathogen’s spread could overcome existing cotton acres with no remedy or crop options.

“Hopefully in 2018, scientists will identify readily available commercial Upland varieties with good tolerance to FOV4. But if they don’t, we will have advanced the development of tolerant germplasm and learned more about FOV4 management practices under Southwest conditions,” Hake says.

Fusarium wilt race 4 can cause plant mortality. Cotton Incorporated is investing funds to screen and breed for FOV4 tolerance and containment in Upland cotton.

12

COTTON FARMING JULY 2018

Quick Reaction Pays Off Scientists do not know how FOV4 was introduced in the field. However, it is a soil pathogen that can be spread from field to field. It can be carried on planting seed or in dirt on equipment, such as cotton harvesters or module haulers. Symptoms, such as dead seedlings and black streaks inside tap roots, have been seen in El Paso area screening trials.

Although there is still much work being done to combat and contain FOV4, cotton producers can be proud that Cotton Incorporated’s ag research team has reacted quickly when cotton production profitability, quality and viability are being threatened. A quality crop delivered to the marketplace is the end goal and that is where investment in the Cotton Research and Promotion Program pays dividends.

Shelley Heinrich is the Cotton Board Southern Plains regional communication manager. Email her at sheinrich@ cottonboard.org.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton Consultant of the Year 2018 NOMINATION FORM

The Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) represents the consultant who has made great contributions to the cotton industry through outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation.

Recognized by fellow members of the cotton industry, this award is given to the consultant who not only meets these requirements but also exceeds them.

Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine — CCOY sponsors — are soliciting your help in selecting the 2018 recipient, who will be named at a special celebration Friday, March 1, 2019, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn.

The winning consultant and the person who nominates the winner receive a two night hotel stay and airfare to Memphis. The 2018 CCOY recipient also will be featured in a four-page salute in the March 2019 issue of Cotton Farming.

Submit nominations

by July 31, 2018.

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

Nominate online: cottonfarming.com/ccoy

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

Please use a separate page for biographical/professional information. Additional recommendations via letters or emails from other farmers, consultants and industry members are also encouraged to provide support for the nominee.

Consultant’s Name: Company Name: Mailing Address: City:

State:

Phone:

Email:

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

Background:

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

Your Name: Mailing Address: City:

State:

Phone:

Email:

Sponsored by TwiTTer: @CoTTonFarming

Zip:

Zip:

Cotton Farming JUNE 2018 COTTON FARMING

9

Industry News Texas Farmer Appointed To FCIC Board Of Directors U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue appointed Rickey L. Bearden of Plains, Texas, to the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. Board of Directors.

Bearden will serve a four-year term of office.

The FCIC board oversees the federal crop insurance program, managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency. The Board reviews crop insurance products presented by outside parties and RMA, and determines which programs will best help farmers and ranchers.

Crop insurance provides protection against a loss in production due to natural perils such as adverse weather conditions, insects or plant disease, or wildlife.

Rickey Bearden is a third-generation farmer with a 9,500-acre family farm, which includes cotton, peanuts, wheat and grain sorghum.

He has served with organizations such as Cotton Incorporated, Plains Cotton Growers, the National Cotton Council and Cotton Council International. Bearden is currently on the boards of directors for the Southwest Council of Agribusiness and Plains Cotton Growers.

For more information, visit: https:// www.rma.usda.gov.

Ready Row Unit Offers New Way To Upgrade Planters When farmers trade planters, the goal is to get the latest technology as well as an updated row unit. But the planter’s tool bar typically is in great shape.

Instead of trading for an updated planter, farmers can now keep their tool bar, add new row units, and then

14

COTTON FARMING JULY 2018

Environmental Protection Agency Awards $2 Million In Water Quality Grants In a check presentation ceremony held recently on the banks of the Big Sunflower River in Coahoma County, Mississippi, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt (center) presented checks totaling $2 million to improve water quality and crop production in the Mississippi River Basin. From left, Pruitt is joined by EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford, Iowa Department of Ag & Land Stewardship Water Quality Initiative Coordinator Matt Lechtenberg, EPA Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn, and Delta F.A.R.M. Chairman Dan Branton.

add the technology they want on top of this foundation.

“Rather than spending significant dollars on new iron that is not exactly what a grower wants, he can spend fewer dollars on outfitting his current toolbar, customizing the portions of the planter that provide return on investment, and end up with a planter equipped exactly how he wanted it to begin with,” says Precision Planting Integrated Marketing Manager, Bryce Baker. “Precision Planting offers new, innovative technologies that can be added to the Ready Row Unit.”

The Precision Planting Ready Row Units are assembled in an ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility located in the United States. The unit is fully customizable to an operation’s needs with different gauge wheel options, closing wheel options, hopper configurations and fertility attachments. The Ready Row Unit also comes ready to accept a wide range of Precision Planting products.

“Producers can improve planting in 2019 to run faster with precise depth control and even on-the-go furrow sensing for adjusting depth and row cleaners for the optimum planter pass,” Baker says. “The planter you

already own is capable of more than you can imagine.”

Please visit precisionplanting.com.

Delta Council Officers Announced Delta Council recently held its 83rd Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Mississippi, where its 2018-2019 president and vice-presidents were announced.

This year ’s president is Woods Eastland of Indianola. A retired CEO of Staplcotn, Eastland has served on numerous national agricultural boards and commissions. He also served as chairman of the National Cotton Council and has been an elected director of Delta Council for many years. He and his wife, Lynn, have two children and three grandchildren.

Elected as vice-presidents for 201819 are Stanley Ayers of Leland, John Rodgers Brashier of Indianola, Pete Hunter of Clarksdale, B. Jones of Tchula, Floyd Melton III of Greenwood and Ransom Myers of Dundee. Andy Anderson of Rolling Fork is serving a second term as treasurer.

Delta Council is an area economic development organization representing the 18 Delta and part-Delta counties of Northwest Mississippi.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Continued from page 11

irrigation systems (traveling gun, center pivots with and without drop hoses, etc.). These factors influence how much and how often to irrigate.

Find further information at http:// www.ugacotton.com/vault/file/2018UGA-COTTON-PRODUCTIONGUIDE-1.pdf. Lastly, your tillage system — the amount of residue or ground cover present on the soil surface — could theoretically influence irrigation rates and frequency. This can influence how quickly the cotton crop may reach the point of yield-reducing stress. ➤ The water requirements listed are total weekly water rates. These should be divided into two or more irrigations. These rates include rainfall; therefore, irrigation rates should be adjusted for any meaningful rainfall (about 0.3 inches or greater) that occurs in a given week.

Splitting weekly rates into two or more irrigations offers several advantages. It allows for better adjustment for rainfall in a given week, which helps avoid over-irrigating or wasting irrigation water and the associated pumping costs. It also allows for improved water absorption in the soil and use by the plant. Most soils cannot absorb much more than 0.75-1 inch from a single rain or irrigation, while higher rates tend to run off or move below the effective rooting zone.

Third, it allows for a continuous source of moisture throughout the season and helps prevent depletion of soil moisture. If you irrigate the total weekly rate in one event and don’t irrigate again for a week, drought stress could occur during that time if hot conditions prevail without additional rainfall, especially on sandier soils. Fourth, it maximizes the efficiency of your irrigation system. Most irrigation systems cannot apply the higher weekly rates in a single event and/or in a timely manner. ➤ This method can be adjusted once you gain a little experience with it. Some fields may require slightly higher weekly rates or more frequent irrigation if soil water retention or system efficiency is low. Additionally, there may be situations when some fields enter the bloom period with insufficient stalk height or nodes above white bloom. Higher irrigation rates may be needed towards the front end of the bloom period.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

Lastly, the length of the bloom period often needs to be adjusted if open bolls are present before eight weeks of bloom have elapsed or if a higher-than-normal proportion of smaller harvestable bolls are located on upper nodes of the plant.

Although this method suggests that irrigation should cease once lower bolls begin to open, research has also shown that, occasionally, continuing irrigation can increase yields if a large number of upper yield-contributing bolls are not fully developed at that time.

However, avoid irrigation if possible when a noticeable amount of bolls have opened, especially if conditions are suitable for hardlock or boll rot. ➤ Several types of soil moisture sensors are available to use with this method. Two common types are ones that measure volumetric water content or soil water potential. Both offer advantages, but you need to understand the difference in how they work and what they measure.

Sensors can help with irrigation scheduling by 1.) accounting for rainfall that would tell you when to resume irrigating following a rainfall event, 2.) adjusting for differenc-

es in soil type and soil water retention, and 3.) quantifying the point in which drought stress is likely to occur (i.e. sensors provide a soil moisture threshold for which to trigger irrigation). Frequent monitoring and/or maintenance of soil moisture sensors is necessary to reap the full benefits of these technologies. ➤ Lastly, note that wilting should be avoided at all costs. Many growers only irrigate once they see visible wilting, which indicates the plant is encountering drought stress. While this approach may be better than not irrigating at all, in my experience, some yield has already been lost if you see wilting in a cotton field.

Irrigating before wilting occurs is necessary to achieve optimal yields.

Growers should irrigate to prevent wilting, as opposed to irrigating after this point of significant stress.

Another useful resource for making irrigation decisions in the Southeast is http://www.cottoninc.com/fiber/ AgriculturalDisciplines/Engineering/ Irrigation-Management/.

Guy Collins is a cotton specialist at NCSU. Cotton specialist Keith Edmisten also contributed to this article.

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15

Specialists Speaking Critical Management Period ARKANSAS Bill Robertson By mid-June, we reached a critical time for our cotton crop in terms of preserving yield potential as a result of moisture stress. This is not the norm for Arkansas. Some fields continued to produce nodes close to what was expected. However, many fields of all ages across the state exhibited a big slowdown in node production, indicating the need to initiate irrigation.

The rate of node production is one of our best tools to schedule irrigation in pre-flowering cotton. Management becomes even more critical to finish the year in a positive fashion with only six to seven nodes above white flower (NAWF) at first flower as the plant is often destined for premature cutout.

There is some young cotton that could possibly have only five NAWF at first flower this season. Experience has shown that there is little one can do to turn around a cotton crop in Arkansas when the plant is basically at cutout (NAWF=5) at first flower.

Ideally, 60 days after planting we will find nine to 10 NAWF at first white flower. Our goal is to maintain 80 percent retention going into first flower. Problems that can directly affect yield and profit are associated with extremely high retention rates as well as low fruit retention rates. Going into flowering with extremely high retention rates can set you up for failure if any problems are encountered. The margin for error is small when retention is high.

Maintaining a balance between vegetative and reproductive growth will help optimize earliness and preserve yield and fiber potential. Irrigation initiation and timing plays a dominant role in this balance.

Using sensors and scheduling tools along with programs, such as Pipe Planner, helps improve irrigation water-use efficiency and profitability. An effective fruiting window of three weeks between first flower and cutout (NAWF=5) provides the yield and earliness cotton producers in Arkansas desire. brobertson@uaex.edu

ARIZONA Randy Norton Proper early season cotton management is crucial to ultimately producing a profitable crop. That management includes maintaining soil moisture and plant nutrient status with adequate and timely irrigations and fertilizer applications, and achieving efficient early season insect control through scouting and effective control measures.

It is important to schedule irrigations according to crop water use and the soil’s water-holding capacity. Each week, cotton advisories that contain crop water-use data are developed for every region of the state to assist in irrigation scheduling. Water-use estimates for the week prior to the release of the advisory are given for several representative planting dates and are a good indication of the amount of water being used by the crop.

Schedule irrigations when the amount of plant available water in the soil is depleted to 50 percent. Here is an example of how this can be done: Let’s say a crop planted on April 1 is currently in the first week of July and would have an estimated water use of about 2.4 inches per week (data from advisory) or 0.34 inches per day. Let’s say the crop is planted on a loam soil that holds about 2.5 inches of plant available water per foot of soil.

16

COTTON FARMING JULY 2018

If the effective rooting depth is 3 feet, that soil will hold 7.5 inches of water. The general rule of thumb is to irrigate when 50 percent of the plant available water has been used or about 3.75 inches. At a water-use rate of 0.34 inches per day, we would have an irrigation interval of about 11 days. This technique is effective as a guide for scheduling irrigations but is no replacement for getting out in the field and observing the crop and how it is responding to the environment. rnorton@cals.arizona.edu

CALIFORNIA Bob Hutmacher Even with fewer cotton fields, in mid-June we still have quite a range of cotton development in the San Joaquin Valley as we head towards first bloom in some of the earlier planted fields.

In my view, about one-third of early to mid-June SJV cotton fields were a pretty good match to the “normal” stage of development. Another one-third of the fields were perhaps five to seven days behind in development, and the remaining one-third or fewer fields were closer to 10 to 14 days behind typical development for this time of year.

Since the beginning of planting, weather has been variable week to week, with cooler temperatures prevailing for some periods followed by heat and wind, and then back to cooler weather.

In Upland cotton, thrips damage has been unusually severe in some areas — severe enough to suggest control treatments to deal with heavy leaf damage and poor early growth. First irrigations were moved up in many fields by a week or more. This was done to encourage more active growth after slow initial growth rates for weeks, and to deal with root systems that might be limited by worse-than-average early shoot growth and drying upper soil profiles.

Growth can generally be expected to improve with warmer weather and when plants outgrow early season pests.

We don’t have optimal irrigation water supplies this year. But some limits in available irrigation water have lessened, allowing for the possibility that you can reduce yield-damaging stress and try for average to above-average yields. Particularly in fields where early growth was uneven and a bit slow, it will be important to provide good, tight management of water, nitrogen and insect pests early to mid-season to try to retain early and mid-season fruit. Then hope for some cooperation from September and October weather to allow the fruit to mature.

After difficulties in 2017 with recurring lygus and aphid problems and reduced yields, it should be obvious that scouting for developing pest problems is critical. Holding early and mid-canopy fruit will be the key to attaining higher yields in a year like this one. An extended, warm fall alone won’t make up for early losses.

Periods with very hot days and nights in late-developing fields, particularly when plants are in full bloom, can negatively affect fruit retention and increase the tendency for strong vegetative growth. Too much water stress can increase square and early fruit loss and make the situation worse. Too much water and nitrogen can do the same thing.

Moderation in nitrogen applications, care with irrigation timing (not too early, not too late) and plant growth regulator applications are useful tools in years that start out like this one.

A cross-section of fields was checked again this year for multiple seedling diseases plus Fusarium race 4. Where plants grew slowly due to thrips injury, Fusarium race 4 and Rhizoctonia were worse COTTONFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking than normal in many fields. Stand losses were moderate in most cases, even though growth was delayed. Fusarium race 4 continues to expand into more fields and is worth identifying to try to keep this disease in check. rbhutmacher@ucdavis.edu

chances of boll rot. In general, furrow irrigation is terminated just prior to first open boll. However, excess soil moisture from rainfall or irrigation at this time can delay maturity and make the crop more difficult to defoliate. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

FLORIDA David Wright Spring flew by, and the period for any late nitrogen applications, growth regulator use and scouting for insect and other pests is upon us. Most Florida-grown cotton blooms from early July through August. This is a critical time for watering and preventing stress to get early fruit set.

Higher cotton prices have spurred many growers’ interest to do a better job of management to maximize yields. However, I would caution them not to use excess N. Rates more than 100 pounds per acre — especially rates above 150 pounds per acre — often result in lower yields than with lower rates of N as cotton will remain in a vegetative growth stage.

A long-term study where small grain cover crops are grazed through the winter shows we often produce yields of 1,500-1,800 pounds of lint per acre on 60 pounds per acre of N. This is due to recycled nutrients and a larger cotton root system than from where the cover crop is not grazed. Several growers have fenced off fields and are grazing oats and rye after having seen the benefit of this practice.

Our hope is that no big storms affect our crop from now to harvest. wright@ufl.edu

In Missouri, most cotton begins blooming in early July and continues through August.

May and June have been abnormally dry in Louisiana, which increases the amount of supplemental irrigation used across the state. Yield increases are usually a result of precisely timing irrigations during those few weeks when soil moisture is less than optimum due to poor rainfall distribution or soils that have low water-holding capacities.

Being short an inch of water at the wrong time can easily result in the loss of at least 60-100 pounds of lint. The objective in Louisiana is to irrigate before plant stress occurs with an amount that even with subsequent rainfall will not cause the soil to waterlog and reduce yield. This is often quite challenging to achieve.

About 50 percent of the acres in Louisiana are irrigated, and furrow irrigation is the predominant method of applying water to the crop.

Ideally, about 2 inches is applied to lessen runoff and reduce plant damage if subsequent rainfall is heavy. Rates can be higher in fields with good drainage because soil saturation is less likely.

Irrigation initiation for the season varies due to soil type, weather, cultural practices and the status of the cotton plant. One method to time the first irrigation requires determining soil moisture at 6- or 12inch intervals in and below the anticipated rooting profile. Installing soil moisture sensors in the root zone provides a good indication if irrigation is staying ahead or falling behind soil drying.

Initiate the first irrigation when 50 percent of the available moisture has been extracted from the root zone. This will insure a greater rooting depth and reduce the risk of early season soil saturation at a time when the plant is most vulnerable. If the crop blooms before irrigation is initiated, do not further delay irrigating. Under these conditions, water can be safely applied without promoting rank growth or restricting rooting.

In some years, timing the final irrigation in Louisiana can be a difficult decision. One needs to determine the last harvestable bolls (those with time to mature) without delaying harvest or increasing TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

CARROLL SMITH

LOUISIANA Dan Fromme

MISSOURI Calvin Meeks Rainfall has been fairly frequent and substantial across most of the Missouri Bootheel with a dry spell just in time to get fertilizer and dicamba applied before the June 10 cutoff date. As I write this, there are high temperatures predicted as well as few substantial chances for rain in the near future. With drier weather setting in and collapsible poly tubing rolled out into the field, farmers may be tempted to irrigate squaring cotton.

Previous research has demonstrated that irrigation is rarely justified early in the growing season except in the case of severe drought stress and should be uncommon pre-flower. However, it’s essential to start the flowering period with adequate soil moisture and make sure it remains at adequate levels to ensure proper fruit set and boll fill.

July is a critical time for setting bolls to achieve earliness in cotton.

It appears that a few fields in the area may start blooming before July 4 with some blooms appearing by the end of June. Most cotton begins blooming in early July and continues through August. It is important to ensure that adequate moisture and fertilizer are available to set a good crop in the first couple of weeks of bloom.

Having an early boll set also will help reduce vegetative growth and the amount of plant growth regulator needed. Growth regulators JULY 2018 COTTON FARMING

17

Specialists Speaking should be applied to maintain an appropriate ratio of vegetative and reproductive growth. Proper growth management is essential to optimize earliness while preserving yield potential and fiber quality. Past research at the Delta Center has shown that irrigated cotton will produce around 20 to 22 nodes during the season with dryland cotton producing roughly three to five fewer nodes.

Measuring the distance between the upper fourth and fifth node can help determine if a PGR application is needed. If an internode length of 2 inches is found, growth is inadequate and PGR use is not warranted. An internode of 2 to 3 inches would be adequate, and internode lengths greater than 3 inches would be excessive, requiring PGR applications for earliness and to limit rank growth.

Past research has established that growers in the Missouri Bootheel should have a final plant height goal 2 inches greater than the row spacing, with 38-inch rows typically in the range of 40 to 45 inches. meeksc@missouri.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds Blooms, bugs and banged-up cotton — what a year 2018 has been so far! Planting season was relatively smooth unless you were in northeast Mississippi where numerous areas received as much rainfall in six months as we typically get in a year. Needless to say, establishing cotton in that region has been a challenge.

In general, thrips were light this year and leading into bloom, spider mites have been more problematic than plant bugs. However, tarnished plants bugs will almost certainly make an appearance during July.

It is not uncommon for folks to apply non-selective herbicides (i.e. glyphosate, glufosinate, etc.) in a separate application from residual herbicides due to potential crop injury. However, where they were tankmixed in 2018, injury was very noticeable.

In addition, cotton injury from off-target movement of dicamba and 2,4-D has not been uncommon. Regardless of the injury source, little can be done to alleviate injury other than time and good growing conditions.

For the most part, cotton in Mississippi is off to a good start and looking good. Timely irrigation and proper insect management during the next six weeks will set the stage heading into fall. dmd76@pss.msstate.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten Heavy May rains left many growers with two different cotton crops — an early one and a late one. Successful completion of a late crop can require more precise management than an early crop.

Weed control should be well underway by the time you read this. But plant growth regulators and insect control could be critical, especially for laterplanted cotton. Late-planted cotton has a shorter window to set the boll load. Therefore, a lapse in bollworm, plant bug or stink bug control can be devastating.

Late-planted cotton is also likely to be more attractive to insects.

Good scouting and rapid response to triggered thresholds will help improve the chance of having a good late-planted crop.

Mepiquat applications can decrease the time it takes to mature a crop by as much as one week. This decrease in maturity can be beneficial on late-planted cotton. It can also be helpful on the portion of the early crop that you anticipate harvesting first. Mepiquat applications, when warranted, can get those pickers in the field earlier and possibly reduce the potential for weathering losses.

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COTTON FARMING JULY 2018

Mepiquat applications should be based on plant growth and moisture and will not affect crop maturity under drought stress. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper Plant growth regulator use has shifted in recent years. The large reduction in price per ounce of our mepiquat products and issues with weed resistance have allowed/pushed the first application later in the year. As these applications creep past the first week of flower, we start to see a substantial increase in the amount of product required to keep growth in check.

We should be watching a large number of our fields move into the first week of flower as you read this during the first week in July. If you have not applied a plant growth regulator to your crop by this point in the season, it is likely that an application is warranted on many of your fields.

Monitor internode length, consider variety and watch the weather forecast when determining rate. Keep in mind the maximum rate per acre per season of a standard 4.2 percent mepiquat chloride product is 48 ounces. Keep an eye on news.utcrops.com for variety response ratings and details on fine-tuning rates. traper@utk.edu

TEXAS Gaylon Morgan The drought situation had worsened in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bends of Texas, until June 19-20. Then these regions received anywhere from 2 to 10-plus inches of rain. Unfortunately, it was too much too late for the dryland production in these regions and will likely only have a minimum positive affect on cotton lint yield and quality. Most of the dryland cotton in the Lower Rio Grande Valley had already been disastered-out, and cotton in the Coastal Bend is well past cut-out.

These late rains will cause some additional management challenges with excessive regrowth and the plants wanting to start over. The Upper Gulf Coast has also received some good rain and it was early enough to help the cotton lint yields and quality. But it will also present some management challenges and probably fruiting gaps on the cotton plants and excessive vegetative growth.

Parts of the Southern Blacklands continue to look decent after catching some early scattered showers and some more June 19-20.

Unfortunately, the Central Blacklands is in desperate need of rainfall, and it looks like they will receive only scattered showers.

The Northern Blacklands is starting to bloom, and the cotton looks decent considering the challenging start to the season. Most of the Rolling Plains has caught some precipitation during May and June, and most people were able to obtain adequate stands. However, a substantial amount had to be replanted due to windstorms, hail and extreme heat in May and June.

With the recent rains, growers will likely see some significant fruit shed. If this is the case, plant growth regulator applications will be needed to keep growth in check for the taller varieties. Additionally, these rains will lead to new weed flushes. With mid- to late-season herbicide applications in South and East Texas, applicators need to be conscientious when applying XtendiMax, Engenia, Enlist Duo or Enlist One and follow the label exactly.

We have observed some off-target movement of auxin herbicides.

In the cases I have heard or observed, the off-target movement appears to be the result of physical drift and the result of not following one or more of the label requirements for applications with a susceptible crop downwind. gdmorgan@tamu.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

COTTON

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Practice Seed House Safety And Proper Maintenance Overhead seed houses are valuable for short-term seed storage, wet seed storage and gins with limited yard space.

Design improvements allow overhead seed houses to be an efficient method for loading trucks from flat-storage houses.

When fully loaded, a double-hopper seed house can weigh 200,000 pounds or more. This load hovers above trucks and personnel, so structural integrity is critical. Volatile weather can put older seed houses at risk, especially those not properly maintained. Through the years, moisture and chemicals from seed along with humidity cause the inevitable – rust and corrosion. Since the damage primarily occurs inside the seed house, it’s out of sight and mind. If a structural failure occurs, personnel are put at risk of injury.

All cotton gins should review their overhead seed house safety and maintenance procedures before the start of the 2018 cotton ginning season.

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Safety Comes First • Never go beneath a seed hopper that contains seed.

• Properly guard all ladders and catwalks.

• Do not enter the seed trailer or climb on the side walls of the trailer.

• Post decals, “DANGER – DO NOT ENTER AREA BELOW HOPPER DOORS WHEN SEED IS IN STORAGE HOUSE.” These are free from your local ginning association.

• Contact your ginning association or loss control representative to get a copy of the “Cottonseed System 13 template 3/7/14 3:26 PM Page 1 Safety Policy” for employees, visitors and outside contractors such as seed haulers.

• Be sure to use all other known gin safety procedures daily.

Maintain And Repair • All proper safety precautions should be taken by all personnel who perform maintenance and repairs.

• Clean out all seed.

• Clean hopper panels to remove seed oil. Steam cleaning consistently works well.

• Use sanding and steel brushing to make the inside surfaces of the hopper panels smooth again.

• Carefully examine the entire seed house for stress fractures and loose hardware, especially if vibrators have been used.

• Remove rust and corrosion.

View From The Catwalk Best industry practices include the use of a trailer-viewing catwalk mounted on the outside of the vertical columns, approximately 9.5 feet above the driveway.

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This provides a good vantage point to see into the tops of the trailers to determine when to open and close the hopper doors.

Jim Granberry, president of Cliff Granberry Corp., contributed this article. Email jim@cliffgranberrycorp.com or call (972) 381-8899.

* * * * *

Interns Set To Join TCGA For The Summer The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association is pleased to have three interns on board for the summer to experience the cotton industry. Seven applicants were from Texas A&M University, six from Texas Tech University and one from Oklahoma State University. The TCGA internship continues to build a good reputation, and we are pleased to see interest from college students.

Clay Braden (Texas Tech University) Braden is from Wall, Texas, (near San Angelo) and will complete degrees in agricultural & applied economics and business administration in May 2019. He has worked on a cotton farm in Wall and on some farms near Lubbock while at TTU. Braden will work at Lone Star Farmers Cooperative (Mereta) and Edcot Co-op Gin (Odem).

Mitchell Ratke (Oklahoma State University) Ratke is from Farwell (Parmer County, Texas) and is pursuing a biosystems engineering (bio-mechanical option) degree at OSU. He grew up on a cotton farm in Parmer County and is looking forward to seeing the ginning segment. Ratke graduates in May 2019. He will work at Parmer County Cotton Growers (Farwell) and Willacy Co-op (Raymondville).

Dolan Vollmering (Texas A&M University) Vollmering is from Orange Grove, Texas, (near Corpus Christi). He is pursing a degree in agricultural systems management and will graduate in May 2019. Vollmering has worked for Rachal Farms in Taft, Texas, during cotton harvest and wants to learn more about ginning. He will work at Seminole Service Gin Inc. and United Agricultural Cooperative Inc. in El Campo.

TCGA has the privilege of interviewing many well-qualified college students each year for the internship. We would like to hire all of them, but that is not feasible. TCGA does provide assistance in teaming some of the college students we are unable to hire with member gins and allied industry.

This year, we were able to assist three more students. Tristan Frerich (TAMU) will work at United Agricultural Cooperative in El Campo, Bailey Matchek (TAMU) will work at Oasis Gin in Seminole, and Brendon Mikeska (TTU) will work at Lummus Corp. in Lubbock.

TCGA is excited for these college students to have the chance to show their value to potential employers.

The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association contributed this article.

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My Turn The Farm Bill: Hurry Up And Wait

W

ell, it’s time very well for producers in their rotation. These for another current prices will bring growers back, and cotton Farm Bill to will again be king in Georgia.

Things are looking up for cotton as demand make its way through Congress. It sure seems to be on an upward trend again, and prices would be nice to get it out are very good for growers. We don’t need prices early so we can see what to jump too high and start demand erosion like happened a few years back when it stimulated we’ve got to work with.

Georgia producers didn’t synthetics to be a bigger part of the mix, and we want to change what we lost market share.

Growers have all worried about the world surhad because of the way generic base worked with plus — especially in China — but it has slowJimmy peanuts. We were fortu- ly been used. Now China will be in the marWebb nate as we had a transi- ket to import, but how much is the question. tion payment, but our Cotton prices staying in the 80s will work for friends in Texas had nothing. Cotton not being growers, and mills can keep cotton in the mix, too. Growers need a customer to stay profitable. in the last bill was very tough on a lot of growers.

In April 2015, I wrote a “My Turn” column Cotton Incorporated has done a great job of working to get market share about the Farm Bill back, and we are startand stated that the “Tell me the rules, and I’ll ing to see results. generic base should How long will cotkeep cotton in the mix, figure out how to play.” ton demand stay on an and we might not have upward trend? How an over production of long will we have profitable prices? And how long peanuts in Georgia. Boy, was I wrong!

The bill we are under now has been changed will it take the world to oversupply cotton again? for this past year. Peanuts acres are back where With world population growing and countries they should be, and cotton acres are coming back developing a middle class with more disposable as they should. Cotton is now eligible for the income, it should be a good ride, but we will see.

PLC/ARC programs and will help establish a The cure for high prices is high prices! I just hope baseline for the bill Congress is currently work- this is a long, slow ride that we can take advaning on. House Agriculture Committee Chairman tage of for a few years.

We all wonder at times why it’s even called a Mike Conaway was our champion to get cotton “Farm Bill” as commodities are such a small part back in Title 1, and we owe him a big thank you!

The last bill was not good for cotton growers of the pie. Congress will pass something, and we who had no crop to use in the generic base equa- hope it will be similar to what we are used to tion, and they really struggled. Bringing cotton and works well for all rural America. Waiting on back into Title 1 was a must and having it in this Congress is stressful, but it’s the game we play. last year of the bill will help cotton get in the new One of the smartest men I know and admire always says, “Tell me the rules, and I’ll figure out bill Congress is working on.

Georgia producers stayed with cotton under how to play.” I hope that Congress will deliver a the last bill to the extent a lot of us are invested good bill for everyone.

Meanwhile, please follow me on Twitter at in cotton gins. We cut back enough to lose a seat on Cotton Incorporated and the Cotton Board, jlw1963webb #watchthecottongrow. Here’s to a but I see those acres coming back as peanut acres good Farm Bill and profitable years ahead. could be down in Georgia as much as 30 percent.

— Jimmy Webb Growers like cotton in the mix because it is a Calhoun County, Georgia good dryland crop where corn isn’t, and soybeans jlw1963@bellsouth.net are not a good rotation for peanuts. Cotton works

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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