Cotton farming march 2016

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

MARCH 2016

www.cottonfarming.com

SHOWTIME FARMS GEORGIA COTTON AND QUAIL REFLECT SOUTHERN TRADITIONS

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Vol. 60 No. 3

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

MARCH 2016

www.cottonfarming.com

F E AT U R E S

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READY TO REBOUND South Carolina cotton producers stay upbeat even after a flood of problems in 2015.

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NEW CAMPAIGN REVEALED

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SOUTHERN SOUTHEASTERN

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GINNING MARKETPLACE

Rally cry is “Renew Your Faith In Cotton.”

The 2016 event featured meetings, breakout sessions and Cotton Ginner of the Year award.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY

NCGA’s Harrison Ashley, provides a recap of the organization’s recent meeting in Dallas.

Showtime Farms

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Georgia cotton producer Larron Copeland farms about 3,000 acres of cotton in addition to corn, peanuts and soybeans with his sons, Brady and Colt. His wife, Laura, participates in Southpoint at Showtime Plantation – the family’s quail hunting enterprise located on 5,000 acres in Terrell County. Cotton and quail reflect the Copelands’ pride in continuing these Southern traditions.

Farm Policy Facts – a non-profit organization – is a coalition of farmers and commodity groups. FPF recently “pulled back the curtain” on the Environmental Working Group’s playbook.

The coalition explains how the EWG is selling fear rather than facts and has built a brand and an empire based on that business model. Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 18 Industry News 6 Cotton’s Agenda 26 My Turn 14 Specialists Speaking ON THE COVER: Larron Copeland farms with his sons, Brady, left, and Colt, in Terrell County, Ga. Cover photo By Pam Caraway.

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SOLVING A MYSTERY RESEARCHERS ARE HOT ON THE TRAIL OF NEWLY NAMED SOYBEAN DISEASE

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MARCH 2016

Look for Soybean South following page 14 in the Mid-South and Southeast editions of Cotton Farming. To have industry news and content delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the monthly e-newsletter at www.soybeansouth.com.

SOYBEAN SOUTH MARCH 2016

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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COTTON FARMING MARCH 2016

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Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Carroll Smith

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

Your Great-Granddaddy’s Cotton Varieties

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hristmas presents from my friend, Cheryl – a Louisiana native, are always a combination of the eclectic and the unexpected.

Last year, my loot included an antique tintype of a steamboat rolling down the Mississippi River, a rhinestone-studded LSU ball cap and a copy of the 1936 Yearbook of Agriculture.

I have always had the utmost respect for our cotton breeders.

After delving into the thick yearbook, I discovered that the 1936 U.S. Department of Agriculture apparently did, too. It dedicated almost 100 pages to “Plant Breeding in the Cotton Industry” by J.O. Ware, senior agronomist, Division of Cotton and Other Fiber Crops and Diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry. Ware not only discussed current cotton varieties but also paid homage to varieties dating as far back as the early 1800s. One of the first things that caught my attention was the colorful names. I am not astute enough to know when the industry began using letters and numbers to identify cotton varieties, but “back in the day,” breeders gave them proper names. Since variety selection is on everyone’s mind, I thought it would be interesting to share a few excerpts that mention some of the “old school” monikers.

Mexican stock was introduced by Walter Burling at Natchez, Miss., in 1806 and was later bred as Mexican Big Boll by J.D. Hope of Sharon, S.C., in 1914. Between 1830 and 1840, H.W. Vick of Vicksburg, Miss., worked with a variety called Belle Creole from which he selected a new variety, Jethro. This variety eventually made its way to Georgia and became the parent stock of Jones Long Staple and Six-Oaks. About 1840, Vick introduced another variety called Petit Gulf.

In 1865, a Texas settler named Supak, who lived near Austin, introduced a variety known as Bohemian, which became the parent stock of Rowden and Express. Other famous varieties from the early days include Parker, Bancroft Herlong and Peterkin. And out West, the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station introduced a strain of Acala in 1923 that was bred from stock that originated in California and became known as College Acala.

“The Stoneville type of cotton is descended from Lone Star 65, selected in 1916 by H.B. Brown….Lone Star 65 was thought by Brown to be a natural cross with Mississippi Station Trice,” Ware says. In another section, he says, “H.B. Tisdale worked on the breeding and distribution in Alabama of the wilt-resistant varieties Dixie, Dixie-Cook and DixieTriumph from 1914-1920.”

Although the cotton variety naming system has changed, today’s cotton breeders’ pursuit of excellence is stronger than ever. Hats off to all of you!

Southeast Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Ashley Kumpe ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (901) 767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Charlie Beek (615) 377-3322 For circulation changes or change of address, call (847) 559-7578 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David Burns – North Carolina David Lynch – South Carolina Bob McLendon – Georgia Larkin Martin – Alabama Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi Charles Parker – Missouri Jimmy Hargett – Tennessee Allen Helms – Arkansas Jay Hardwick – Louisiana Ronnie Hopper – Texas Ron Rayner – Arizona John Pucheu – California

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

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

Copyright 2016 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

Carroll If you have comments, please send them to: Cotton Farming Magazine, 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN, 38138. Contact Carroll Smith at 901326-4443 or via email at csmith@onegrower.com.

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COTTON FARMING MARCH 2016

One Grower Publishing, LLC 6515 Goodman Rd., Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654 Phone: 901-767-4020

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Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

A Formidable Economic Environment The National Cotton Council’s Cotton Economic Outlook sees 2016 as another challenging year for U.S. cotton — with uncertainties regarding global mill cotton use and prices unattractive to producers.

What is the export demand situation?

n Export markets continue as the primary outlet for U.S. raw cotton fiber. China, traditionally U.S. cotton’s largest export market, is importing considerably less in the 2015 marketing year — U.S. sales to China are about 80 percent less than this time last year. Thus, the NCC sees total U.S. exports at 9.5 million bales for the current marketing year, down 15.5 percent from 2014. This estimate may prove to be optimistic as the weekly pace will need to increase throughout the remainder of the 2015 marketing year to reach 9.5 million bales.

That estimate reflects the situation in China where massive cotton stockpiles and expectations for limited quota mean that raw cotton imports

by China are expected to fall further in 2016 to 4.75 million bales, down from 5.5 million in 2015. China’s mill use also is projected to decline in 2016.

Even though China’s internal cotton price has declined in the past year, An even more aggressive approach by China to reduce it is still almost twice that of her cotton stocks would be bearish for world prices. polyester prices, which also have weakened — a relationship that is not allowing Chinese cotton mill use to recover.

Somewhat encouraging is that world mill cotton use is expected to exceed world production in 2016, pulling down world stocks

by 6.3 million bales. However, that reduction is not large enough to significantly reduce global inventories that began the year at 103 million bales. The majority of the global stock decline is due to reduced inventories in China.

An even more aggressive approach by China to reduce stocks would have further bearish implications for world prices, particularly if the increased availability of reserve cotton reduced China’s demand for imported cotton yarn.

There also are concerns regarding trade with Turkey — another significant market for U.S. cotton. An ongoing antidumping investigation may result in tariffs on U.S. cotton while cotton from other countries would be duty free.

On the domestic side, the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program continues to be an important source of stability, allowing U.S. mills to invest in new facilities and equipment. USDA’s 2015 U.S. cotton mill use estimate of 3.6 million bales, while up only 25,000 bales from 2014, at least marks the fourth consecutive year of increased consumption. The U.S. dollar’s strength, though, is challenging U.S. yarn exports.

How about U.S. production, prices?

n The NCC projects a 2016 U.S. crop of 14 million bales, with 13.4 million upland bales and 595,000 extra-long staple bales produced on 9.1 million acres. NCC-projected U.S. offtake of 13.8 million bales in 2016 still would result in an increase in ending stocks of 193,000 bales.

Sluggish cotton demand, smaller imports by China, weakness in other commodity markets and a stronger dollar are prevalent factors in the current price climate. More details of the NCC’s Cotton Economic Outlook are at http:// www.cotton.org/econ/reports/annual-outlook. cfm.

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

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COTTONFARMING.COM

SC Cotton Ready To Rebound

BY JIM MELVIN CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Pre-plant ‘Dryout’ Needed Much of South Carolina’s agricultural acreage remains soaked and boggy. The early October storm jump-started this situation, but a subsequent series of lesser but still injurious rainfalls have made things even worse. Because of excessive groundwater and rain-engorged ditches, there is literally nowhere for the water to go, making it difficult for low-lying fields to drain. Farmers hope that dry weather prior to planting will help alleviate these conditions.

“Growers have soil samples to take, fields to get ready, lime to put out and other preparations,” says Jones, an agronomist who conducts an extensive array of research projects and field trials at Pee Dee REC. “But if they can finally get some dry weather, then they should be fine in the spring.”

Assuming winter chooses to cooperate, cotton growers would then be rooting for a mild, moist spring followed by a summer that averages 3 to 5 inches of rain per month.

When it comes to heat and drought, cotton is one of the most tolerant crops. But temperatures consistently above 95 degrees and/or weeks without rain can damage quality and quantity.

Twitter: @CottonFarming

JIM MELVIN/CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

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ust days before the majority of South Carolina’s cotton was about to be harvested, the historic October 2015 storm drenched most of the state with trillions of gallons of rainwater, ravaging a crop that had already been compromised by a severe summer drought and heat wave.

Though estimates are still being revised, the best guess at this point is that only about 52 percent of the 235,000 acres of cotton was harvested — and much of what was salvaged was relatively low in yield and quality. To put this in perspective, about 98 percent of cotton is harvested in a typical year.

Now that 2015 is in the rearview mirror, what’s in store for cotton growers in 2016?

“If you look at our yields in South Carolina over the years, the chart will resemble a heartbeat. High yield, low yield. High yield, low yield. And it’s all based on whether we get adequate rainfall at the right times, and also on the conditions come harvest time,” says Michael Jones, associate professor and cotton specialist at Clemson University’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center near Florence. “We’ll probably have fewer growers this year because of the financial setbacks suffered in 2015, but we still have the potential for a respectable rebound.”

About 80 percent of South Carolina’s cotton is planted the first week of May. Some growers plant a little earlier or later, depending on what other crops they might have in their rotation. For instance, cotton farmers who are also growing peanuts might plant their cotton a couple of weeks later so that they will have time to get the peanuts in first.

During normal years, the lower bolls produce the best cotton.

But in 2015, the lower ones suffered severe damage.

Ideal Harvest Conditions Defoliants are used to cause cotton to shed its leaves in September. After that, most of South Carolina’s crop is harvested in October.

“Perfect harvest conditions would be low humidity with temperatures in the 70s to 80s in September and October,” Jones says. “When the humidity is down, it encourages the bolls to open and fluff up, which makes for an easier and more efficient harvest.”

Although South Carolina is a fairly small state in terms of the scale of its cotton production, the research being conducted at Pee Dee and other university centers is highly regarded. Clemson University hopes to receive $2.5 million from the South Carolina Legislature that will help expand its research and outreach programs even further.

“Clemson has a strong research team working with cotton,” Jones says. “Much of what I do here at Pee Dee is variety testing. Most of the varieties that are released to our growers come from Texas and even the far West. Our team has to determine which of these varieties are best able to withstand the environmental conditions in South Carolina.

“Over a period of years, we conduct small-plot research trials. We grow about 40 to 50 varieties side by side, replicate them and then see which ones produce the best quantities and qualities for our area.”

After last year’s doom and gloom, cotton producers are hoping for a fresh start – and maybe a healthy dose of luck – in 2016. One bit of good news that has already occurred is that 2013 and 2014 were both strong years.

“We can still produce a great crop this year. It just depends on our weather,” Jones says. “South Carolina has the technology and willpower to grow the best cotton out there. Growers just need a few things to go their way this time around.”

COTTON FARMING MARCH 2016

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COVER STORY

PHOTOS BY PAM CARAWAY

Larron Copeland and his family operate a diversified farming operation and hunting plantation in southwest Georgia.

Showtime Farms Cotton and quail reflect the Southern traditions of this southwest Georgia operation

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

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hen he was 18 years old, Larron Copeland purchased 30 acres from his father and began shaping what is now known as Showtime Farms in southwest Georgia. Today, he raises about 5,000 acres of cotton, corn, peanuts and soybeans with his wife, Laura, and sons Brady and Colt. The family resides in a new home they built where Larron’s childhood home once stood.

“I have lived my entire life in the same spot,” he says.

In 2015, Mother Nature threw them a curve ball with inclement weather that materialized both at the beginning and the end of the growing season. The varieties they chose to plant included ST 6448GLB2, DP 1553 B2XF, Croplan

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3885B2XF and a test plot of ST 6182GLT. As the rain began to fall early on, Copeland thought he was facing a potential re-plant situation.

Hardy Varieties Prevail “A 4-inch rain fell on one of the farms right after I planted some 6448,” Copeland says. “I never thought I would see that cotton come up. We hill-dropped the seed and couldn’t get back in the field to run the rotary hoe because it was too wet.

However, I had planted this cotton real shallow, and when I came back in a week, it had emerged.

“I like the way 6448 comes up out of the ground. We actually got a small premium for the 6448 that we planted early even though 2015 wasn’t a good year for quality with

any of the varieties. 6448 was easy to manage, and we didn’t have to put a lot of Pix on it. We sprayed Liberty over the top so we didn’t incur much expense for hand pulling weeds.”

Prior to planting, Copeland made a burndown application, then came back behind the press wheel with a gramoxone product and Reflex to hold the weeds down. About onethird of the farm is pivot-irrigated.

Last year, Copeland had 600 acres of cotton under pivots that he controls remotely and receives alerts via his smartphone. Copeland says the 6448 yielded well in both irrigated and dryland scenarios and picked clean at harvest despite all the rain that fell in the fall. “6448 has good storm resistance, so it didn’t fall out of the bur,” he says.

COTTONFARMING.COM

In 2015, Copeland also grew a test plot of ST 6182GLT, which offers the newest Stoneville germplasm — GlyTol LibertyLink TwinLink — and has full tolerance to both Liberty and glyphosate herbicides. He treated it just like he did the other varieties, and in the end, said it was comparable to the 6448. Quantities of 6182 were limited last year, but he plans to plant more of that variety in the upcoming season.

Fertility And Pest Control The Copelands use a cover crop on many of their fields to prevent the soil from washing away in the winter and to pick up any nutrients that may be present. They take advantage of natural covers, such as henbit and volunteer rye grass, and plant wheat or rye in fields where the natural covers don’t emerge.

On some of his acres, Copeland plans to put down chicken litter this year with a compost spreader right before strip-tilling the fields. After the litter is delivered from north Georgia, his crop consultant, Bubba Lamberth, will have a sample tested to determine the nutrient content.

“I believe I can pick up some minor nutrients in the litter that I can’t afford to pay for in regular fertilizer,” Copeland says. “We’ll apply 2 to 3 tons per acre on corn and 1 ton on cotton.”

Like producers in other areas of

VARIETY PROFIT POTENTIAL Stoneville ST 6182GLT • •

•

•

Excellent yield, high gin turnout Three Bayer proprietary traits: GlyTol LibertyLink TwinLink Broadly adapted for light and heavy soils, irrigated or dryland conditions Over-the-top weed management using Liberty and glyphosate

Stoneville ST 6448GLB2

• Full-season maturity, outstanding yield • Premium fiber quality • Excellent seedling vigor, consistent stand establishment • Herbicide flexibility with full label rates of Liberty and glyphosate over

the top • Liberty and glyphosate herbicide tolerant • Broadly adapted for dryland and irrigated fields

the Cotton Belt, southwest Georgia farmers are faced with controlling ALS- and glyphosate-resistant pigweed.

“We spray Liberty over the top when the weeds are small to knock them out early,” Copeland says.

“Liberty also controls any morningglory that’s out there.”

In the insect arena, stink bugs are Copeland’s primary cotton pest, although last year was the lightest pressure he can remember.

“We sprayed early for thrips, and later in the season, we sprayed just one time for stink bugs,” he says. “In fields where we pulled soil samples and found reniform nematodes, we plan to make an in-furrow application of Velum Total — a nematicide/ insecticide.”

Season Wraps Up As harvest approached, rain set in and continued throughout October, November and December. Copeland had to lease a third picker to get all of his cotton out of the field under these challenging conditions.

Once the cotton was harvested, he transferred it to Mccleskey Cotton Co. — a full-service cotton ginning, marketing and warehousing operation — in Bronwood, Ga., where it was marketed through Staplcotn.

As the last vestiges of winter begin to dissipate, Copeland takes time for reflection, set against a backdrop of Georgia’s longleaf pines.

“I continue to hope for favorable weather,” he says, “along with a better world to come and good leadership at home to enhance the overseas marketing system for U.S. cotton. As farmers, we invest a lot of time and money in our crop and would like to remain profitable at the end of the day.”

Contact Carroll Smith at 901-3264443 or csmith@onegrower.com.

Southpoint At Showtime Plantation After the crops are harvested and before planting season begins, the Copelands operate Southpoint at Showtime Plantation, a hunting plantation in Terrell County, Ga. According to the venue’s website, “The Southern tradition and heritage of quail hunting on Southpoint Plantation dates back to the very early 1900s and continues today for the enjoyment of avid sportsmen.”

In addition to quail hunting, a trap shooting range is open to visitors as well.

Trained, well-bred pointers along with in-house guides – Caleb Horton, Josh Wardrip, Brady Copeland and John Beamon – are on hand, and Larron takes part in the horseback quail hunts.

Copeland’s wife, Laura, is in charge of the beautifully appointed main lodge, which also is available for private parties and other functions, such as weddings. Guests can enjoy plenty of Southern hospitality as they sit down to home-cooked meals of fried chicken, pork chops and steaks, relax on the roomy front porch or go horseback riding on a guided trip across the 5,000-acre plantation.

For more information, visit southpointatshowtimeplantation.com.

Twitter: @CottonFarming

COTTON FARMING MARCH 2016

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TCGA

#RockCottonTexasStyle

TCGA Annual Meeting and Trade Show April 7-8, 2016, Lubbock, Texas COTTON FARMERS AND GINNERS ARE GEARING UP TO #ROCKCOTTONTEXASSTYLE IN 2016.

Now that good moisture has returned to the Lone Star State, farmers stand ready to produce top yields, while ginners strive for high turnout rates. To make sure that cotton farming and ginning remain a viable part of the state’s economy, TCGA is a vigilant watchdog on the issues that could affect our industry.

The annual TCGA Meeting and Trade Show is one of the largest gatherings of cotton ginning equipment, supplies and affiliated businesses that provide parts or services to the ginning industry. More than 130 exhibitors are eager to inform visitors about their products and services related to all things cotton.

Make plans now to attend the show and share our optimism about the upcoming season via #ROCKCOTTON

TEXASSTYLE on Twitter and other social media.

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RESEARCH AND PROMOTION

New Campaign Launches Rally Cry

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s the Cotton Research and Promotion Program enters its 50th year, The Cotton Board is launching a new campaign directed at producers that will give them the confidence needed to renew their faith in cotton.

It is a hard time to be a cotton farmer. Cotton is entering into new territory, a time when prices are low, market share is declining and federal farm policy isn’t what many had hoped it would be. The Cotton Research and Promotion Program (the Program) has a positive story to tell and a legacy to back it up, but it must not get bogged down in the past. So the new campaign is a forward-looking rally cry for the cotton industry, letting the cotton-growing community know that the Program is pressing on and the possibilities are limitless.

continues to cultivate new markets and applications for cotton on behalf of today’s producers and importers, and for the generations that follow. And while downturns in cotton prices make headlines, new markets and innovations for cotton have the potential to make even more history.

The possibilities for cotton are limitless. And together, through the Program, cotton producers and importers are funding cutting-edge scientific research, award-winning advertising campaigns and state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques to help this trusted, reliable crop find new markets for generations to come.

Cotton’s future is renewable. Cotton prices have risen and fallen many times, but the demand for this natural, sustainable resource always returns with new possibilities and advances from research and promotion. The Renew Your Faith in Cotton campaign tells the story of research and promotion being done by Cotton Incorporated and introduces the cotton industry to exciting projects, such as innovations in cottonseed for food production and breakthroughs in fiber technology.

RENEW YOUR FAITH IN cotton Fifty years ago, another generation of cotton producers formed a public/private partnership to strengthen research and promotion for cotton. The producers who helped launch the Cotton Research & Promotion Program in 1966 faced similar challenges of declining market share, low prices and energized competition. They came together to ensure the future of cotton in the marketplace and in their communities.

Possibilities Are Limitless There is no single reason why cotton is again facing declining market share and disappointing prices, but there is only one group throughout the world that is actively trying to do something about it – the U.S. cotton industry. Only the U.S. cotton industry invests this amount of effort and level of funding into cotton research and promotion to increase cotton consumption worldwide.

No other cotton-producing country – not China, not India, not Brazil, not anyone – has worked more or invested more in programs that aid cotton producers in every part of the world.

With each new challenge, the cotton industry builds upon the solid foundation of the Program. The Program

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Campaign Execution The campaign will be executed through a variety of channels, including print advertising, radio features and digital platforms. The print campaign will have six ads – three focused on cotton as the food of the future and three focused on cotton as the fiber of the future.

The campaign was launched at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis in late February, and print, radio and digital advertising will continue to be executed throughout the year.

The campaign ads ultimately drive users to the Renew Your Faith In Cotton website where they can learn more about the research behind each specific project. This site will be the designated place where growers can go to see how their Program funds are being used.

As we enter cotton’s next 50 years, the Cotton Research and Promotion Program has a renewed commitment to the hard work and dedication required to make cotton the preferred fiber for the world. It’s time to Renew Your Faith in Cotton. Find out more about the campaign at renew.cottonboard.org.

The Cotton Board, which administers CI’s Research and Promotion Program, contributed information for this article.

COTTONFARMING.COM

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Specialists Speaking Pre-Plant Decision-Making FLORIDA David Wright Cotton farmers have been attending winter meetings to get the latest information on crop varieties, management and other factors that could help with crop-mix decisions and how to make a profit during times of low prices. Farming is not as much fun with low prices, and it is risky to try new practices if they fail and result in lower yields. However, things like rotation, in-row subsoiling, timely nitrogen application, proper rates and choosing top-yielding varieties for the area often pay dividends.

Cotton variety information is available across the region and should be considered carefully. Varieties that have been developed recently have good yield potential and good fiber quality traits. Most states have both official variety trials and county trials that show how they do in small plots and under different farm management situations. This will be a year to consider each management practice closely to make a positive impact on the bottom line. Many farmers will still be watching for market movement between now and planting time to help them decide on crop mix and acreage on their farms. wright@ufl.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten We are going into the season with some folks not having been able to do the tillage they may have intended to, due to rain. We have looked at timing of spring strip-till for the past few years. The two timings we have compared have been two to three weeks prior to planting and at planting. We have seen greater early season growth with strip-till occurring two to three weeks prior to planting compared to strip-tillage at planting. Strip-till prior to planting also resulted in higher yields in some cases. In all other cases, the yields were equal. Timing strip-tillage operations two to three weeks prior to planting may also work out better with pre-plant herbicide applications, especially Valor. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu

LOUISIANA Dan Fromme Cotton planting is just around the corner in Louisiana, and now is a good time to review a few key practices to help everyone get off to a great start. It is always best to plant according to soil temperature and not the calendar. If a field is planted too early, your cotton crop may suffer a stand loss and cold temperature stress, which reduces yield potential.

Germination can begin when mean daily temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit at seeding depths, but growth will be slow at these temperatures. A soil temperature of 65 degrees F at a depth of 4 inches for three consecutive days and a favorable five-day forecast following planting is best. Also, nighttime minimum temperatures should be forecast to be more than 50 degrees F for the following five days.

During the critical germination period, soil temperatures less than 50 degrees F can cause chilling injury to germinating cotton. Emergence will generally occur after accumulation of 50-80 DD60s or heat units after planting. Planting should be delayed if the five-day forecast predicts the accumulation of less than 25 heat units after planting. The minimum plant population in the final plant stand should be no less than two healthy plants per foot.

Creating a pest-free seedbed is critical to avoid problems from cutworms and spider mites. Pre-plant, burndown herbicide applications

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should be made at least four weeks prior to planting to ensure no green vegetation is in the field for these pests to survive. It is equally important to eliminate weedy host plants on field borders to reduce insect pest problems later on that might move into adjacent cotton fields. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds Depending on the weather, cotton seeds could start going into the ground in the next four to six weeks in Mississippi. If U.S. Department of Agriculture projections as well as the buzz on the street stands true, cotton acres in Mississippi will likely increase by at least 40 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. Commodity markets are challenging in all crops in 2016; however, Mississippi growers have produced outstanding yields for the past three years.

Although weed control has been challenging over the past several years, Mississippi growers have done a remarkable job at keeping Palmer amaranth populations in cotton at bay. However, MSU Weed Scientists recently announced that PPO-resistant Palmer amaranth is present in our state. PPO herbicides include fomesafen, which has been a popular choice ahead of planting for Palmer amaranth control. If PPO-resistant Palmer amaranth is present in your field, you still may see some residual control from pre applications of fomesafen; however, the length of residual activity may be dramatically shortened. Feet in the field will pay dividends if a Palmer amaranth escape is caught early. If not caught early, you may return to your field and find the beginning stages of a train wreck. darrind@ext.msstate.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper Cover crop questions have begun to pick up in recent weeks. Many of these are related to termination timing and method to maximize their benefit while minimizing the potential negative impacts associated with the cover on the following cash crop. The good news is almost all of these practices have been evaluated in great detail in other areas of the country.

Beginning in the mid 1990s, a tremendous amount of research was conducted by the USDA on using high-biomass cover crops within multiple production systems. Their efforts resulted in a sound approach to maximizing benefits while minimizing risks.

The best approach to suppressing weeds and achieving a consistent cash crop stand was to roll the high-biomass cover crop immediately before applying a terminating herbicide and then planting the cash crop into the crispy residue roughly two to three weeks later. Terminating at this date typically eliminated the green-bridge effect for insect pests, allowed the planter to consistently achieve the proper seeding depth and subsequently establish an adequate stand. This provided an opportunity for spring rains to re-charge the soil water reserve, which will likely be reduced by the winter cover, and maximize the time in which weeds are suppressed through the growing season by the cover crop. The bad news? As a collaborative group of agricultural scientists, we have an extremely limited dataset on multiple species mixes, especially with certain species of brassicas. Still, this past research should provide a starting point as we attempt to incorporate mixtures included in new programs into our production systems “on the fly.� To find links on the above-mentioned USDA research, check out our blog at news.utcrops.com. traper@utk.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

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Specialists Speaking MISSOURI Mike Milam I have been getting mixed signals about Missouri cotton acreage. The planting intentions indicate that acreage will increase due to low ending stocks. On the other hand, cotton prices may or may not increase. Since most of our cotton is grown for the export market, the higher dollar could reduce sales. The good news is that we grow high-quality cotton and have opportunities for foreign mills.

In addition to corn, soybean, cotton, wheat, watermelon and cantaloup, we now have increased acreage of grain sorghum. In our area, peanut acreage is increasing, too. In order to get increases in acreage for any of the crops, weather will be the determining factor for price increases. It usually takes a disaster somewhere to make changes in the market. The Texas drought is over. So cotton acreage there should increase. In Missouri, we are fortunate to have excellent irrigation potential. With our abundant groundwater and lower costs of pumping relative to other parts of the Cotton Belt, we are less susceptible to droughty conditions. Our producers can tap into county SWCDs and NRCS for cost-share assistance for irrigation.

One thing that producers have learned about herbicide-resistant weed control is that size matters. The smaller the weed, the easier it is to kill. We just need favorable weather conditions to better control the weeds, drift and volatilization. milammr@missouri.edu

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson The drier weather the first half of February made it possible for field work across most of the state to occur. Soil sampling, dirt pans putting fields to grade, fertilizer buggies in wheat and burndown or ground tillage going into rice and corn were common sights the week prior to Valentine’s Day. The kickoff of cotton burndown programs and other weed control strategies for most farmers is just around the corner.

Those who put in a cereal rye cover crop likely did so to improve soil health and help with pigweed control. The use of cover crops appears to be growing in Arkansas. Regardless of your cover crop or tillage program, technique and timeliness are key to the success of a burndown program. Temperature, weed size, weed stress, spray gallonage and droplet size are just a few of the considerations that can influence effectiveness. Programs should be timed well ahead of the planter to address issues related to the “green bridge,” which can facilitate movement of pests from a dying cover crop to an emerging crop.

Our immediate goal for the 2016 crop is to start with a good stand of healthy cotton. This requires the fields to be clean at planting. A timely and effective burndown program is our first step toward this goal. Contact your local county Extension agent for more information. brobertson@uaex.edu

VIRGINIA Hunter Frame In Virginia, the question is which of the three crops will gain or lose acreage among peanuts, cotton and soybeans. In the cotton-growing area, the lack of irrigation limits the number of corn acres. At the time of writing this article, no peanut contracts have been announced, though similar contracts to 2015 are expected. Price will dictate the battle for acres between soybeans and cotton. As of right now, neither commodity looks promising for 2016. Most believe that cotton acres will remain about 85,000 for Virginia, though planting intentions for producers vary depending on how the 2015 crop performed on their farms. Hopefully, by the time this article reaches you, there is better news on the

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horizon for Virginia cotton producers.

Another issue that has come to the forefront in Virginia is pollinator protection. Currently, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is holding stakeholder input meetings for the pollinator protection plan. I encourage all producers and beekeepers to share their input with VDACS as it develops the plan. For cotton, this is a big issue as cases have been filed against producers with VDACS involving beekeepers. The need for a science-based pollinator protection plan has reached critical mass for row crop producers in Virginia. I believe the pollinators and row crops can and must thrive side by side in Virginia, though both producers and beekeepers will need to compromise and work together. whframe@vt.edu

ARIZONA Randy Norton The outlook on cotton prices for the 2016 season still remains less than exciting. The saving grace for cotton may be that other commodity prices are not significantly better. This economic scenario requires that each input be scrutinized for its potential return on investment. This may not be the year to try something new that requires significant economic resources, particularly if there is no substantial evidence that the input is going to result in a net positive return.

There is no dearth of products out there that may significantly impact your crop in terms of potential yield increases. But, if the yield increase does not offset the investment in the material and the cost of application, this year may not be the year for making those purchases and investments. Conversely, in years of lean cotton prices, it is often investments in basic fertilizer needs that get trimmed first and typically in a significant fashion. I would warn against cutting back too much on your basic fertilizer investments as you may jeopardize the potential yield of the crop in a significant way. Additionally, crop stresses induced by poor nutrition management may result in increases in other stressors such as insect pressure. Instead of making a quick decision to cut back significantly on fertilizer inputs, plan on making fertility decisions based upon crop growth and development. Monitoring in-season crop growth for the potential demand for fertilizer through vigor and fruit load estimates is an inexpensive method for evaluating potential fertility needs. I will discuss this in more detail as we move into the season.

My message today is that we must do everything in our power to ensure that we optimize our profit margin by maximizing yield while attempting to minimize input costs. This is not an easy balance to obtain, but the current price situation demands that we make our best efforts toward this end. rnorton@cals.arizona.edu

TEXAS Seth Byrd The “wetter-than-normal winter” conditions that were in the forecast for the High Plains of Texas have failed to deliver much moisture to the region outside of winter storm Goliath in late December. As of mid-February, there is little rain in the forecast across the region, so any March precipitation would be welcome. Several storms leading up to May could aid in improving moisture content in the soil profile and improve planting conditions, particularly in dryland scenarios. With planting operations still a couple of months away, all eyes will be on the forecast and soil moisture conditions as that time draws near.

Finally, results from several of the regional on-farm variety trials are available online at http://varietytesting.tamu.edu/cotton/, while results from multiple locations of variety trials in the High Plains are located at http://lubbock.tamu.edu/. seth.byrd@ag.tamu.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

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WHEN YOU GIVE COTTON GROWERS THE TOTAL PACKAGE, THE SKY’S THE LIMIT. It’s time for growers to expect more from a cottonseed. And Stoneville ® delivers. Through advanced breeding, growers can expect better cotton quality, improved disease tolerance and high yield potential. Now that there’s a cottonseed that delivers it all, the sky’s the limit.

Learn more at Stoneville.com

Industry News New MOA To Stop Pigweed Cotton farmers now have a new pre-emergence herbicide and class of chemistry in the fight against resistant weeds. SePRO Corp. has announced that on Feb. 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered Brake herbicide for cotton. The company says that Brake offers exceptional cotton tolerance with extended residual weed control, providing a great start and maximizing yield potential.

Brake is a strong residual herbicide that provides the foundation for comprehensive weed control, regardless of traits. It controls herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth and other broadleaf weeds and grasses. This herbicide excels under wet conditions, providing assurance when farmers are unable to make timely post-emergence herbicide applications.

“Having the opportunity to develop Brake alongside the grower community has been invaluable for this new class of chemistry for cotton,” says Bill Culpepper, CEO SePRO Corp. To learn more, go to brakeherbicide.com.

Still Time To Join The 2015 One Ton Club Cotton farmers who plant FiberMax cotton seed are eligible to join the One Ton Club if they harvested 2,000 lb./A on at least 20 acres in 2015. The qualification deadline is April 6, 2016.

Growers who qualify for membership receive FiberMax One Ton Club apparel and gifts, an invitation to the annual banquet on April 7 and the chance to win a two-year lease on a Ford F-350 Super Duty King Ranch truck in the FiberMax One Ton Club Sweepstakes.

The program is open to growers in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Complete rules and the qualification form are available from your local Bayer sales representative or at www.FiberMax.com/OneTonClub.

leaders through the Billy Carter Cotton Leadership Scholarship Endowment. North Carolina State University students Brittany Clay, George Hildebrand, N.C.; Keith Kornegay, Cove City, N.C., and Brady Hedgecock, Walnut Cove, N.C., all received scholarships from the Billy Carter Endowment and were recognized during the recent North Carolina Cotton Producers Association’s Annual Meeting.

The Billy Carter Cotton Leadership Scholarship Endowment was established in 2012 by Billy’s wife, Beverly, and their daughter, Beth Burchell, as a permanent endowment with the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation Inc. Additional funding was provided by the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association and other friends of Billy Carter.

Modulating Boll Buggy Unveiled The new Modulating Boll Buggy by CrustBuster/ Speed King Inc. offers a simple, less expensive alternative to a round-bale system. The lightweight, bellow design allows for large capacity, 1875 cubic feet of full loads taken from a stripper/ picker, such as a JD 7460 with wide-head configurations. Cotton is compacted by four industrial-style tie bolt cylinders to the same density as that of a typical module builder. This boll buggy conveys cotton into the compaction chamber and continuously packs cotton while moving through the field. It allows tamping the full length of the module, which compacts twice as much cotton with each stroke compared to a typical builder. The Modulating Boll Buggy has an easy unload feature.

Finished modules are 16 feet long. Half tarps can be pulled over the module.

Farmers can use existing planter tractors for full operation and powering the dedicated hydraulic system that provides tamping and traversing of the bridge. Basket operations are controlled by electric solenoid valves. The need for a module builder and a module-building power unit and ground crew is eliminated. The cost of non-recoverable round bale wraps is eliminated as well as the need for a roundbale staging tractor.

For more information, contact CrustBuster/Speed King Inc. at 620-227-7106. Watch the video at: www.crustbuster.com/MBB.

Cottonseed Not An Oilseed

Carter’s wife, Beverly Carter Walker, right, joins David Parrish, left, CEO, NC Cotton Producers Association, Brittany Clay and Keith Kornegay following the Billy Carter Cotton Leadership Scholarship presentations.

Billy Carter Scholarships Awarded North Carolina cotton producer and industry leader Billy Carter left behind a legacy that continues to improve tomorrow’s agricultural

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that U.S. Department of Agriculture lawyers have determined the department does not have the authority to declare cottonseed an oilseed as the cotton industry had asked. He said Congress would have to find $1 billion over 10 years for the subsidies related to declaring cottonseed an oilseed.

Rep. Collin Peterson, House ranking member, said he recognizes that cotton farmers are in financial trouble, but that the cotton industry did get what it asked for in the Farm Bill — the STAX crop insurance program. The National Cotton Council said it would continue to work on the issue.

COTTONFARMING.COM

New EPA Regulations Discussed

L

ouisiana farmers at the Northeast Louisiana Row Crop Forum heard from LSU AgCenter experts who told them about recent developments as they prepare for the upcoming growing season. Nearly 50 farmers attended the event.

Carol Pinnell-Alison, LSU AgCenter Extension agent in Franklin Parish, says all agricultural producers who handle pesticides will have to follow new, more stringent guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The new Worker Protection Standard is in effect now.

“It’s been 20 years since there have been any changes in this,” she says.

“One of the biggest changes is you will have to train your employees on pesticide handling every year, not every three years.”

Pinnell-Alison says there is no grace period for the pesticide training, and producers have to keep training records for two years. Employees also must be at least 18 years old to mix, load or apply any pesticide or to enter a sprayed area before the re-entry interval has expired.

New EPA requirements include new pesticide application posting along with providing pesticide safety data sheets. Other changes include requirements for personal protection equipment and the amount of water and eye wash material available for employees for cleanup from pesticide exposure. More detailed information on the new standards can be found at www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/ agricultural-worker-protection-standard-wps.

AgCenter entomologist Sebe Brown says neonicotinoid insecticides are being scrutinized by environmentalists and the EPA because of concerns that they may be a threat to pollinators, such as honeybees. But, he says research is not supporting fears that the neonicotinoids are harmful to bees.

The pesticide Transform, used against sugarcane aphids in grain sorghum, was removed from the market in November after a challenge in court, Brown says. Environmental groups complained that the EPA had not required more thorough testing

of the product, and it has been linked to bee mortality. Brown says the EPA has encouraged states to develop pollinator protection plans.

The measures in the Louisiana plan include identifying hives near crops with black and yellow flags visible to aerial applicators, assigning GPS coordinates to hive locations, mark-

ing hives with identification tags and applying chemicals at times that are not potentially harmful to bees.

Brown also urged farmers against applying pyrethroids without finding enough insects to justify spraying.

Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter, contributed this article.

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SOUTHERN SOUTHEASTERN

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers for “Made for Me” Advertisement for Deltapine

Bollgard II® XtendFlex® cotton contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides, dicamba, the active ingredient in M1691, and glufosinate, the active ingredient in Liberty® brand herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate.

Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba.

Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate.

Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System weed control programs.

DO NOT APPLY DICAMBA HERBICIDE IN-CROP TO Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton in 2016 unless a dicamba herbicide product is approved that is specifically labeled for that use in the location where you intend to make the application.

Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton.

U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) was the keynote speaker at the recent Southern Southeastern annual meeting in Savannah, Ga. His comments regarding fair trade, opposition to EPA’s aggressive, regulatory overreach and support for the cottonseed program were well received by all in attendance. Introducing the senator is Kent Fountain, president, Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association. Kent Wannamaker, left, is chairman of the board, Southern Cotton Growers.

IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO MAKE AN IN-CROP APPLICATION OF ANY DICAMBA HERBICIDE PRODUCT ON BOLLGARD II XTENDFLEX COTTON UNLESS THE PRODUCT LABELING SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZES THAT USE. Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship ® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Only commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted.

It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product.

Southern Southeastern Highlights

B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states.

Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state.

Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year.

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

Insect control technology provided by Vip3A is utilized under license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. Growers may utilize the natural refuge option for varieties containing the Bollgard II ® trait in the following states: AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA, and most of Texas (excluding the Texas counties of Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler). The natural refuge option does not apply to Bollgard II® cotton grown in areas where pink bollworm is a pest, including CA, AZ, NM, and the above listed Texas counties. It also remains the case that Bollgard® and Bollgard II® cotton cannot be planted south of Highway 60 in Florida, and that Bollgard® cotton cannot be planted in certain other counties in the Texas panhandle. Refer to the Technology Use Guide and IRM/Grower Guide for additional information regarding Bollgard II, Bollgard, natural refuge and EPA-mandated geographical restrictions on the planting of B.t. cotton.

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ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready ® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides.

Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Bollgard II®, Genuity Design®, Genuity ®, Respect the Refuge and Cotton Design®, Roundup Ready ®, Roundup Technology ®, Roundup® and XtendFlex® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Dedicated to Cotton. Committed to You.® and Deltapine ® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Company. LibertyLink and the Water Droplet Design® is a registered trademark of Bayer. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 Monsanto Company.

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Ginner Of The Year The Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association recognized Joey Scarborough of Tallassee, Ala., as the recipient of the 2015 Cotton Ginner of the Year award. Scarborough is the

The 2017 Annual Meetings of the Southern Cotton Growers Inc. and the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association Inc. will be held in Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 18-21. second manager for the Milstead Farm Group gin.

The Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association represents the cotton ginning industry throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. For more than 30 years, the organization has recognized one of its outstanding members from across the region as the ginner of the year. Association president Kent Fountain says, “To be eligible for the award, the member must meet a number of criteria, and Joey certainly has met those criteria.”

Scarborough took over the gin in 2006 and has ginned more than 200,000 bales since then, growing the COTTONFARMING.COM

COTTON FARMING MARCH 2016

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he annual meetings of the Southern Cotton Growers Inc. and the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association Inc. were held recently in Savannah, Ga. The well-attended event featured several committee meetings and breakout sessions in which numerous production topics were discussed.

U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) gave the keynote address during the general session. Reece Langley, vice president, NCC, presented the Washington, D.C., update, and Bruce Atherley, executive director, Cotton Council International, delivered the CCI update.

1/13/16 3:18 PM

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GINNER OF THE YEAR Kent Fountain, president, Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, presents Joey Scarborough of Tallassee, Ala., with the 2015 Cotton Ginner of the Year award. gin nearly every year. In a letter of support for Scarborough’s nomination, one of the gin’s larger customers and owner, Shep Morris, says, “Having watched Joey grow up and from knowing him all his life, we thought this would be a win-win for all parties concerned. Joey brought with him high ethical standards, mechanical aptitude and an entrepreneurial spirit.”

During the presentation, Fountain mentioned that Scarborough has been on the board of directors for several years and has served as the Safety and Insurance Committee chair for most of that time. “The only meeting I remember him missing was when one of his children was born,” Fountain says.

Scarborough and his wife, Kami, have two children and reside in Tallassee, Ala. Insect Pest Management In one of the breakout sessions, Jeremy Greene, Clemson University Extension entomologist, talked about insect pest management as reported by A. Denise Attaway, Clemson University, in the following excerpt from her article. Clemson University Cooperative Extension and Research specialists shared best management practices for thrips, stinkbugs and bollworms, as well as how to choose cotton varieties.

Thrips is a primary pest of South Carolina cotton. Proper scouting is

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COTTON FARMING MARCH 2016

Jeremy Greene, Clemson University Extension entomologist essential in controlling thrips in a cotton field. Some management tips for thrips include: planting cover crops and using heavy residue in a reduced-tillage system, using starter fertilizer with irrigation, avoiding herbicide stress (proper calibration/ delivery), applying foliar applications early (first leaf bud is best), as well as using at-plant insecticides (seed/ hopper box treatments, in-furrow granular materials, such as Temik (label is good until 2018), Thimet or in-furrow liquid sprays, such as imidacloprid or acephate, or a combination of these mentioned.

Planting date also plays an important role in the susceptibility of seedling cotton to feeding injury from thrips. Historically, early planted cotton experienced more problems with thrips than cotton planted later in the

planting window. However, it is more common recently to experience maximum pressure from thrips during the middle of the planting season in May. A new model will be available soon to help producers predict periods of heightened thrips risk in cotton.

In addition to thrips, stink bug is another important cotton pest. “Pay attention to field edges, borders and adjacent landscapes,” Greene says.

“The interface of cotton with peanuts is a great example of an adjacent crop that can be an attractive location for stink bugs. Woodland margins with wild hosts for stink bugs can also be a hot zone for the insects in cotton. Scout these areas first when making decisions about using insecticides for stink bugs.”

Greene warned producers of the new brown marmorated stink bug already established in portions of South Carolina. He also addressed bollworms during the meeting.

Greene says bollworms can be mostly controlled by using Bt cotton, although the technology does not provide 100 percent control. Growers still need to scout for and manage bollworms, as needed.

To aid cotton producers in their fight against insect pests, the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service has two mobile apps that can be found at http://www.clemson.edu/ extension/mobile-apps/.

Presiding Officers Officers presiding over the 2016 annual meeting were: Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association Chairman of the board: Levin Lynch, Bennettsville, S.C. President: Kent Fountain, Surrency, Ga. Vice president: Wes Morgan, New London, N.C. Secretary: Drake Perrow, Cameron, S.C. Treasurer: Steve Sterling, Tuscumbia, Ala. CEO: Dennis S. “Dusty” Findley, Dawsonville, Ga.

Southern Cotton Growers Chairman of the board: Kent Wannamaker, Matthews, S.C. President: David Dunlow, Gaston, N.C. First vice president: J.W. Jones, Windsor, Va. Second vice president: Neal Isbell, Muscle Shoals, Ala. Treasurer: Lee Cromley, Brooklet, Ga. Secretary: Rusty Darby, Chester, S.C. Executive committee: Joe Martin, Conway, N.C. CEO: David Ruppenicker, Dawsonville, Ga. COTTONFARMING.COM

COTTON

Ginners Marketplace COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

NCGA Sees Quality Preservation As An Important Goal For 2016

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At the National Cotton Ginners’ Association 79th membership and board meeting in Dallas in early February, the board covered reports from committees on a wide range of topics, including technology, safety and labor, and legislative.

NCGA members are keenly aware of the importance of quality, such as fiber quality preservation and lint contamination prevention. The NCGA will be at the forefront of the educational program as the industry works to achieve its goal of zero contamination.

Among other NCGA priorities include adequate funding for the three federal ginning laboratories so fiber quality and efficiency research can continue. NCGA also will monitor the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour and OSHA interpretation of regulations and how they are applied to cotton gins.

Environmental regulations, such as those associated with air quality, will continue to be closely monitored.

The association will work with the Food and Drug Administration as the animal feed rule is being implemented. And because a well-trained workforce is important for the industry’s health, the NCGA will continue to support the three ginner schools.

2016 NCGA president Ron Craft

During the annual meeting, the NCGA also announced its 2016 officers, including its president, Ron Craft, who moves up from NCGA first vice president. Craft is manager of the New Tex Gin Company in Plains, Texas. He has served on and chaired numerous NCGA committees and currently chairs its Legislative Committee and its Air Quality Subcommittee.

The other NCGA officers for 2016 include first vice president – David Blakemore, Campbell, Mo.;

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second vice president – Stanley Creelman, Tulare, Calif.; third vice chairman – Wes Morgan, New London, N.C.; and chairman – Levin Lynch, Bennettsville, S.C. Harrison Ashley of Cordova, Tenn., serves as NCGA’s executive vice president.

Recognized at the NCGA annual meeting was the 2015 Horace Hayden National Cotton Ginner of the Year – Louis Colombini, who is manager of the Westside Farmers Coop Gins in Fresno, Calif., and an active California ginner leader.

The award is presented annually to a ginner in recognition of: 1) able, efficient and faithful service to the ginning industry and 2) continuing those principles exemplified and practiced

by Horace Hayden, a former NCGA executive secretary.

Colombini has served on numerous California Cotton Ginner Association committees including serving as its chairman in 2000 and 2001. He is a past chairman of the California Association of Grower Owned Gins. He has participated on the national level through the National Cotton Council, serving both as a ginner delegate and as a ginner director.

Raised on a small cotton and vineyard farm in Fresno, Colombini received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from California State University, Fresno. After working for Producers

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1 – Consolidated 96” R-5000 Stick Machine* 2 – Consolidated 120” R-5000 Stick Machines* 1 – Lummus 60” overshot Standard Battery Condenser* 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot Standard Battery Condenser* 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot MC Battery Condenser*

Cotton Ginners Marketplace

1 – 1997 model Ginning/Lint Cleaning Line, consisting of a 96” wide Model 700TM Feeder, 170-Saw ImperialTM III Gin, Super-Jet® Lint Cleaner, and Model 108 Lint Cleaner 2 – Lummus Model 66 Lint Cleaners with Condensers 1 – Belt-Wide 75-HP Flooded-Suction Hydraulic Booster Pumping Unit 1 – Lubbock Electric Hydraulic Pumping Unit for Gin Dor-Les® or E.E. Dor-Les® Press (single reservoir with multiple motor/pump groups) 1 – Lummus Bale Handling System for up-packing press 1 – Lot, miscellaneous Burner and Moisture Unit components (contact us for details)

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

* - does not include any Steel Supports or Platforms

®

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

© Copyright 2016 Lummus Corporation

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MODULE FEEDERS

CHANNEL SAWS

COTTON GIN BRUSHES

BATS & BRUSHES

VERTICAL COMBO DRYER

ROUND MODULE MACHINERY

Louis Colombini, the 2015 Horace Hayden National Cotton Ginner of the Year recipient, with his wife, Christie.

Cotton Oil managing its Corcoran and Angiola Gins, he was the ranch coordinator for South Lake Farms before moving to the Buttonwillow Ginning Co. He joined Westside in 2007.

In addition, Barry Nevius, who has served as a safety and loss control specialist for the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association and headed up its safety-related activities since 1998, received NCGA’s 2015-2016 Charles C. Owen Distinguished Service Award. That honor recognizes those who have provided a career of distinguished service to the U.S. ginning industry.

Nevius has helped elevate the importance of gin safety during countless training sessions, including at the annual NCGA Ginner Schools, and has spoken on that topic at the annual Beltwide Cotton Conferences and at multiple Southern/Southeastern meetings.

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

Cotton Ginners Marketplace

Harrison Ashley, executive vice president of the National Cotton Ginners’ Association, contributed this article.

Please contact him at 901-274-9030 or hashley@cotton.org.

Cotton’s Calendar 2016 April 7-8: Texas Cotton Ginners Association Trade Show, Lubbock, Texas.

June 7-9: Cotton Incorporated Meeting, Dallas, Texas.

July 31-Aug. 3: Southern/Southeastern Board Meeting, Amelia Island, Fla. Aug. 2-4: Cotton Board/Cotton Incorporated Meeting, Scottsdale, Ariz.

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

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

COTTON FARMING MARCH 2016

25

My Turn The Dads You Didn’t Have To Be

T

And to the farmers who let him be the elevator he little blond boy was playing operator during a meeting in Savannah. We’re d u g - o u t c a t c h especially thankful to the one who told him that w i t h a n o t h e r he’d have to go to college if he really wanted to be teammate, who sudden- an elevator operator when he grew up.

In an industry full of role models, agriculture ly asked about his dad. “I don’t have a dad,” the boy also staffs a deep bench for parenting decisions. said. “You have to have In addition to family, I frequently went to farmers a dad. Who do you play for advice on how the stern side of the parenting catch with?” the teammate equation makes decisions. As a mom, I’m better at asked. “I do have a mom,” soothing hurt than meting out discipline.

Then, about halfway through raising this boy, Pam (Golden) the boy said. “She plays I was forced to take a job outside of ag. Two years catch.”

Caraway That conversation was later, I was blessedly welcomed back into the indusheld about 18 years ago. try. When leaving the temporary job, the director The boy was 7 or so. The team mom’s heart broke wanted to know what the other job offered — my again as she overheard the conversation. The response was quick: “You’ve got a lot of good peoblond boy was her son. His absent father was her ple here, but in agriculture I work every day and almost exclusively with ex-husband. But life for people who have the these two changed dra“This is a thank you note same priorities in life matically that same year to all of you.” that I do: God, country, when the mom moved family.” from being a newspaper The director wanted to come with me. reporter to editing a farm magazine.

Working in the agriculture industry gave me the That’s when my son gained a whole industry filled with people who provided direction and car- opportunity to raise my son first and do my job ing to the growing boy whose father couldn’t man- second. For instance, when my choice his senior age his own broken life. This is a thank you note year of high school was to miss his last home game to all of you — and an update to those who once on the soccer field or slightly adjust attendance followed my magazine column and kept up with at an important cotton meeting, the boss told me to be at the game. That’s not the way most single that growing boy.

It’s a thank you to the farmer who years later moms get to order their priorities; more often, they ­ the essential paycheck. asked about my son. I didn’t remember visiting his must focus on the job — Those who have never worked outside agriculfarm. He remembered because he prayed when we left. “I was so worried about you getting home,” he ture may take this life for granted. Those who have never worked in agriculture can’t imagine said. “It was just the two of you in that old car.”

To the industry friend who took the time to dis- this world still exists; it’s an Opie Taylor fantasy.

For one little blond boy and his momma, agricuss the merits of a couple knives Rusty was considering for purchase with his chore earnings. He culture was a saving grace. We know raising children on a farm with two parents is ideal. Raising was in the market for just one.

To the farmer in whose field my son said the a boy as close as we could get to the farm with a ultimate dirty word — without knowing either the momma and a whole team of role models worked the trick. He’s a 25-year-old college graduate definition or the weight of such a word.

To the peanut farmers who laughed when they with a solid job in construction management in heard: “Mom? Mom?” over the walkie-talkie. We south Florida. We raised an adult. Thank you. were at a conference and he was old enough to be on his own in our room for short periods, but — Pam (Golden) Caraway, public relations account supervisor at Rhea + Kaiser, Florala, Ala. not quite old enough for a cell phone. Those walkPCaraway@rkconnect.com ie-talkies were our lifeline during the conference.

Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling unusual “farm tales” or timely stories from across the Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting story to tell, send a short summary to csmith@onegrower.com or fax to (901) 767-4026. We look forward to hearing from you.

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2:51pm New Madrid, MO Nothing but white.

What a season.

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Bollgard II® XtendFlex® cotton contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides, dicamba, the active ingredient in M1691, and glufosinate, the active ingredient in Liberty® brand herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System weed control programs. Always follow IRM, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Details of these practices can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers for “Made for Me” advertisement for Deltapine printed in this publication. ©2016 Monsanto Company. DP-16009-CF-DE-Ross-1538-1522-1518-MAR