Cotton Farming June 2021

Cotton Farming

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ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

JUNE 2021

www.cottonfarming.com

Stay Vigilant To Lower Plastic Calls NC Farmers Help Neighbor In Crisis

Worm Watch Tips To Hone Your Bollworm Scouting Skills

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 2021 COTTON CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR

S:7.125"

TM ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Isoclast is a registered active ingredient. 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. © 2021 Corteva. CA38-396-023 (04/21) BR CAAG1TFRM052

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Vol. 65 No. 6

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

JUNE 2021

www.cottonfarming.com

FE ATURES

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Worm Watch

Bollworms, also called corn earworms and soybean podworms, can be significant square- and boll-damaging pests in North Carolina cotton, especially following foliar insecticide sprays for other insects. Dr. Dominic Reisig, a professor and Extension specialist in entomology and plant pathology at North Carolina State University, offers tips to assist in honing your bollworm scouting skills this season.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 5 Cotton’s Agenda 14 Industry News

15 Research & Promotion 16 Specialists Speaking 22 My Turn

ON THE COVER: Cotton bollworms damage squares and bolls, which can lead to economic yield loss.

Cover photo courtesy of the University of Tennessee.

KEEP IT CLEAN Preventing plastic from entering the U.S. cotton supply chain is key to reducing contamination.

ACTIVE ARKANSAS GINS The National Agricultural Statistics Service releases numbers for active Arkansas gins while the experts speculate on the state’s upcoming cotton season.

THIS IS HOW WE ROLL Martin County, North Carolina, cotton farmers rallied when a neighbor was in crisis at harvest time.

GINNERS MARKETPLACE

the official publication of the ginning industry It’s important for gins to review these safety and maintenance procedures to keep elevated seed houses free from danger and structurally sound.

Cotton Consultant of the Year 2021

CCOY NOMINATIONS OPEN ONLINE

NOMINATION FORM

CCOY

To nominate a deserving candidate for the 2021 Cotton Consultant of the Year Award, co-sponsored

by Cotton Farming and Syngenta, fill out the form online at cottonfarming.com/ccoy. Deadline for nominations is July 31.

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/professi onal information. Additional recommendations via letters or emails from other farmers, consultants and industry members are also encouraged to provide support for the nominee.

The Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) Award marks more than four decades. The award recognizes a consultant who has made great contributions to the cotton industry through outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation.

It honors a 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 2021 recipient, who will be named at a special celebration Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

The winning consultant and the person who nominates the winner receive a two-night hotel stay and airfare to Memphis. The 2021 CCOY recipient also will be featured in a four-page salute in the February 2022 issue of Cotton Farming.

Submit nominations

by July 31, 2021.

Mail: Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Ave. Germantown, TN 38138 Scan/Email: csmith@onegrower.com

You can print an electronic version of the form located on the Cotton Farming website at www.cottonfarming.com .

Nominate online: cottonfarming.com/ccoy

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

State:

Phone:

Zip:

Email:

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

Background:

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

Your Name: Mailing Address: City:

State:

Phone:

Email:

Sponsored by

Zip:

Cotton Farming

WEB EXCLUSIVE BASF names the winner of its 2022 Cotton Variety Catalog artwork contest.

Go to www.cottonfarming.com to watch the video and hear the winner talk about what quality means to him in this Web Exclusive report.

DIGITAL OFFERINGS Keep up with the latest from Cotton Farming by signing up for the monthly E-News at www.cottonfarming.com. Look for the Cotton Farming E-News sign-up box in the upper right corner of the home page.

COTTON FARMING (ISSN 0746-8385) is published monthly January through December by One Grower Publishing LLC, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tennessee, and at additional mailing offices. 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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JUNE 2021 | 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

We Get By ‘With A Little Help From Our Friends’

T

he Beatles’ song “With a Little Help from My Friends,” sung by drummer Ringo Starr, came out on their 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. To this day, the phrase still resonates on many levels with all types of people.

I thought of it myself while working on the article, “This Is How We Roll,” on page 12. When North Carolina farmer, James Griffin, was diagnosed with cancer in September 2020 and ran into complications as he was poised to harvest his cotton crop, the local farming community rallied. They executed a plan that was nothing short of a “major cotton-picking event.”

Then, like déjà vu, it cropped up in my mind again when I was interviewing Arkansas crop consultant Chuck Farr for the Cotton Consultants Corner column on page 7. After wrapping up our conversation about plant bug control, we began chatting about the upcoming season in general, the huge crack recently discovered in the Memphis bridge and how important it is to know you have people who have your back.

“I don’t think there is any way any of us in the consulting world could do what we do for as long as we have done it without a great support system,” Farr says. “Not only do we lean on each other a lot, but I talk to consultants Danny Moore, Eddy Cates, David Hydrick, Tyler Hydrick and Blake Foust every week.

And I have a good wife in Tami. She knows the kind of hours I keep and stands by me through thick and thin.

“For me, it’s also the Ray Youngs, the Roger Carters, the Grady Coburns, the Jan Streeters, the Billy McLawhorns, and probably 10 more I didn’t mention who are my backbone. They mentored not only me but other consultants, too.

They brought us up to show respect and have a good work ethic. They taught us everything on the business side we needed to know moving forward. I am in awe that I even get to sit in the same room with those guys sometimes. They are true Southern gentlemen.”

And let’s not forget all the friends who have stepped up to support Hub Miller, Mississippi cotton consultant Tucker Miller’s son. He is making remarkable progress following a recent medical issue. The ongoing support of friends and family is a major contributor to Hub’s healing. We all wish him a speedy recovery! #hubstrong “With a Little Help from My Friends” started out as a way for Ringo Starr to enjoy being featured as the vocal lead in one of the iconic English group’s repertoire. Today, it has evolved into a mantra to express appreciation to those who stand by us no matter what.

Carroll If you have comments, please send them to: Cotton Farming Magazine, 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN 38138.

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COTTON FARMING | JUNE 2021

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 Audience Services Kate Thomas (847) 559-7514 For subscription changes or change of address, call (847) 559-7578 or email cottonfarming@omeda.com 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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Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Setting A New Standard U. S. Cotton Trust Protocol® President says that U.S. cotton’s standing in the global supply chain is being elevated by producers’ involvement in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® sustainability initiative.

As the Trust Protocol’s first year comes to a close, what are some of the notable achievements?

■ The most significant stride is the recent collab-

oration with the TextileGenesis™ platform. This enabled the Trust Protocol to become the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber to offer full transparency across the supply chain — which is imperative for brands and retailers.

The collaboration of TextileGenesis™ and the Trust Protocol — with its third-party verified on-farm data collection — creates a powerful solution for brands and retailers worldwide who want to know the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk. The bottom line is that U.S. cotton’s global marketplace Trust Protocol survey research revealed a sharp inreputation could be crease in consumer demand for sustainable products elevated significantand business practices. ly. Initial pilot trials with selected brands and mills began this month, with full Protocol Credit Management System deployment envisioned for early 2022.

Among other recent activities are the Trust Protocol’s joining the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the program’s survey research that 1) revealed a sharp increase in consumer demand for sustainable products and business practices and 2) confirmed

the global fashion industry’s commitment to sustainability.

How is participation going?

■ Slightly more than 300 cotton producers com-

pleted the enrollment process for the 2020 crop, helping the U.S. cotton industry meet 2025 environmental footprint reduction goals in the areas of land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.

Of those 300 producers, 75 completed the desktop verification and some 20 to 30 will complete the Control Union verification. Producers began enrolling their 2021 crop in April — with the goal of at least doubling producer enrollment this season.

Equally exciting is that more than 300 brands, retailers, mills and manufacturers have become Trust Protocol members.

What is needed from producers going forward?

■ Strong enrollment (and re-enrollment) in the

Trust Protocol will 1) demonstrate to brands/retailers that the United States is a leader in sustainable cotton growing practices and 2) enable producers to track their sustainability progress by comparing year-over-year Fieldprint calculator-collected data both from within their farms and anonymously against other Trust Protocol producers.

We are grateful to the U.S. cotton producers who thus far have enrolled in the Trust Protocol and strongly encourage others to participate in this very important initiative. To begin the enrollment process, click the Join Now button on top of our website — www.trustuscotton.org. If you have questions on the program or on enrollment, please reach out to growers@trustuscotton.org. More information on the program’s activities is at that site as well as on Facebook at www.facebook.com/trustuscotton/ and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/trustuscotton/.

Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America. He also serves as president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

JUNE 2021 | COTTON FARMING

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Keep It Clean Preventing Plastic From Entering The Supply Chain Is Key To Reducing Contamination

BY VICKY BOYD MANAGING EDITOR

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Prevention Is Key

Industry leaders say it will take a concerted effort that begins in the field and ends in the gin to keep plastic from entering the supply chain. This will involve education about how to properly stage round modules in the field, how to load and transport them, how to move them in the gin yard, and how to unwrap and load them into the module feeders at the gin.

“You want to find plastic contamination early in the value chain where it’s cheaper to take care of,” said Dr. John Robinson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cotton marketing specialist.

“Growers bear the cost of the affected bales as it shows up in the grading.”

Failing to address plastic contamination could affect individual grower’s pocketbooks as well as a region or the entire U.S. industry.

Robinson used the sticky cotton problem of the 1980s and 1990s as an example. Arizona growers became known for whitefly-caused stickiness, and mills discounted them 2 cents per pound for several years after.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency took a hard line against plastic contamination in April when it announced 2021 crop loan rates for Upland cotton with discounts of 3130 points for Level 1 and 3240 points for Level 2 contamination. Those deductions are expected to increase to more than 4000 points for the 2022 crop.

“Bottom line, we’re talking about dollars here, and nothing gets your attention like money,” said Texas Cotton Ginners Association executive vice president Tony Williams. “We’re starting to see a little bit more attention paid both at the grower level and gin level to prevent contamination.”

Plastic By The Numbers

AMS cotton classing offices began separating out plastic

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COTTON FARMING | JUNE 2021

VICKY BOYD

espite continued industry efforts to curb the growing problem of plastic contamination in cotton, 2020 saw a higher percentage of classing office plastic calls compared to 2019. Left unabated, that contamination could jeopardize the U.S. reputation for producing a clean, natural fiber.

“The main concern for us is how many (cases of plastic contamination) are not called at the classing office,” said Lauren Krogman, manager, marketing and processing technology with the National Cotton Council. “You don’t know until they’re opened up at the mill. We don’t want to lose our customers and our reputation to contamination.”

Her comments came during a recent virtual “Plastics in Cotton Seminar II” hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

In looking at the color of plastic involved in the 2020 calls nationally, Ben Roble, Corpus Christi, Texas, classing office area director, said 53.7% were yellow, followed by 19.4% pink, 13.9% black and 6.2% blue. contamination with the 2018 crop and tagging those bales as 71 (light contamination) or 72 (heavy contamination).

Although nine of the 10 classing offices saw a decrease in the number of plastic calls on the 2020 crop, Ben Roble, Corpus Christi, Texas, classing office area director, said those numbers don’t tell the full story. Last year’s crop was smaller compared to 2019, and each office handles a different amount of cotton.

A better way is to look at the ratio between the number of calls and total bales classed.

With the 2019 crop, Corpus Christi had one plastic call for every 1,257 bales classed. On the other end of the spectrum, the classing office in Florence, South Carolina, had one plastic call for every 16,797 bales classed.

With the 2020 crop, only two of the 10 national classing offices had improved ratios — Corpus Christi and Dumas, Texas.

Corpus Christi had one call for every 1,850 bales classed, and Dumas had one call for every 3,775 bales classed. Although Florence still had the best record, its ratio dropped to one call for every 13,866 bales classed.

In looking at the color of plastic involved in the calls nationally, Roble said 53.7% were yellow, followed by 19.4% pink, 13.9% black and 6.2% blue.

The National Cotton Council in 2020 updated its 12-part video training series on preventing plastic contamination. Each video is 3 to 5 minutes long. To view the series in English on YouTube, visit https://bit.ly/3eQMCuA. A Spanish version is available at https://bit. ly/3vNxlkS. COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton Consultant’s Corner

Stay Out In Front With Plant Bug Control Chuck Farr

Mid-South Agriculture Consultants Crawfordsville, Arkansas Growing up in Crittendon County, Arkansas, I’ve always been intrigued by cotton. My dad and grandfather both farmed, and my dad also wound up teaching vocational agriculture for 35 years. Every year, he took me to the Cotton Carnival and the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis. It was fascinating to walk down Main Street and Front Street where cotton merchant offices were lined up one right after the other. Today, I even have a full size, 500-pound cotton bale in my office. It gets in your blood.

In 2020, our cotton crop was good, and insects weren’t much of a problem. We didn’t go through spells of seven or eight days of cloudy weather that we do in some years. Tarnished plant bug seems to like cloudy, wet weather.

This season, growers in general have done a good job with burndown and/or tillage, so our ditch banks and turnrows are in good shape. We probably are not harboring or overwintering a lot of insect pests that could cause us problems in cotton going forward.

We are starting clean and will stay clean as much as we can.

• Bachelor’s degree in agronomy, University of Arkansas.

Master’s degree in plant science, Arkansas State University.

• Scouted cotton since 1986. Established Mid-South Agriculture Consultants based in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, in 1990.

• Consults on cotton, rice, soybeans, corn, peanuts, wheat and grain sorghum in Crittenden and Mississippi counties.

• 1998 Cotton Consultant of the Year. His most cherished award is having the opportunity to work with his growers and fellow consultants.

Proactively Manage Plant Bug

• Wife, Tami. Three sons: Taylor, Charlie and Kevin Landry.

We start checking cotton for plant bug at the first sign of pinhead square — actually a little before to get an idea about early season numbers and pressure. We use thresholds set up by the University of Arkansas and the Mid-South entomology team made up of all the universities from a four-state area.

The first plant bug application generally targets adults. Our initial recommendation will be Vydate® C-LV insecticide/nematicide or Centric. We generally move from there to Transform® WG insecticide at 1.5 to 2 ounces and add Diamond to the mix. The next application, if needed, will be another shot of Transform. Back-to-back applications of Transform seem to work best for plant bug control.

Late season, we apply Bidrin or acephate plus bifenthrin and hopefully get to defoliation without too many applications. This year’s crop is running late, and there is a lot of corn to host plant bug, so we will see.

• Enjoys spending time with his family, following the Arkansas Razorbacks and fishing.

Keep A Positive Attitude Farmers and consultants know how to work problems and will find solutions one way or the other.

I tell my growers, “We have never missed a cotton crop, and we are not going to start now. It may not come out exactly like we want it to in the end, but we are going to be OK.”

Recap: Stay Out Front With Plant Bug Control

t

1. We start checking cotton for plant bug at the first sign of pinhead square — actually a little before to get an idea about early season numbers and pressure.

2. The first plant bug application generally targets adults.

Our initial recommendation will be Vydate® C-LV insecticide/nematicide or Centric.

3. We generally move from there to Transform® WG insecticide at 1.5 to 2 ounces and add Diamond to the mix.

4. The next application, if needed, will be another shot of Transform. Back-to-back applications of Transform seem to work best for plant bug control.

5. Late season, we apply Bidrin or acephate plus bifenthrin and get to defoliation without too many applications.

Sponsored by

TM ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Vydate® C-LV is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Isoclast ® is a registered active ingredient. Transform® WG and Vydate® C-LV are 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. © Corteva 2021.

COVER STORY

Hone Your Bollworm Scouting Skills

BY DOMINIC REISIG

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

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Adult Moth Activity

Since 2016, bollworm resistance has been widespread in Bollgard II, TwinLink and WideStrike varieties but not in Bollgard 3, TwinLink Plus and WideStrike 3 lines. As a result, scouting and control recommendations vary.

All varieties should be scouted regularly when any sort of adult moth activity is detected but especially during major flights. These usually occur in mid-July (southern counties) to late July or early August (northern counties) but can be determined using the North Carolina State University Extension Light Trap Data network.

A good indication of when the major flight begins can be confirmed by a significant increase in light or pheromone trap captures or the presence of freshly emerged bollworm moths in the field or around field edges. Regular, systematic scouting is essential since plant compensation for boll damage at this time of year is minimal, and caterpillar feeding, especially on bolls, can dramatically reduce yields.

For Bollgard II, TwinLink and WideStrike varieties, thresh-

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COTTON FARMING | JUNE 2021

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

ollworm, also called corn earworm and soybean podworm, can be a significant square- and boll-damaging pest in North Carolina cotton, especially following foliar insecticide sprays for other insects. This species emerges from the soil as a moth in early to mid-May and completes at least two generations, primarily in wild hosts and field corn, before flying to blooming cotton and soybeans.

Cotton lines that have been genetically altered to express a toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been available to North Carolina producers since 1996. These lines are also referred to as Bollgard II, Bollgard 3, TwinLink, TwinLink Plus, WideStrike and WideStrike 3 varieties. Some express up to three Bt toxins. Other than caterpillars, Bt varieties will not control other insect pests, such as thrips, cotton aphids, plant bug and stink bugs.

Also, different caterpillar pests are not controlled to the same degree. For example, tobacco budworms attempting to feed on Bt varieties have shown zero survival in the field.

Other caterpillar pests, such as beet and fall armyworms and cabbage and soybean loopers that may be present at low levels, are no longer economic pests.

In contrast, bollworms can become established, especially if a prior “disruptive” spray has been used that reduces or eliminates beneficial arthropods. Finally, only limited control of cutworms is provided by the Bt toxins, in part because cutworms are often partially to fully grown when cotton seedlings are available in the spring.

When scouting a cotton field for bollworm larvae, cover all major areas in the field. olds should be triggered based on the presence of eggs before neonate (recently hatched) bollworms are present. There is no visual way to distinguish bollworm and tobacco budworm eggs so scouts should pay close attention to the species of moths present in the field. Tobacco budworms usually infest fields a little earlier than bollworm.

For Bollgard 3, TwinLink Plus and WideStrike 3 varieties, the presence of eggs or first-stage bollworms can be used as an indication of potential pressure to help gauge scouting frequency. Neonate (recently hatched) bollworms must feed on the cotton plant before they ingest a lethal amount of the Bt toxin, so these should never be used as a trigger point to spray.

Scouts should direct their attention to detecting and recording square damage, damage to small bolls or second-stage bollworms. It is essential to recognize the difference between first (neonate) and second bollworm stages. Second stage bollworms will be greater than 1/8-inch in length.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Be sure to identify the difference between insignificant, superficial square damage and damage that will cause the square to abort. Scouting only large bolls or large-sized bollworms can lead to significant yield losses if these populations exceed threshold and are not sprayed.

Scouting Timeline

Once-a-week scouting leading up to the major bollworm moth flight is usually adequate. At this point, scouting should be done weekly, or more often in a smaller subsample of fields.

Scouting frequency should be adjusted according to the moth pressure, the susceptibility of the crop, the variety (and associated Bt toxins produced), environmental conditions and the damage risk the producer is willing to take.

Given the varietal, planting date, soil and fertility differences among fields, both the attractiveness and susceptibility of a field to insects and the period during which the field remains vulnerable to late-season insects may vary greatly. Generally, late-planted, lush, rank fields are more attractive and vulnerable to late-season insect damage and may require a more extended period of scouting and protection.

A few squares and blooms will sometimes remain in the terminals, even when cotton has “cut out” and is no longer susceptible to bollworms. When lateral squares and blooms have become difficult to find, scouting for bollworms can be stopped.

Likewise, when cotton plants have an average of three nodes or fewer remaining above the uppermost first position white bloom, they are normally impervious to bollworm and stink bug damage. The same is true when the upper bolls that will be harvested have become difficult to cut with a pocketknife TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

Bollworm Larvae

When scouting a cotton field for bollworm larvae, cover all major areas in the field. When looking for eggs, begin with 25 to 100 randomly selected leaves or fruiting structures. It’s important not to neglect scouting leaves in the canopy where blooms are present. Bollworm moths lay eggs within the canopy, following blooms up the plant during the season.

For larvae, inspect 100 randomly selected squares and 100 bolls from throughout the field (more detail in following paragraph). Pay particular attention to bollworm larvae associated with blooms and bloom tags. Bollworm larvae that become established on Bt cotton are often associated with pink blooms and bloom tags. Remember to sample these fruiting forms in proportion to their occurrence in the overall boll population.

If a higher proportion of pink blooms and bloom tags is sampled, bollworm thresholds must be raised accordingly.

Bloom tags should not be oversampled either, since bollworm larvae are thought to survive because they can avoid some of the Bt toxins produced by the plant. Likewise, do not sample obviously damaged or flared squares.

Again, boll sampling for larvae should consist of bloom tags, small bolls and large bolls in the proportion that they occur in the field. It may be easier to keep track of this ratio by sampling and retaining 10 squares and 10 bolls while walking, then stopping within the field to evaluate the fruit. Repeat this process 10 times for a total of 100 squares and 100 bolls.

A cloth nail pouch with two sides (one side for squares and the other for bolls) makes a handy container for carrying possible damaged fruit (some damage is obvious, and some may require a closer inspection at your stop). Nail pouches are available at most hardware stores.

All cotton varieties should be scouted regularly when any adult moth activity is detected, but especially during major flights. (about three to four weeks after bloom).

Spot scouting for late bollworms may continue through early to mid-September in fields of late-maturing cotton or in green areas if they make up a significant portion of the field.

Bollworm (and other late-season insects) thresholds should be raised as the boll population matures through the season.

Try to preserve beneficial insect levels prior to bollworm infestations by scouting and treating for pests only when needed and by using more selective insecticides. Higher beneficial insect numbers may lead to more effective aphid and other insect pest suppression — including bollworm — but only if insecticides are used minimally.

Read more at https://bit.ly/3o5CxhE. Dr. Dominic Reisig is a professor and Extension specialist in entomology and plant pathology at North Carolina State University.

Dr. Anders Huseth, NCSU, also contributed to this article.

Bollworm Thresholds Bollgard II, TwinLink, WideStrike:  25 total eggs on 100 leaves or fruiting structures (search throughout the canopy on multiple plants).

Bollgard 3, TwinLink Plus, WideStrike 3:  4% damaged bolls.

OR  Three live second-stage bollworms (1/8 inch or longer) per 100 fruit (pay particular attention to bollworms in or under yellow, pink, or dried blooms stuck to young bolls) or  Two second-stage bollworms on two consecutive scouting trips or  One second-stage bollworm on three consecutive scouting trips.

JUNE 2021 | COTTON FARMING

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Active Arkansas Gins See Net Gain Of One

BY MARY HIGHTOWER

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SCOTT STILES/U OF A SYSTEM DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE

rkansas gained one more cotton gin, raising the number of active gins to 30 in 2020, compared to 29 in 2019, according to numbers from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The increase coincided with a year that saw Arkansas’ second-highest yield, at 1,179 pounds of lint per acre.

“The NASS numbers confirmed the new construction projects we had been following over the past year in Desha and White counties,” says Scott Stiles, Extension economist with the University of Arkans as System Div ision of Agriculture. “In one sense it’s great to see optimism toward cotton. On the other hand, this year and next could be very challenging for gins.”

Gin Numbers

“Last year, two gins began operation in White and Desha counties,” he says.

“One gin closed in Chicot County.”

The 30 active gins are a shadow of what the state has seen in the past. In 1991, Arkansas had 138 gins with nearly 1.2 million acres of cotton planted. In 2020, the state had 525,000 acres of cotton planted, down 15% from the previous year, “ending four consecutive years of increases from a record low in 2015,” Stiles says.

Of the gins operating last year, he says that almost half are processing 40,000 bales or more annually and 70% of the gins had an annual volume of at least 20,000 bales, “a reflection of the long-term trend of fewer and larger gins.”

Mississippi County had the highest number of active gins in the NASS count, with six. Craighead was next with five.

There are “11 gins in two adjoining counties — Mississippi and Craighead,” Stiles says. According to newly released county cotton data for 2020, “Mississippi and Craighead counties made up 35% of total cotton production in the state.

Craighead had the highest county average yield at 1,319 pounds.”

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COTTON FARMING | JUNE 2021

This graph shows the relationship between the number of active gins and cotton acreage in Arkansas.

Challenges Ahead

Cotton growers will have their share of challenges in 2021, Stiles says.

“Grain prices have returned to historic highs. Grain and cotton price relationships currently look very much like they did when cotton acreage dipped to record lows in the state,” he says. “Grains will compete heavily with cotton this year and likely next year as well.”

Stiles says a look at the recent U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “first balance sheets for the 2021 crop indicate very little increase in soybean and corn ending stocks. That will keep prices for the two crops elevated into 2022.”

The abundance of rain this spring has posed challenges to planting in cotton and other crops.

In the May 17 release of the NASS “Crop Progress” report, Arkansas’ cotton crop was estimated to be 45% planted, compared with the five-year average of 60%.

“When all is considered, we may be closer to 25% and perhaps higher,” Stiles

says. “The March ‘Prospective Plantings’ indicated we’d be down 7% from last year, or about 35,000 acres. With the weather issues thrown in with the continued grain price increases, we may be looking at a 20% to 25% reduction in cotton acres from last year.”

Déjà Vu All Over Again

With the advent of a few sunny days, people are starting back in the field, says Bill Robertson, Extension cotton agronomist for the Division of Agriculture.

“We have farmers in southeast Arkansas that are already planted, or have a good bit of their cotton planted,” he says. “Moving north in Arkansas, our widow of opportunity is much less.

“In the central part of the state, for some, there have only been two and a half days in the field,” Robertson says. “I’ve talked to a farmer around Jonesboro, and he’s only had a half a day in the field.

“We’ve ranged from farmers being barely started to some being finished.

COTTONFARMING.COM

And it’s not just Arkansas. It’s Tennessee and some in Missouri, too. It’s not pretty.”

Robertson says that “for every day we plant after May 20, we lose 2% yield potential. That’s an old rule of thumb, but not wrong.”

May 20 is also the crop insurance final planting date for counties north of I-40, Stiles says. “You can plant after that date, but your insurance coverage starts declining 1% each day after the 20th.”

Robertson says a slow start isn’t insurmountable. Last year at this time, only half of the cotton was in the ground, and growers had their second-best yield ever.

Attractive Grain Prices

However, “this year, we’re only a quarter planted, and at this time last year, we didn’t have $14 beans,” he says. “People are going to be looking hard and seriously about what acres are going to go to cotton or switch to beans.”

Some of that switch may be limited by the equipment these farmers have, but “I can’t help but think our cotton acres are going down,” Robertson says.

Stiles added that “cotton prices haven’t necessarily been left behind in the crop price run-up. 2021 cotton futures are trading in the mid-80 cent area.”

Aside from planting delays, “growers are also taking a close look at very profitable prices in corn and soybeans,” he says.

“Soybeans have basically half the input cost as cotton and a much wider planting window. Corn’s an excellent rotation with cotton. Growers who have been needing to work in an alternative chemistry to manage weeds on cotton ground can do that profitably this year with corn.”

Mary Hightower is University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture communications director. She may be reached via email at mhightower@uaex.edu.

In 2019, Arkansas set a record lint yield of 1,185 pounds per harvested acre.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

JUNE 2021 | COTTON FARMING

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MASON HARDISON

Cotton farming neighbors rallied in Martin County, North Carolina, when one of their own faced a medical emergency during the 2020 harvest season.

This Is How We Roll North Carolina Farmers Make It Happen For A Neighbor In Crisis

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

W

i lliamston is a small community filled with Southern charm in northeastern North Carolina on the banks of the Roanoke River. Its economy revolves around agriculture. In the tight-knit rural area, everyone looks out for everyone else.

James and Will Griffin grew up on the family’s cotton farm in Martin County. Will eventually took over their father’s construction business, while James continued to run the agricultural operation. Because his heart yearned for the farm, Will always helped James out when he could.

In 2020, James was diagnosed with cancer in September. But he was still able to run a machine while he and Will got the peanuts out. Two weeks before they started cotton harvest, James was scheduled to have his lymph nodes removed. He optimistically anticipated being able to get on the picker. However, during surgery, the doctors discovered the cancer had traveled to his carotid artery, so they had to take that out on one side of his neck as well.

Although James was down for a while, he managed to start picking cotton with his brother, Will. They were running two pickers and going pretty strong. One night, James felt lightheaded and kind of dizzy but blamed it on working too hard that day.

The next morning, he woke up with stroke-like symptoms and was in the hospital for seven days. The clock was ticking in the field and rain was in the forecast.

“At that time, most of our neighbors were winding up, but we still had about 200 acres to go out of 600,” Will says.

The Word Spreads

In the small community, other farmers in the area knew James had been diagnosed, was undergoing treatments and not doing well.

“James has always been a good friend of mine, and we live about five miles apart as the crow flies,” says Dusty Waters. “We were in the heat of cotton-picking time, and I lacked about 200 acres. Another farmer neighbor, Lee Williams, called me and

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asked if I needed some help. I said, ‘If you will help me finish up, then we can go help James Griffin get his cotton out.’”

After Lee helped Dusty and Dusty’s dad finish up, the farmers moved all of their equipment over to James’ place and started helping him get his cotton harvested and out of the field.

“We all work together as a community around here,” Lee says.

“That’s one thing my daddy, Ed Williams, was known for — reaching out and helping others through the years. Sadly, we just lost him April 16, but he was a part of getting James’ crop in. My nephew, Mason Hardison, who graduated from North Carolina State University last fall, helps me out a great deal so we recruited him, too.”

As the news about what was going on got out, Will says everybody was coming in to help them that Saturday morning.

Major Cotton-Picking Event

“We had six pickers, five boll buggies, three module builders and three bushhogs,” he says. “Everybody knew what to do and worked together. We all just claimed a spot out in the field and took off.

“My daughter’s boyfriend, Trace Buck, is the BASF rep who helped get the word out. I even put him on a boll buggy. James’ son-in-law, Austin Spruill, is a police officer who usually helps us, but he had to be gone that day. When he came home and saw all the equipment, he wished he had been a part of it all.

“After the sun went down, it looked like a busy little city around the home and the shop. There was equipment in every corner of the farm. We ran about an hour and a half into the might to finish up. It was a good day’s work.”

James says he is grateful for his neighbors’ heroic efforts to help him out when he was in crisis during a critical time of the cotton season. The good news is James has recovered 100%, recently received a clear medical report and is back on the farm going at it again.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton Consultant of the Year 2021 NOMINATION FORM

CCOY The Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) Award marks more than four decades. The award recognizes a consultant who has made great contributions to the cotton industry through outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation. It honors a 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 2021 recipient, who will be named at a special celebration Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

The winning consultant and the person who nominates the winner receive a two-night hotel stay and airfare to Memphis. The 2021 CCOY recipient also will be featured in a four-page salute in the February 2022 issue of Cotton Farming.

Submit nominations

by July 31, 2021.

Mail: Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Ave. Germantown, TN 38138 Scan/Email: csmith@onegrower.com You can print an electronic version of the form located on the Cotton Farming website 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 2021 | COTTON FARMING

13

Industry News Deltapine Launches 14th NPE Season With 11 Varieties The Deltapine New Product Evaluator Program kicks off its 14th season with NPE growers evaluating cotton variety candidates containing Thry vOn Technology. This is the industry’s first cotton biotech trait to protect against feeding damage from tarnished plant bug and thrips species.

“Also being evaluated this season is a set of Bollgard 3 XtendFlex technology candidates in new genetics that bring variances across the board,” says Keylon Gholston, Deltapine cotton product manager. “But they all bring high yield potential equal to, or better than DP 1646 B2XF.” Mid-South and Southeast NPE growers will evaluate four candidates in the mid- to mid-full maturity range. NPE growers in the Southwest will evaluate three Bollgard 3 XtendFlex technology candidates.

“These variety candidates are from a unique set of germplasm that will be very different from what growers, especially in West Texas, currently have in a Deltapine bag,” Gholston says.

Deltapine NPE growers will also evaluate two Bollgard 3 XtendFlex technology variety candidates showing resistance to root-knot nematode and an XtendFlex technology-only candidate in the Southwest.

FiberMax One Ton Club Celebrates Top Cotton Farmers Now in its 16th year, BASF continues to celebrate cotton growers who achieve four-bale or greater yields as part of the FiberMax One Ton Club. Seventy-eight members across Texas, New Mexico and California qualified for the club this year. Total membership 1,215.

While members and their families were not able to celebrate in person due to the pandemic, their achievements were acknowledged through a video highlighting the families that make up the One Ton Club. Mark Howard of H Bar H Farms in Dalhart, Texas, shares his family’s tradition of growing FiberMax cotton and talks about the affect the club has had.

“The One Ton Club is an honor, and it’s a thrill to be able to grow that kind of cotton,” says Howard, who is in his sixth year of the club. “Cotton is challenging;

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COTTON FARMING | JUNE 2021

it’s a crop that has risks, but also your best rewards. So, it’s great to see and celebrate the success of your peers as part of the One Ton Club.”

Several members also received special awards in five categories:  Highest yield and highest gross value: Apple Creek Farms Inc., in Garden City, Texas, harvested an average yield of 2,538.52 pounds per acre with FM 2398GLTP, and earned a gross value of $1,451.53 per acre.  Most acres and most varieties: H Bar H Farms in Dalhart, Texas, harvested an average yield of 2,099.52 pounds per acre on 431 acres with FM 1621GL, FM 1888GL and FM 2398GLTP.  Highest loan value: Kendall and Ruthie Holdeman in Saragosa, Texas, garnered $0.5732 on their qualifying acres with FM 2574GLT. “There is a unique quality to the One Ton Club member that makes this group of cotton growers so special: toughness,” says Rachel Walters, cottonseed marketing manager at BASF.

Amvac To Acquire Herbicide From Syngenta American Vanguard Corp.’s principal operating subsidiary, Amvac Chemical Corp., has entered into agreements with Syngenta Crop Protection LLC to acquire rights to Envoke herbicide. The acquisition includes end-use product registrations and trademarks for the herbicide in the United States.

Envoke contains the active ingredient, trif loxysulfuron-sodium, a Weed Science Society of America Group 2.

The herbicide is registered to control several broadleaf weeds, sedges and grasses in cotton, sugarcane and transplanted tomatoes.

New Website Streamlines Flood Irrigation Resources A new online resource is helping agricultural producers find technologies to improve water conservation on irrigated land. The Mississippi State University Extension Service is among four landgrant universities collaborating on the webpage, which is available at http:// surfaceirrigation.extension.msstate.edu.

The page hosts dozens of publications and videos related to irrigation, as well as product demonstrations.

“One-third of irrigated acres nation-

ally remain under flood systems for any number of hydrologic, agricultural and economic reasons,” says Drew Gholson, an assistant MSU Extension professor and irrigation specialist based at the MSU Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. “It is important to not overlook flood systems and to foster efforts towards improving water conservation in these systems.”

Ok la homa State Universit y, t he University of California and Utah State University collaborate with MSU on the project. It is supported by the Conservation Innovation Grants progra m under t he U.S. Depar t ment of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service.

EPA Approves Fungicide Premix With Nonotechnology T he E nv i ron ment a l P rote c t ion Agency has registered AZterknot fungicide from Vive Crop Protection for use on a wide array of crops, including corn, cotton, peanuts, rice and soybeans.

It is a premix of a traditional strobilurin fungicide, azoxystrobin, and a biological, an extract of the plant Reynoutria sachalinensis. They are delivered using Allosperse, a proprietary nano-polymer technology developed by Vive that allows previously incompatible products to be mixed and applied in one application, reducing fuel, time and water use, according to a news release.

Nanoparticles used as carriers improve uptake, solubility and product stability and reduce soil leaching, among other benefits.

COTTONFARMING.COM

of Our Lives is a jingle everyone seems to know even if you can’t pinpoint the first time you heard it.”

Cotton Board chairman and Georgia cotton producer Jimmy Webb is pleased with the new consumer campaign.

“We rely on the expertise of Cotton Incorporated’s consumer marketing team to keep cotton top of mind for consumers. I trust in their vision and am excited about these new commercials,” he says. “I love that Cotton Incorporated continues to develop relevant content for today’s consumers. Bringing back a refreshed version of the classic Fabric of Our Lives jingle seems like a great way to keep cotton relatable.”

RESEARCH & PROMOTION

The new ads feature singer and television host Carnie Wilson, who offers piano accompaniment and fun, light banter about the cotton outfits worn by “everyday people.”

Classic ‘Fabric of Our Lives’ Jingle Reimagined

A

pillar of Cotton Incorporated’s mission is to promote all things cotton. The organization’s goal is to get consumers — everyday people — to care about what’s in the clothes and home furnishings they buy.

Cotton Incorporated has been working for more than 50 years to educate consumers about the fantastic benefits of cotton and why it is “The Fabric of Our Lives.” One of the most effective ways to educate the masses is through consumer advertising campaigns.

People could use a laugh these days after more than a year of pandemic-related stress, anxiety and sadness. And that’s part of what Cotton Incorporated’s latest The Fabric of Our Lives campaign brings to consumers on broadcast, streaming and digital outlets. It’s also reminding viewers how the confidence, comfort and relatability of cotton fit into Americans’ everyday lives.

Everyday People

The new ads feature singer and television host Carnie Wilson, who offers piano accompaniment and fun, light banter about the cotton outfits worn by “everyday people.” Viewers will meet “Rita,” who feels powerful in her cotton jumpsuit as she takes on a post-COVID TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

BY STACEY GORMAN WARREN, ARKANSAS

dating world, and “Jamie,” who can lead her team meetings with confidence in her breathable cotton blazer.

One ad will feature “Chris,” who jokes that he used to be a nice guy, but now that he’s wearing his plaid cotton shirt, he has hands that can fix stuff. “Reclaimed wood,” cracks Wilson before comically singing, “Cotton, the fabric of Chris’ lumberjack life.”

Wilson says it’s fun to think about how she’s continuing the jingle for her kids and their generation with this year’s campaign.

“The Fabric of Our Lives is one of those jingles that just stays with you,” she says. “I can’t remember the first time I heard it. I think it’s always been a part of the American soundtrack. The Fabric

A Campaign For The Times

The original Fabric of Our Lives campaign first aired on television on Thanksgiving Day 1989 and was performed by Richie Havens. In the early years of the jingle, singers also included Phoebe Snow and Aaron Neville. The campaign paused using the song in 2004 but reintroduced it in 2009 with commercials that featured Zooey Deschanel, Miranda Lambert and Leona Lewis.

Cotton Incorporated’s Kim Kitchings, senior vice president of consumer marketing, says the fashion industry realized that consumers were seeking comfort from familiar things over the past year.

“They gain confidence when they put on their favorites clothing pieces, from soft cotton sweatshirts to favorite T-shirts and denim jeans.”

That feeling is what the latest Fabric of Our Lives campaign looks to demonstrate, even if it’s with a chuckle. As Kitchings says, “This campaign captures those emotions through relatable situations and brings a smile in a time when we’re really ready to wear one.”

Whether it’s a power blazer for Zoom meetings, a new outfit on a first date, the old tee you’ve passed on to your kids, or a flannel shirt that lets you channel your outdoorsy self, the versatility and strength of cotton brings something special to your favorite clothes. Soft, natural, easy to clean, gentle on skin — these reasons are why cotton garments end up being our favorites for so long.

To view the campaign and shop for cotton clothing inspired by the stories told in the new commercials, visit thefabric ofourlives.com.

Stacey Gorman is The Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org.

JUNE 2021 | COTTON FARMING

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Specialists Speaking

2021 Planting Progress FLORIDA David Wright

We are having a normal planting season as many areas are too dry and others have wet places in the fields that farmers have to plant around. Non-irrigated growers often plant cotton before peanuts until it gets too dry in the top couple of inches. Then they switch to peanut planting until rain allows for better topsoil moisture for planting cotton again.

We have had some issues with establishing stands due to cold temperatures where standard seed treatments were not used and seedling diseases led to replanting. Other challenges include deep planting slowing emergence in cool, dry soil. Consequently, stands were reduced.

Cotton planted in early June with warm temperatures often germinates fast and can establish quickly if irrigated or if soil moisture is adequate. Seed treatments can save cotton stands if stress occurs during germination (cold soils, dry, too deep planting, etc.). Many seed treatments include materials that help control thrips and assist early cotton growth.

Most of Florida’s cotton is minimum-till. In a lot of cases, the cover crop is winter weeds or sparse plantings of cover crops that do not provide a high amount of residue to conserve moisture. But they still help conserve soil moisture from not tilling the ground.

Some growers use starter fertilizer and run a strip-till rig with a subsoiler. They may plant back in the same row to take advantage of in-row fertilizer or subsoil slot for the second year of cotton before rotating back to peanuts. However, our data in a three-year trial shows that yields may be reduced by as much as 30% by going back over the old cotton row versus row middles plantings. Nematode levels are often several times and as much as 100 times higher in the old row versus row middles.

Many growers use planter guidance, and yields can be increased by planting in last year’s row middles compared to using the old row without costing them more. This can be an easy way to test it yourself and pick up extra yield with less need for nematicides.

Growers are more optimistic about cotton this year than in the past three to four years due to prices. We hope everyone has a good year with no major storms to deal with. Most of our cotton will be planted by the first 10 days of June. It still has high yield potential even when planted up to the third week of June. wright@ufl.edu

GEORGIA Camp Hand

In Georgia, the general feeling going into the week of May 17 is that cotton planting is behind. We have many growers who like to get some cotton in before they start planting peanuts. That was difficult to do this year after cold snaps and large amounts of rain that resulted in many fields having to be reworked prior to planting.

Once everyone got caught up, it was the first week of May. Some of the cotton took a back seat to peanuts, as planting date can be an extremely important weapon in the battle against tomato spotted wilt virus for peanuts. Luckily for us in Georgia, we are not confined by as tight a planting window as some of my other friends across the Cotton Belt. With prices going the direction they have been, some folks may have that last change of heart and plant cotton.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture crop progress report for the week ending May 16 showed we are 8% behind the five-year average for acres planted to cotton to this point. In my opinion, that’s pretty good considering the obstacles our farmers have faced thus far with heavy rainfall and cool temperatures. In the words of a grower I recently met, “You’ve

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got to start somewhere.”

If you have questions, please reach out to your local University of Georgia county Extension agent. They, along with myself and the other specialists, are here to help! camphand@uga.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten

Most growers were able to get a fair amount of the cotton crop planted in late April and early May before we hit a cold spell in mid-May. As I write this on May 17, our planting conditions look good through the remainder of the cotton planting period. Many growers may end up with an early planted crop and a later-planted crop.

That may be beneficial as spreading planting dates helps mitigate weather-related risks like drought and hurricanes. It also helps spread out the optimum window for side-dressing nitrogen and making some herbicide and potential growth regulator applications.

The challenge is to treat fields with these inputs when they are most effective and not treat the entire crop as one crop. Pay attention to weed emergence and size for herbicide applications and crop growth stage for timing side-dressed nitrogen.

We are most likely to get an economic benefit from growth regulators in situations where we can take advantage of the earliness they often bring. Keep this in mind when you are on the fence about using them.

Earliness is most advantageous on the cotton you will pick first, as it may get machines in the field a week earlier. Or they may help the late-planted crop that is more likely to run out of time and heat.

With a mixed crop, apply growth regulators based on growth stage and plant size. If you send someone out to spray a high rate based on one field, it may be damaging to a later-planted field with less mature and smaller plants. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper

For all practical purposes, the first two weeks of May provided no reasonable opportunities to plant cotton; cold, wet conditions prevented planting in the window we typically associate with our highest yields. As of May 12, Tennessee had less than 1% of our planned acreage planted. By May 14, conditions improved and most were running hard.

Planting continued through the weekend. Even though the forecast suggests scattered showers overnight May 17 and into May 18, the 10-day forecast looks very promising. Regardless of how you slice this one, we are behind. Although our yield potential is still good, we must manage for earliness. Maintaining pest populations below thresholds and properly managing plant growth will be important as we move into June and July. Also consider slightly reducing nitrogen rates. traper@utk.edu

ALABAMA Steve M. Brown

I don’t like being late, but LATE we are. Rainy weather. Cold weather. Where’s Al Gore when we really need him? And more rainy weather.

On April 25, it was as if a switch flipped. We went from uncomfortably cool conditions to just right and enjoyed a few days for planting only to be interrupted with more rainfall and a cool night or two. So more than the normal percentage of our Alabama crop is or will be planted in the latter portion of the typical planting window .… and later. How should COTTONFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking we think about managing a late-planted crop?  Be conservative with nitrogen. You don’t want a rank canopy nor cotton that’s dark green until frost. The goal is to fruit, mature and finish quickly. Consider reducing total N by 20% to 25%.  If possible, sustain active growth with irrigation. Minimize plant stress throughout the growing cycle.  Be more aggressive with plant growth regulators. Limit vegetative growth. Encourage early fruit set. For tall, vigorous varieties, make applications closer to match head square than first bloom. But use caution and common sense. There are a few varieties and/or fields that might be stopped with strong rates.  Increase insect scouting vigilance and management. Don’t let plant bugs, stink bugs and escaped worms take fruit. To avoid plant stress, you might also treat aphids quicker if the fungus is not curbing them. But be careful that you don’t create problems with spider mites, etc.

We can make a near-maximum crop in four weeks of bloom IF weather cooperates. A compressed, condensed season may require greater management intensity. But with 85-cent cotton, it could prove very profitable. cottonbrown@auburn.edu

MISSISSIPPI Brian Pieralisi

As I write this on May 14, most Mississippi cotton growers haven’t planted or have just a few acres in the ground.

Recent rains and cool weather have made it almost impossible to plant, which has created unrest in many farmers.

There was a small two- to three-day planting window at the end of April followed by another window in northwest Mississippi from May 7- 9, and that’s it! The weather following the second planting window is the most concerning since we had 2 to 3 inches of rain followed by three nights at 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

At this point in 2020, most of the Mississippi cotton crop was already planted, with the majority seeded within the optimal window of May 1-10. However, taking an optimistic view of the future weather forecast suggests better conditions beginning this weekend (May 14-18), which could drastically alter the planted acres landscape. Currently, farmers need only about four to five full planting days to cover their cotton acres.

Considering the calendar date, it is important to manage this crop intensely to avoid maturity delays. Growers on the eastern side of the state, planting into green cover crops often encounter “rolly polly” and thrips, which if left untreated can cause delays in maturity. Usually, a pyrethroid is applied at planting to mitigate these pests. Insects pose a threat to young cotton across the state and should be managed closely to avoid setbacks.

Nitrogen management is another concern. Timely nitrogen applications are paramount with later-planted cotton to avoid maturity delays. My advice is to stay optimistic about the weather and take advantage of every planting window from this point forward. Good luck! bkp4@msstate.edu

LOUISIANA Matt Foster

Cotton planting in Louisiana continues to be slow due to weekly heavy rains throughout the state. As I write this on May 17, about 45% of the crop is in the ground. Normally, about 70% of the crop would be planted by this date. Early planted cotton was replanted in some areas of the state due to cool temperatures and excessive moisture. Producers made headway over the weekend, but most planting operations will cease this week as more rainfall is predicted. I was fortunate to get a few cotton trials planted over the weekend in Tensas Parish.

In Louisiana, cotton is generally planted in mid-April to mid-May. Unfortunately, it looks like a significant amount of our crop will get in the ground the latter part of May and early June. Research has shown that cotton planted in late May to early June can see up to a 25% reduction in TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

lint yield. If unfavorable planting conditions continue, some producers may plant their intended cotton acres to soybeans.

Since most of the 2021 Louisiana cotton crop will likely be late, growers need to fine-tune their management practices for insect control, nitrogen fertilization and plant growth regulator applications to avoid a delayed harvest. Thrips damage and excess nitrogen can delay maturity.

Late-planted cotton often grows more vigorously compared to an early planted crop, so a timelier PGR approach may be needed. Most growers and consultants have told me, “You picked a good year to start as a cotton specialist.” I definitely won’t forget this planting season anytime soon. mfoster@agcenter.lsu.edu

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson

The National Agricultural Statistics Service recently updated our 2020 crop summary. Our final lint yield of 1,179 pounds per harvested acre is second to our record of 1,185 pounds set in 2019. Arkansas ranked third in total production and tied for second in lint yield per acre for the 2020 season.

This is the third year in a row wet weather has significantly slowed cotton planting. Planting progress in the past two seasons was slow with about half of our intended acres in the ground by mid-May. Fortunately, the past two seasons represent our two best years on record regarding yield per acre. Unfortunately, planting progress in 2021 has trailed progress of the past two seasons. Our old rule of thumb that up to a 2% loss of yield potential may be experienced for every day planting occurs after May 20 is an important consideration for late-season planting decisions.

The Crop Progress report by USDA-NASS estimated planting at 45% on May 17 as this article is being prepared. A solid week of rain is forecast for the week of May 17. The USDA-NASS March Prospective Plantings report indicated we would be down 7% from last year, or about 35,000 acres. With current weather issues thrown in and continued grain price increases, we could be looking at a 20% to 25% reduction in cotton acres from last year.

History shows we have the potential to make a good crop with some late-planted cotton. However, timely management translates to even greater returns in a short season. The first 40 days in the life of a cotton plant set the foundation for yield and fiber quality potential for the season. Pest management issues are generally the greatest concerns for the young crop. However, as we move into the next few weeks in June, other factors, including fertility and soil moisture stress become more critical.

Research demonstrates the importance of avoiding stress once squaring begins. Irrigation water management is our next big challenge. There are many programs, tools and practices available that producers can use to help improve irrigation water use efficiency. Everyone who uses plastic tubing should be using Delta Plastics’ Pipe Planner, a computerized hole selection tool.

We want to go into squaring with the plant developing a new node every 2.5 to three days. This puts us on track to having nine to 10 nodes above white flower at first flower. Contact your local county Extension agent for more information. brobertson@uaex.edu

OKLAHOMA Seth Byrd

Although most of Oklahoma’s cotton region was dry to extremely dry entering May, showers moved through the state in the middle of the month, bringing relief to some areas. As I write this May 17, the Panhandle and parts of the southwest corner of the state have received significant rain over the past three days.

However, less than 0.25 inch has been received in much of west central Oklahoma, including areas as far southwest as Harmon and Greer counties. This represents a large area of cotton acreage, JUNE 2021 | COTTON FARMING

17

Specialists Speaking particularly dryland production. Additional precipitation will be needed in the days ahead to achieve adequate planting conditions.

Although some cotton has been planted, as of mid-May the vast majority of the 2021 crop is still in the bag or box. Temperatures warmed during the second week of May, which improved planting conditions. For cotton planted during the first half of May, slow growing conditions will likely make scouting for early season pests even more critical. Optimizing early season development will be key to grow out of sensitive growth stages. Be aware of what was included on your seed treatment and activity windows for any other early season crop protection products that were applied so a game plan can be developed before issues arise.

If you switched variety plant maturity in late May and early June, be sure to take the maturity difference into account when considering other inputs, such as plant growth regulators. Even with a later planting date, an earlier maturing variety will likely not require as much growth regulation as a later maturing one.

If making a switch to address maturity concerns, be sure to refer to available data close to your location and under similar management to your own practices. Keep in mind we found ourselves in a similar situation last year. Although the current system is forecast to last several more days than the system that bought significant rainfall to our region in midMay of 2020, most cotton in Oklahoma was planted in the last week of May and first week of June last year.

In some cases, variety selection was adjusted to account for the later planting date. However, due to weather patterns over the course of the season, we saw good performance across a broad range of maturities. Regardless of planting date and variety maturity adjustments, season-long weather and how we address it through management decisions will ultimately determine our success. seth.byrd@okstate.edu

CALIFORNIA Bob Hutmacher

As we approach late May in the San Joaquin Valley, we again face a difficult water year with limited irrigation water due to low rainfall and a reduced snowpack.

Little chance of additional rain or snow exists this time of year, so water supply restrictions, at least from irrigation districts, will be in effect for many SJV farms that have cotton rotations.

Based in part on predictions of a low irrigation water supply, 2021 cotton planted acreage is already down substantially from recent years. Most of the cotton was planted between late March and mid- to late April.

There is a wide range of plant populations in different areas of the valley.

Stand variability could be related to seedling vigor issues. But increased disease pressure from Rhizoctonia and Fusarium have played a role in reduced stands in some fields, along with drying winds and loss of surface soils moisture.

Since planting started, it has been drier and warmer than average and windier. Otherwise, it’s mostly conducive to decent growth rates. Cool overnight low temperatures occurred in some areas in mid-April, but not low enough to cause significant chilling injury. We currently have many fields in OK to good shape. As of mid-May, I have seen only a few fields being set up for a first irrigation, and for many fields that may be planned for late May or even the first week(s) of June.

Moving toward first in-season irrigations, sort through strategies for how to deal with limited irrigation water, including:  Look ahead to decide how you’d like to manage the crop — (ie. full-season or earlier-maturing based on planting date, growth progress, water limits?)  Consider being more aggressive in limiting early square and fruit loss to improve chances of an early set crop where you don’t have to manage for a late top crop.  Determine if you can limit total water applications by practices

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COTTON FARMING | JUNE 2021

such as alternate row irrigation mid- or late season or  Evaluate the top crop when the time comes and eliminate a final irrigation if it doesn’t warrant the water.

With limited rain and early warm weather, the good news is early lygus sources may be less of a problem this year. However, the SJV’s highly diversified agriculture means we have multiple sources of both pests and beneficials, so cotton growers still need to watch for developing insect and mite pest problems. rbhutmacher@ucdavis.edu

TEXAS Ben McKnight

After a dry start to the 2021 growing season, muchneeded rainfall has brought some relief to several areas of the state. As I write this on May 17, the drought monitor map indicates that recent rainfall has eased up the drought conditions in parts of the Upper Gulf Coast and the Blacklands. In the Coastal Bend growing region, areas near the coast have received rainfall, but conditions get continuously drier farther inland. Any recent rainfall in the Lower Rio Grande Valley may have come too late for non-irrigated cotton acres.

Much of the state is projected to receive rainfall in the next week with some areas forecast to receive several inches of precipitation. About 35% of the statewide cotton acreage has been planted as of the third week of May, and 2% of the acres are at or near squaring. Any additional moisture in the soil profile will be welcomed ahead of planting in the Rolling Plains region.

Overall, planting conditions in April were nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Extended periods of cool nighttime temperatures in the Blacklands and Upper Gulf Coast resulted in delayed emergence in some cases. In addition to cool temperatures, soil crusting issues for some farmers compounded problems with plant stand establishment.

Just as things began to look up, early thrips pressure in certain areas have kept growers on their toes. It has been a tough start for young cotton plants in many areas of Texas. But as we look ahead, keep in mind that cotton.tamu.edu has tons of information relevant to early, mid- and late-season cotton management. bmcknight@tamu.edu

TEXAS Murilo Maeda

The drought situation in West Texas has been bad since last year. Needless to say, that did not have our growers very excited about the coming season. But just like I had been told when I first moved here, things can change, and that usually happens quickly. Although planting started in early May, things had been slow due to limited available moisture and a few cold fronts pushing through.

The past three weeks or so, however, brought much-needed rainfall to our region. Not everyone received a lot of rain, but as of mid-May as I write this, some folks have just enough moisture to get a dryland crop up.

We also have more rain chances in the forecast. In my assessment, we don’t have much cotton in just yet, but soil temperatures are good, and soil moisture (although far from perfect) is not as limiting as it was a month ago.

Weather permitting, we can cover a lot of ground here quickly.

By the time you receive this issue, we will be close to our insurance deadlines (or past them for the northern counties). Please keep variety maturity class in mind. If planting mid-full season lines, consider earlier-maturing varieties if planting extends into June. While that can cause you to “miss out” on taking full advantage of the season, it also helps mitigate some of the risks associated with an early freeze and its negative impacts on fiber quality.

As always, stay safe and feel free to reach out if we can be of any assistance. Wishing you all out there a good 2021 cotton season! mmaeda@ ag.tamu.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

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Follow Guidelines For Seed House Safety And Maintenance Elevated 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 and gins.

When fully loaded, a double-hopper seed house can weigh 200,000 pounds or more. 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 is out of sight and mind. If a structural failure occurs, personnel are at risk of injury.

All cotton gin managers should review their overhead seed house safety and maintenance procedures before the start of the 2021 cotton ginning season.

Safety Checklist  Never go beneath a seed hopper that contains seed.  Provide proper fall protection for all ladders and catwalks.  Do not enter the seed trailer. Do not climb on the side walls of the trailer while beneath a hopper that contains seed.

 Post decals, “DANGER – DO NOT ENTER AREA BELOW HOPPER DOORS WHEN SEED IS IN STORAGE HOUSE.” These are free from your local ginning association or from www.cliffgranberrycorp.com.  Contact your ginning association or loss control representative to get a copy of the “Cottonseed System Safety Policy” for employees, visitors and outside contractors, such as seed haulers. This publication is also available at www.cliffgranberrycorp.com.  Be sure to use all other known gin safety procedures daily.

Maintenance And Repair Tips  All proper safety precautions including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) should be taken by all personnel who perform maintenance and repairs.  Clean out all seed.  Clean hopper panels to remove seed oil.  Smooth the inside surfaces of the hopper panels again.  Carefully examine the entire seed house for stress fractures and loose hardware, especially if industrial vibrators have been used.  Remove rust and corrosion.

Lummus Ag Technology is pleased to announce the debut of its new Parts website, featuring online parts ordering capability for domestic customers. The new Parts website address is:

https://shop.lummus.com The new site features hundreds of our most common repair parts, and we are continually adding to it.

And while you are online, check out the all-new Lummus Ag Technology website at www.lummus.com, featuring updated information related to the broad range of Lummus product offerings in Machinery, Parts, and Technical Service. Just more ways Lummus is prepared to serve you now and in the future.

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Use The Catwalk Best industry practices include using a trailer-viewing catwalk mounted on the outside of the vertical columns, about 9.5 feet above the driveway. This structure 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.

The organization is close to completing the remainder of the schedule, but a couple of locations it has been using are not yet open.

As soon as the dates and locations are set for the remaining seven seminars, TCGA will let you know.

Here are dates and locations for the ones that are set so far:  June 8 – Weslaco  June 9 – Corpus Christi  June 10 – El Campo Stay tuned for more information.

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* * * * *

NCGA Offers Gin Training Seminars Gin Training Seminars were recently conducted virtually through the National Cottton Ginners’ Association. Please note, the video link, https://www.cotton.org/ncga/ginschool/index. cfm, requires a password. You must be a member of NCGA to view them. The videos are posted on the NCGA website.

Please contact the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association or NCGA for instructions on how to access the videos.

Cotton’s Calendar TCGA staff: Tony Williams (left), Aaron Nelsen, J. Kelley Green and Duncan McCook

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TCGA Announces Upcoming Changes During the general session of the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association’s annual board of directors and membership meeting, outgoing TCGA President Prentice Fred reflected on some changes the organization has made and ones that are still to come.

TCGA sold their downtown Austin office in September 2019 and has since moved to Round Rock. Tony Williams, TCGA executive vice president, also announced his coming retirement.

Originally scheduled to retire at the end of this year, Williams has now agreed to stay through April 2022, completing TCGA’s next annual meeting and cotton trade show.

Since his announced retirement, TCGA’s trade show has been cancelled twice as well as a summer membership meeting. With things returning to somewhat normal regarding the pandemic, the plans are for Williams to be with TCGA through one more summer membership meeting, annual meeting and cotton trade show.

Kelley Green, director of technical services, will assume Williams’ role as executive vice president following the conclusion of the gin show in April 2022. The transition is already taking place as TCGA hired Duncan McCook as manager of regulatory affairs in January 2020. Aaron Nelsen, special projects and communications manager, will assume much of the TCGA meeting planning that Williams has done for many years.

Fred says he strongly feels that TCGA has a good staff and plan in place to serve the organization well moving forward.

The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association provided this information.

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Some listed events at https://www.cottonfarming.com/calendar/ may be canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. Please verify the status with the individual organizations. ¢ June 3-7: Cotton Growers Warehouse Association Annual Convention, Sheraton Grand Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee ¢ June 16: PCCA Board, Delegate Body & Marketing Pool Committee Meetings, Lubbock, Texas ¢ June 18: North Carolina Cotton Growers Billy Carter Cotton Cup, The Links at Cotton Valley, Tarboro, North Carolina ¢ June 23-26: Warehouse Association of America Annual Convention, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia ¢ July 14: Plains Cotton Growers Quarterly Board Meeting, FiberMax Center for Discovery, 1121 Canyon Lake Drive, Lubbock, Texas ¢ July 21-24: Southern Southeastern Mid Year Board Meeting, Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida ¢ Aug. 4-6: American Cotton Producers Meeting, Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach, California ¢ Aug. 18: PCCA Board, Delegate Body & Marketing Pool Meetingss, Lubbock, Texas ¢ Aug. 25-27: 2021 Mid-Year Board Meeting, Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Tennessee ¢ Sept. 15: PCCA Board of Directors & Annual Membership Meetings, Lubbock, Texas ¢ Oct. 13: Plains Cotton Growers Quarterly Board Meeting, FiberMax Center for Discover, 1121 Canyon Lake Drive, Lubbock, Texas ¢ Oct. 20: PCCA Board, Delegate Body & Marketing Pool Committee Meetings, Lubbock, Texas

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Texas Safety Seminars Return In 2021 As things begin to return to normalcy after months of pandemic restrictions, the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association says its safety seminars are back this year.

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21

My Turn ‘Across the Lake In Pieroni Ville’

I

n the early 1900s, my too. We worked alongside the other labor that worked g re at g r a n dp a re nt s for my grandpa (Popa Joe), dad and uncle. They were came to Lake Village, like family as well.

Arkansas, from Italy.

In high school, I had different jobs learning aspects Today, my family on both my of life other than the farm. One summer I was a lifemom and dad’s side are pre- guard at the state park, and one year I worked at the dominantly cotton farmers. local grocery store. The last two were spent working There have been good years at the local country club on the golf course and at a and tough years production jewelry store in Lake Village. I took the jobs to get a wise, but they’ve averaged paycheck, as I always worked on the farm doing someout OK overall. thing for free when I wasn’t working somewhere else.

Jared One of the best I rememWhen it was time for college, I told my mom Pieroni ber was the 2007 crop when and dad I wanted to go to University of Arkansas modules were everywhere. I Monticello and major in forestry. When the time know, I got to tag a bunch of them. One of the worst came, Mom and I toured the forestry building. As we years, other than the hurricane that came through last were leaving the campus, I told her to go to where the fall, was 2009. We picked cotton in the water — only agriculture building was located. I never went back in time I ever witnessed that. the forestry building and majored in ag business.

Where I lived and grew up in Lake Village — the During college, I mostly worked on the farm with home of Lake Chicot — was always referred to as Dad while going to school. In January, after my third “across the lake in Pieroni semester — my fun semesVille.” It was about 20 “There wasn’t much to do if it ter — Dad gave me two minutes from town. There options: go back to school wasn’t much to do if it wasn’t in a field, on a turnrow or or go where there was a wasn’t in a field, on a turnthey were going to in the lake — our sandbox and disk row or in the lake — our re-blade. He said, “You sandbox and swimming will start tomorrow tearswimming pool.” pool. I am the oldest of ing it down with no air three siblings to my brother and sister. Everything has wrench,” and it was cold. I said I wanted to go back to been a learning experience no matter what I am doing school.

— work related or play related but mostly work.

I graduated in spring 2004 with a degree in ag busiGrowing up on the farm, I remember waiting in the ness. After college, the real world started, and I got my front yard during harvest to flag down my uncle who own mailbox. I worked 11 years for Farm Credit after pulled the cotton trailers to the gin so I could ride a short stint with UAP. I have since moved on to the with him. It was exciting to go to town for something local bank in Lake Village and have been here for six other than school or church. In the spring of my ninth years. I continue to help my dad and my Uncle David grade, I helped Dad with a few odds and ends on the on the farm but not as much as I used to. I have a son, farm, such as spot spraying Johnsongrass with a belly Evan, 11, and a daughter, Amelia, 3, who occupy most boom and chopping hog weeds. of my spare time.

But that year was different. A John Deere tractor Here at the bank, I mostly work with farmers. This and a Case IH disk were waiting on me when I got out spring, I met Mike Lamensdorf, the president of One of school for spring break. They were all mine for the Grower Publishing and Cotton Farming magazine. I week. My uncle showed me the dos and don’ts, made told him I always enjoyed reading My Turn. He said, a few rounds and let me go. He was back before long “Jared, why don’t you take a turn and submit a letter as I got the wing caught on the outside dual. I was about growing up on the farm?” So I did. glad Dad wasn’t there as I probably would have gotten fired. From then on, I helped my dad and uncle on the — Jared Pieroni farm on the weekends. My brother helped a good bit, jared@searbc.com 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 | JUNE 2021

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