Cotton farming november 2016 by One Grower Publishing

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

NOVEMBER 2016

www.cottonfarming.com

2017

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

MY TURN: MY FAVORITE MARTIAN BLUE JEANS GO GREEN

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Every harvest should be your best harvest. That’s why PhytoGen pours all we’ve got into our cottonseed. From being first to offer the Enlist™ system for unrivaled weed control to the unmatched expertise of our representatives — you get a great start for increased yield and improved fiber quality. Which means when your seed bag says PhytoGen® cottonseed on the outside, everything inside is just flat-out better.

Get the power to thrive. Contact your PhytoGen representative or visit PhytoGen.com today. ®

PhytoGen and the PhytoGen Logo are trademarks of PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC. ®™DOW Diamond, Enlist and Enlist Logo are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an afﬁliated company of Dow. The Enlist weed control system is owned and developed by Dow AgroSciences LLC. Enlist Duo® herbicide is not yet registered for use on Enlist cotton. Enlist Duo 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. PhytoGen Seed Company is a joint venture between Mycogen Corporation, an afﬁliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC, and the J.G. Boswell Company. L38-076-142 (10/16) BR DAAGPHYG6076

Vol. 60 No. 11

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

NOVEMBER 2016

www.cottonfarming.com

F E AT U R E S

BLUE JEANS GO GREEN

SEED

WEATHER: A MIXED BAG

GUIDE

GINNING MARKETPLACE

Cotton Incorporated’s successful denim recycling program, which has achieved many milestones, marks its 10th anniversary.

2017

VARIETY

Mother Nature can be fickle. State cotton specialists discuss how good weather and bad affected the 2016 cotton crop across the Belt.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY

Dusty Findley of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association applauds ginners who handle all types of adverse conditions that come their way and still keep running 24/7.

Raising The Bar

The menu of cotton varieties from which to choose in 2017 includes a host of high-yielding, good quality selections. Check out the roster in Cotton Farming’s Seed Variety Guide. More offerings will be announced at the 2017 Beltwide Cotton Conferences. Think about your priorities, discuss them with your consultant and seed representative, and then place your order for the upcoming season.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 6 Cotton’s Agenda 13 Cotton Board

14 Specialists Speaking 21 Industry News 22 My Turn

ON THE COVER: Cotton producer Eric Smith farms in Floyd County, Texas, and delivers his crop to Floydada Co-op Gin. Cover photo by Mary Jane Buerkle.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Clemson agriculture experts provide post-hurricane updates from around the state. “Hurricane Matthew, which crushed the Caribbean and then blasted the coast of the United States from Florida to North Carolina, certainly took no pity on South Carolina during its relentless march.” Go to www.cotton farming.com for more information and to view photos in this Web Exclusive report.

SUPPLEMENT Look for Soybean South following page 12 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.

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.

TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

Editor’s Note Carroll Smith

Cotton Farming

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

Give Thanks For All Things

was watching a college football game recently when a young player, who had not spent much scoring time in the end zone, made an amazing touchdown. He began celebrating in a fashion the official deemed “excessive” and was flagged for it. I could envision the announcer shaking his head as he said, and I paraphrase, “Son, act like you’ve been here before. Think of all the ‘greats’ who have made those same awesome plays, smiled, chest-bumped their fellow players and goodnaturedly tossed the ball back to the official.” My interpretation of the announcer’s remarks is it’s OK to get excited during a successful moment. But don’t go overboard and forget to exercise humility and be grateful to the good Lord, other people and the circumstances that helped you get there. And when things don’t go your way, put them behind you and fearlessly move on to the next challenge. Since November is a time for thanksgiving, among my many blessings, I am thankful for having the opportunity to work in the agriculture industry. Many folks who have farmed for a while will say they have just about seen it all and know how to “act like they’ve been there before.” Farmers are excellent at what they do, grateful and gracious when things go their way, and courageous when faced with adversity. As the 2016 season draws to a close, a popular catch phrase making the rounds is “a year to remember” – both good and not-so-good. Fields blanketed in snow-like cotton, record-breaking yields, untimely historic floods and…Hurricane Matthew. Those who experienced Mother Nature’s benevolent side were thrilled with the outcome and gave thanks to everyone and everything that got them there. Comments about beautiful harvest photos posted to social media sites were full of compliments and congratulations from one farmer to another. Those who had to contend with floods and a hurricane bravely looked for ways to minimize the damage or accepted their losses and began developing a strategy for next season. Other producers, along with university and industry personnel, offered to help in any way they could. That’s what ag folks do because we’ve been here before in good times and bad and know how to act. In the spirit of the Irish blessing, “May the rains fall soft upon your fields” in 2017.

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

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

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

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Copyright 2016 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

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

COTTONFARMING.COM

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What you put in the ground determines what you put in the tank. Plant glufosinate tolerant seeds. Harvest the beneﬁts of new Interline herbicide. It’s one of your earliest decisions…’What seed variety will I plant in the spring? What tool will I use to combat weed resistance?’ In past seasons you may have wanted to plant glufosinate-tolerant or LibertyLink® cotton or soybeans, but were uncertain if the chemistry would be affordable for you to use during herbicide application timing. Worry no more! As the second largest global manufacturer of glufosinate, UPI is pleased to reliably supply the market with Interline® herbicide. Manufactured in our new state-of-the-art facility, Interline provides an HRAC Group10 herbicide that controls the toughest resistant pigweed, waterhemp, marestail, and ragweed. So choose and plant your glufosinate tolerant seeds with conﬁdence, and Interline herbicide will be ready and waiting in the spring. To learn more, contact your local UPI distributor, UPI sales representative or visit www.upi-usa.com.

Always read and follow label directions and precautions. LibertyLink is a trademark of Bayer CropScience. Interline® and UPI logo are trademarks of United Phosphorus, Inc. ©September, 2016. UPI, 630 Freedom Business Center, King of Prussia, PA 19406. www.upi-usa.com.

Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

A Steadfast Supplier The National Cotton Council (NCC) continuously monitors U.S. cotton flow because it is imperative that the industry maintain its hard earned reputation as a reliable supplier of quality fiber to the global marketplace.

How is this being done? n U.S. warehouses are in the midst of receiving the bulk of this season’s harvest, and the NCC is urging all of them to comply with the minimum shipping standard in the USDA Commodity Credit Corp.’s Cotton Storage Agreement. That agreement stipulates that warehouses must 1) ship, if requested, at least 4.5 percent of their licensed or effective capacity each week and 2) submit shipped and bales made available for shipment (BMAS) reports each week. The NCC believes this accountability is necessary for those involved in storing and shipping cotton – because it helps ensure U.S. cotton reaches textile mills in a timely fashion. Another step aimed at improving this flow was taken two years ago when a NCC Cotton Flow Committee recommendation provided USDA with the U.S. warehouses are urged to comply with the ability to see shipminimum shipping standard in USDA’s Cotton ping order schedStorage Agreement. uling exchanges between merchants and warehouses. This helps determine if reported shipping activity matches requested activity. The Committee has been encouraged by some warehouses’ and merchants’ increased use of EWR’s Shipping Order Update (SOU) function, also known as Batch 23 files. (See www.cotton.org/tech/flow/upload/B23_USO_ FactSheet.pdf) Use of these electronic submissions helps reduce backlogs and free up valuable warehouse resources to accommodate additional shipping order bookings.

Another goal will be achieved when the majority of merchants’ shipping orders and early shipping orders contain requested load dates – a step the NCC strongly encourages. Basically, EWR Inc.’s enhanced SOU function allows USDA to review an audit trail of requested shipping dates, compared to the warehouse’s BMAS data. For most of 2016, U.S. cotton warehouses’ filing of those BMAS reports has been strong but the NCC urges warehouses to remain diligent.

What about bale bag and tie codes? n Another enhancement to cotton flow was the addition of a bag and tie code table to the “Official Tare Weights” section of the 2016 Specifications for Cotton Bale Packaging Materials. Use of these codes enables merchants to verify the bales’ tare weights and better respond to textile mills’ preferences. Warehouses are encouraged to use these codes when creating electronic warehouse receipts. The codes can be found at www.cotton.org/tech/ bale/specs/tare-weights.cfm. Since their introduction in the 1990s, electronic warehouse receipts had a two-character field reserved for a bag code. This field was recently split into two columns by the dominant electronic warehouse receipt provider, EWR Inc., so that the tie type also could be included on the receipt. Because this additional piece of information is important to most receipt holders, software vendors are being urged to make sure software updates for gins, warehouses and shippers accommodate the suggested bag and tie type fields. Another flow enhancement can be attributed to the acceptance of packaging innovations such as polyester strapping. This product has allowed gins to increase the productivity of their automated bale strapping systems, reduce transportation costs through lighter tare weights and improve worker safety.

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

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

COTTONFARMING.COM

Arkansan Named Southeastern Farmer Of The Year

Accolades For Wildy This is the 27th year for the Farmer of the Year award. It recognizes excellence in agricultural production and farm management, along with leadership in farm and community organizations. The award also honors family contributions in producing safe and abundant supplies of food, fiber and shelter products. Peter Ghiloni, president and CEO of Swisher International Inc., of Jacksonville, Fla., praised Wildy for his farming accomplishments. “David is an outstanding representative of our nation’s best farmers,” Ghiloni says. “It is an honor for our company and our Swisher Sweets cigar brand to recognize David and his farm.” Wildy thanked Swisher and the other award sponsors. He also paid tribute to his wife, Patty, and other members of his family, and how they all support the farm. “Farming is a tradition in our family,” Wildy says. “And receiving this award is a humbling experience that we will all treasure.” Wildy Family Farms is a fifth-generation operation started by David’s grandfather in 1914. The new Farmer of the Year was Twitter: @CottonFarming

COURTESY OF SWISHER SWEETS/SUNBELT EXPO

a v i d Wi l d y, a d i v e r s i fied row crop farmer from Manila, Ark., has been selected as the overall winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year for 2016. Wildy was named the winner at the Willie B. Withers luncheon held during the opening day of the 2016 Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show. He was chosen as Farmer of the Year over nine other state winners who were finalists for the award. A full-time farmer since 1975, Wildy is known for his generosity in sharing his farm and its resources with agricultural scientists and researchers from private industry, the University of Arkansas, Arkansas State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

David Wildy farms more than 12,000 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat. He also is a new grower of peanuts and potatoes and has a small beef cattle herd. selected by three judges who visited his farm and the farms of other state winners during early August. The judges this year included Clark Garland, longtime University of Tennessee Extension agricultural economist from Maryville, Tenn.; farmer Thomas Porter Jr., of Concord, N.C., who was the overall winner in 2011; and Charles Snipes, retired Extension weed scientist from Greenville, Miss. Garland says Wildy impressed the judges with his innovative farm management and crop marketing practices. “David is an outstanding manager of land, labor, production inputs and capital,” he says. “His diversified farming operation features a wide assortment of high-yielding and profitable agronomic crops.” The judges were also impressed with how members of the Wildy family have been able to strengthen agriculture in the Southeast by sharing their farming resources with the research and education communities. “Wildy family members hold key positions in this farming business, and they are responsible for much of the farm’s overall success,” Garland says. “They are consistently achieving their short- and long-term strategic farming goals, and these goals involve the entire family.”

Cash And Prizes Awarded As the Southeastern Farmer of the Year, Wildy will receive a $15,000 cash award. He will also receive the use of a Massey Ferguson tractor for a year from Massey Ferguson North America, a $500 gift certificate from the Southern States Cooperative, a Columbia jacket from Ivey’s Outdoor and Farm Supply, and a smoker-grill from Hays LTI. Each state winner, including Wildy, received a $2,500 cash award and an expense-paid trip to the Sunbelt Expo from Swisher International, a $500 gift certificate from the Southern States Cooperative, and a Columbia vest from Ivey’s Outdoor and Farm Supply. Arkansas farmers became eligible for the Farmer of the Year award in 2007, and Wildy is the second overall Farmer of the Year winner to come from that state. The other state winners this year include Wendell Gibbs of Ranburne, Ala.; Paul DiMare of Coral Gables, Fla.; John McCormick of Sylvania, Ga.; Keith Lowry of Water Valley, Ky.; Paul Good of Columbus, Miss.; Jerry Wyant of Vale, N.C.; Kerry Owens of Pickens, S.C.; James Haskew of South Pittsburgh, Tenn.; and Tyler Wegmeyer of Hamilton, Va. COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

2017

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

Delivered As Promised

he menu of cotton varieties from which to choose in 2017 includes a host of high-yielding, good quality selections. To help you get started, seed companies from across the Cotton Belt provided information about their headliners on pages 8, 9, 10 and 12

Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

in the annual Seed Variety Guide published by Cotton Farming. Think about your priorities, discuss them with your consultant and seed representative, and then place your order for the upcoming season. Outstanding characteristics and traits are delivered as promised for 2017.

Staple Length G/Tex

Comments

ALL-TEX/DYNA-GRO Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton DG 3109 B2XF

very early

4.2-4.7

semi-smooth

1.16-1.19

31-32

Best adapted to short-season environments or late planting. Medium plant height. Best fit on moderate to high irrigation.

DG 3385 B2XF

early-mid

4.3-4.6

semi-smooth

1.16-1.19

29-31

Adapted to Texas, Arizona, Mid-South, Upper Southeast and East Coast. Very good storm tolerance/early season vigor/irrigated or dryland. Best performance on sand to silt loams. Manage early with growth regulators.

DG 3445 B2XF

mid-early

4.4-4.8

smooth

1.13-1.24

32-35

Best fit in Texas, Georgia and the Mid-South. Excellent storm tolerance. Very good Verticillium wilt tolerance.

ATX Zues B2XF

mid-early

4.4-4.9

semi-smooth

1.11-1.19

29-32

Best fit in the Texas High Plains. Irrigated or dryland.

ATX Concho B2XF

mid-early to mid

4.4-4.8

smooth

1.12-1.22

32-34

Best fit in Texas, Georgia and the Mid-South. Excellent storm tolerance. Very good Verticillium wilt tolerance.

DG 3445 B2XF

mid

4.4-4.8

smooth

1.12-1.24

32-35

Best fit in Texas, Georgia and the Mid-South. Excellent storm tolerance. Very good Verticillium wilt tolerance.

DG 3757 B2XF

mid-full

4.6-4.8

smooth

1.16-1.20

29-31

Broadly adapted from dryland to irrigated acres in the lower Southeast, lower Mid-South and upper Gulf Coast. May require additional PGR applications under high irrigation or strong growing conditions.

DG 3635 B2XF

mid-full

4.3-4.5

smooth

1.12-1.16

29-31

Broadly adapted from dryland to irrigated acres in the lower Southeast, lower Mid-South and upper Gulf Coast. Also adapted to the Southern Texas High Plains/Rolling Plains irrigated/dryland. May require additional PGR applications under high irrigation or strong growing conditions.

DG 3645 B2XF

mid-full

4.2-4.6

smooth

1.12-1.17

30-33

Adapted to the southern Texas High Plains and Rolling Plains irrigated or dryland. Tall plant type. May require additional PGR applications under high irrigation or strong growing conditions.

DG 3526 B2XF

mid-full

4.4-4.9

semi-smooth

1.11-1.17

29-31

Best fit in mid- to full-season environments in the Mid-South, Southeast and upper Gulf Coast. Good storm tolerance and high gin turnout.

DG 3610 B2XF

full

4.2-4.6

smooth

1.13-1.19

30-32

Best fit in full-season environments in Southeast. Medium to tall plant type.

GlyTol LibertyLink TwinLink and Bollgard II Roundup Ready Flex Cotton DG 1602 GLT

mid-full

4.4-4.8

semi-smooth

1.14-1.18

30-34

Best fit in the Delta and Georgia through the Carolinas. Semi-smooth medium to medium-tall plant type.

DG 2615 B2RF

mid

4.0-4.7

semi-smooth

1.10-1.23

29-33

Travels well throughout the Cotton Belt. Strong early season vigor. Medium to medium-tall plant type. Good Verticillium and fusarium wilt tolerance.

HA211

medium

3.8-4.1

semi-smooth

48-50

36.5-38.5 High yielding for Acala/Pima regions.

HA690

early-med

3.8-4.1

semi-smooth

37.5-38.5

Very high yielding.

HA1432

medium

3.8-4.1

semi-smooth

46-48

38-39

Very high yielding.

HAZERA

New varieties for 2017 in blue

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

COTTONFARMING.COM

2017

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length G/Tex

Comments

AMERICOT Bollgard II/XtendFlex NG 3405 B2XF

early-med

4.4-4.6

smooth

35-36

27-28

Excellent yield potential.

NG 3406 B2XF

early-med

4.4-4.6

semi-smooth

36-37

29-31

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality.

NG 3517 B2XF

early-med

4.0-4.7

smooth

36-37

32-33

Excellent fiber quality. Proven Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight tolerance.

NG 3522 B2XF

early-med

4.4-4.6

smooth

35-36

27-28

Excellent yield potential.

NG 3699 B2XF

early-med

4.0-4.7

smooth

37-38

32-33

Excellent fiber quality. Proven Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight tolerance.

NG 4545 B2XF

medium

4.0-4.7

smooth

36-37

32-33

Excellent yield potential/fiber quality. Proven Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight tolerance.

NG 4601 B2XF

medium

4.4-4.8

semi-smooth

36-37

30-31

Suited for Southeast, lower Mississippi River Delta, Central and South Texas.

NG 4689 B2XF

medium

4.4-4.8

smooth

36-37

32-33

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality. Proven Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight tolerance.

NG 5007 B2XF

med-full

4.3-4.6

smooth

36-38

28-30

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality.

NG 3500 XF

early-med

4.1-4.8

smooth

36-37

33-34

Widely adapted to Texas South Plains/Rolling Plains and Southwest Oklahoma. Proven Verticillium wilt tolerance.

NG 3640 XF

early-med

4.4-4.8

smooth

36-37

33-34

Excellent fiber quality. Proven Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight tolerance.

XtendFlex

NexGen Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex NG 3306 B2RF

early-med

4.0-4.7

semi-smooth

36-39

31-33

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality.

NG 1511 B2RF

medium

4.6-4.8

semi-smooth

35-37

30-31

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality.

NG 4012 B2RF

medium

3.9-4.6

smooth

36-37

30-32

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality.

medium

3.7-4.6

smooth

36-37

31-32

Straight Flex sister to NG 4010 B2RF.

early

4.5-4.9

smooth

37-39

36-38

University of Arkansas variety. Excellent quality.

FM 1830GLT

early-med

4.0

smooth

1.19

32.1

Excellent yield potential, very good Verticillium wilt tolerance and bacterial blight resistance. Very high gin turnout. Manage worms and weeds with GLT traits.

FM 1900GLT

early-med

4.0

semi-smooth

1.17

32.4

Excellent yield potential and fiber quality with excellent storm tolerance in a GLT variety. Widely adapted to limited and full irrigation.

FM 1911GLT

early-med

3.9

semi-smooth

1.17

32.0

Very strong yield potential, root-knot nematode tolerance and Verticillium wilt tolerance in a GLT variety, excellent vigor and storm tolerance, high gin turnout.

FM 2007GLT

early-med

3.9

semi-smooth

1.17

31.2

Excellent yield potential bred for harsh South TX environment, excellent wateruse efficiency, storm tolerance, yield potential and fiber quality with GLT traits.

FM 2334GLT

medium

4.1

smooth

1.19

31.6

High gin turnout and excellent yield potential with very good Verticillium wilt tolerance and GLT traits.

FM 1944GLB2

early-med

4.1

semi-smooth

1.16

30.4

Broadly adapted for excellent yield potential and fiber quality across the Cotton Belt. In-season weed management with Liberty herbicide and glyphosate.

FM 1320GL

very early

3.9

semi-smooth

1.12

30.9

Early maturing with high yield potential, excellent storm tolerance and high gin turnout. In-season weed management with Liberty herbicide and glyphosate.

FM 9250GL

early

3.8

semi-smooth

1.14

30.0

Excellent yield potential, fiber quality and storm tolerance. Adapted to the Southwest High and Rolling Plains. GlyTol and LibertyLink traits.

FM 2322GL

medium

3.9

semi-smooth

1.17

32.1

Excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance, excellent quality and high yield potential. Adapted to the Southern High Plains, the Rolling Plains and Central California. GlyTol and LibertyLink traits.

FM 2011GT

early

3.9

semi-smooth

1.13

30.6

Broad disease package with very strong yield potential, excellent storm tolerance and high gin turnout. GlyTol trait for the High Plains and Rolling Plains.

FM 2484B2F

medium

3.8

smooth

1.18

31.1

Outstanding yield potential, excellent fiber package and high gin turnout. Good disease package for the Southwest.

Acala Daytona RF

full

4.2

semi-smooth

1.18

34.9

San Joaquin Valley variety for excellent yield potential with good Verticillium wilt tolerance and proven, consistent performance.

Roundup Ready Flex NG 4111 RF

Conventional AM UA48

FIBERMAX FiberMax

New varieties for 2017 in blue

T TWITTER WITTER:: @C @COTTON OTTONF FARMING ARMING

COTTON COTTON FARMING FARMING NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2016 2016

2017

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

Variety

Maturity

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length G/Tex

Comments

STONEVILLE Stoneville ST 4848GLT

early-med

4.8

hairy

1.16

30.5

Exceptional yield potential, broadly adapted to Eastern Cotton Belt, East Texas. High lint turnout, very good fiber quality. GLT traits for weed, worm control.

ST 4949GLT

early-med

4.8

hairy

1.13

30.1

Very high lint turnout with exceptional yield potential and intermediate Verticillium wilt tolerance. GLT variety for the Eastern Cotton Belt.

ST 5115GLT

medium

4.3

smooth

1.15

30.8

Exceptional seedling vigor and exceptional yield potential with bacterial blight resistance and intermediate Verticillium wilt tolerance. GLT traits for weed and worm control.

ST 5289GLT

medium

4.5

very hairy

1.15

29.3

Excellent seedling vigor and high yield potential with resistance to bacterial blight and tolerance to Verticillium wilt. High yield potential. Herbicide flexibility with GLT traits for weed and worm control.

ST 6182GLT

full

4.6

smooth

1.16

29.6

Excellent yield potential and very high gin turnout, well suited to dryland and irrigation, light and heavy soils. GLT traits for weed and worm control.

ST 4747GLB2

early-med

4.3

semi-smooth

1.15

29.1

Early seedling vigor with exceptional, consistent yield potential and Verticillium wilt tolerance. GlyTol and LibertyLink traits to manage weeds in season.

ST 4946GLB2

early-med

4.5

semi-smooth

1.17

31.7

Root-knot nematode tolerance. Exceptional yield potential, very good seedling vigor. Traits for in-season application of Liberty and glyphosate herbicides.

ST 6448GLB2

full

4.4

smooth

1.2

29.5

Exceptional yield potential and excellent seeding vigor with high lint percent. Control resistant weeds in-season with Liberty and glyphosate herbicides.

PHY 222 WRF

very early

4.4

smooth

1.13/36

31.7

Earliest maturing variety selected for Northern Texas High Plains for its storm tolerance, earliness, consistency and high yield potential.

PHY 223 WRF

early

4.2

semi-smooth

1.17/37

32.9

Early maturing variety. Excellent storm tolerance, excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance, bacterial blight resistance and exceptional fiber quality. Performs best in dryland, moderate irrigation in Lubbock area and northward.

PHY 243 WRF

early

3.9

semi-smooth

1.15/37

30.5

Broadly adapted, early maturing. Excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance; bacterial blight resistance; very good yield stability, fiber quality; excellent storm tolerance. Performs well in dryland, very high irrigation in Lubbock area, northward.

PHY 308 WRF

early-mid

4.2

semi-smooth

1.13/36

34.1

Early to mid-maturing variety. Very good Verticillium wilt tolerance and fiber quality. Best yield performance under dryland to moderate irrigation capacity from Dawson County, Texas, and northward. Very good storm tolerance.

PHYTOGEN Upland Southwest

Upland Cotton Belt PHY 312 WRF

early

4.4

hairy

1.16/37

31.1

Superior yield potential/seedling vigor in an early maturing variety with excellent fiber quality. Long staple, lower micronaire. Partially resistant to bacterial blight.

PHY 333 WRF

early

4.5

hairy

1.16/37

30.8

Proven genetics with outstanding yield potential. Broadly adapted early maturing variety with consistent yield and excellent fiber quality.

PHY 339 WRF

early

4.5

semi-smooth

1.16/37

32.0

Early maturing variety with excellent yield potential and fiber quality, including lower micronaire. Resistant to bacterial blight.

PHY 444 WRF

mid-full

4.0

smooth

1.23/39

32.5

Exceptional fiber quality package, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Acala-likeâ&#x20AC;? staple and lower micronaire. High yield potential in a widely adapted mid- to full-maturing, smooth-leaf variety. Partially resistant to bacterial blight.

PHY 487 WRF

mid

4.6

semi-smooth

1.11/35

30.9

PhytoGen industry-leading RKN resistance. Excellent vigor with high yield potential, fiber quality. Adapted to light soil textures, root-knot infested areas.

PHY 490 W3FE

mid

4.7

semi-smooth

1.15/37

33.5

Enlist cotton trait and WideStrike 3 Insect Protection. Full tolerance to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate, glufosinate herbicides. Mid-maturing, high yield potential, excellent seedling vigor. Very good fiber quality. Resistant to bacterial blight.

PHY 495 W3RF

mid

4.6

semi-smooth

1.11/36

32.7

Superior yield potential. Broad adaptation in industry-leading WideStrike 3 Insect Protection technology, featuring improved bollworm control.

PHY 496 W3RF

mid

4.7

semi-smooth

1.13/36

32.8

High-yielding variety featuring WideStrike 3 Insect Protection technology. Broad adaptation and excellent fiber quality.

PHY 499 WRF

mid

4.8

semi-smooth

1.13/36

33.0

Mid-maturing variety selected for very broad adaptation, superior yield potential, stability of yield and very good fiber quality.

PHY 575 WRF

full

4.4

smooth

1.16/37

31.5

Full-season maturity with excellent yield potential, excellent seedling vigor and a great fiber quality package. Resistant to bacterial blight.

New varieties for 2017 in blue

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

COTTONFARMING.COM

CF1116 Layout_CF 11/13 template 10/24/16 8:15 AM Page 11

',26'"6&*26 ./1'5&* 16+21&61233.4 604/6+21&6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 (2)"'),.4 6%0).2&.216 6 6 NEXGEN B2RF & B2XF!

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www.americot.com | 888.678.SEED |

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2017

SEED VARIETY GUIDE

Variety

Maturity

DELTAPINE

Micronaire Leaf Type

Staple Length G/Tex

Comments

Variety data is based on Beltwide testing except for Pima varieties, which are based on testing in CA and AZ.

Bollgard II XtendFlex Cotton DP 1612 B2XF

early

4.3-4.5

light-hairy

36.1-37.1

30.5-31.5

Excellent fiber length and strength. Yield potential similar to DP 1518 B2XF.

DP 1614 B2XF

early

4.5-4.9

semi-smooth

36.2-37.9

29.0-30.9

Fits high-yield environments with potential for high yield and outstanding quality.

DP 1639 B2XF

mid

4.7-4.9

semi-smooth

35.2-36.7

30.9-31.5

Excellent fiber quality potential, including improved length over DP 1538 B2XF.

DP 1646 B2XF

mid-full

4.3-4.7

smooth

37.8-39.0

29.4- 30.2 Broadly adapted with potential for high yield and outstanding fiber properties.

DP 1518 B2XF

early

4.0-4.1

light-hairy

35.2-36.5

29.3-30.0 Adapted to high-yield, short-season regions. Yield potential similar to DP 0912 B2RF.

DP 1522 B2XF

early-mid

4.2-4.5

semi-smooth

35.0-36.1

31.1-31.6

Good fiber quality potential. Yield similar to DP 0912 B2RF.

DP 1538 B2XF

mid

4.6

smooth

35.0

29.1

Aggressive grower with yield potential similar to DP 1050 B2RF.

DP 1549 B2XF

full

3.9-4.2

semi-smooth

34.8-35.5

30.4-30.7 Best fit for Texas and Arizona with solid performance history on dryland and limited-water fields.

DP 1553 B2XF

full

4.4

smooth

36.2-36.4

30.6-30.9 Broadly adapted for full-season growing regions. Requires timely plant growth regulator management.

Genuity Bollgard II with Roundup Ready Flex Cotton DP 1555 B2RF

full

4.0-4.5

semi-smooth

35.8-37.0

30.4-31.8

Excellent yield potential with improved fiber quality over DP 1252 B2RF.

DP 1558NR B2RF

full

4.4-4.9

semi-smooth

36.6-36.8

31.7-32.5

Root-knot nematode resistant with top-end yield potential in both RKN and non-RKN environments.

DP 1410 B2RF

early

4.1

light-hairy

36.8

30.9

Broadly adapted across West Texas conditions. High yield potential.

DP 1454NR B2RF

full

4.3-4.5

light-hairy

35.1-37.6

29.1-31.4

Resistant to root-knot nematodes. Adapted to sandy soils.

DP 1321 B2RF

early-mid

4.4-5.2

semi-smooth

34.6-36.8

30.0-31.0

High yield potential and nice fiber package. Widely adapted to short-season environments.

DP 1359 B2RF

full

4.0-4.6

smooth

34.9-36.8

29.8-32.4 Very responsive to high-yield environments in Texas and Arizona. Outstanding yield potential.

DP 1212 B2RF

early

4.5

light-hairy

36.4-37.6

31.0-31.7

DP 1219 B2RF

early-mid

4.0-4.5

semi-smooth

34.9-37.5

30.2-32.7 Broadly adapted to handle stressful conditions. Great combination of yield and quality potential.

DP 1252 B2RF

full

4.2-4.7

smooth

34.4-36.9

28.1-29.6

DP 1137 B2RF

mid

4.3-4.6

smooth

35.3-36.6

28.3-29.4 Vigorous plant type that fits soils where larger stalk size is needed.

DP 1044 B2RF

mid-full

4.2-4.5

semi-smooth

34.1-36.4

28.8-30.1

Excellent seedling vigor and fiber length. Proven high-yielder with improved fiber quality for Texas.

Proven high-yielder on irrigated and more productive soils. Very popular in Texas. Great on dryland and limited-water acres. Outstanding yield potential.

Genuity Roundup Ready Flex Cotton DP 1441 RF

mid-full

4.2-4.6

semi-smooth

34.6-36.6

30.2-32.3 Roundup Ready Flex variety that can handle tough growing conditions.

DP 358 RF Pima

mid-full

4.2

hairy

48.0

42.8

Great combination of yield potential, Pima quality and excellent tolerance to Fusarium Race 4.

DP 348 RF Pima

mid-full

4.2

hairy

48.0

42.8

Roundup Ready Flex Pima with excellent tolerance to Fusarium Race 4.

CROPLAN 3226B2XF very early

4.1-4.4

semi-smooth

38-40

30-31

Competitive fiber quality. Targets short-season West Texas-type environment.

CROPLAN 3475B2XF early

4.1-4.6

semi-smooth

36-38

31-33

Excellent yield and fiber quality potential. Broad fit in northern Cotton Belt and early season market.

CROPLAN 3885B2XF full

4.4-4.7

smooth

36-38

30-31

Top performer in yield and quality across full-season Southern cotton market.

Pima

CROPLAN

SEED SOURCE GENETICS Conventional SSG HQ210CT

mid-early

4.5-4.8

smooth

35-37

28-30

Smooth leaf picker type.

SSG HQ212CT

mid-early

4.5-4.8

smooth

35-37

28-30

Smooth leaf picker type.

SSG UA 103

early

4.0-4.5

smooth

36-39

31-33

Okra leaf, picker type.

SSG UA 222

mid-early

4.0-4.5

semi-smooth

36-39

29-33

Picker type.

New varieties for 2017 in blue

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

COTTONFARMING.COM

RESEARCH & PROMOTION

Recycling Program Marks Anniversary

his year marks the 10th anniversary of Cotton Incorporated’s Blue Jeans Go Green denim recycling program, an initiative that diverts denim garments from landfills and upcycles them. Manufacturing partner Bonded Logic Inc. in Chandler, Ariz., turns them into UltraTouch Denim Insulation, and a portion of the home and building insulation is then donated to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity to help communities in need. Since the program began in 2006, Blue Jeans Go Green has diverted more than 1 million pieces of denim waste – about 600 tons – from the nation’s landfills, while manufacturing more than 2 million square feet of insulation. These milestones were achieved with the support of consumers who wanted to help make a difference in the environment. “Consumers care about their denim in a way they don’t seem to care about most other apparel products,” says Cotton Incorporated’s Andrea Samber, co-director, Strategic Alliances. “They want to see that it continues to have value and a life after they’re done with it.” Ten Years Of Partnerships Since 2006, the Blue Jeans Go Green program has partnered with dozens of colleges around the country and collected thousands of pieces of denim, all while giving students a chance to give back and get involved in an eco-conscious program. In 2009, the denim recycling program set the Guinness Book of World Records for the most items of clothing collected for recycling. Prior to this accomplishment, it partnered with National Geographic Kids and amassed 33,088 denim items, including jeans, shirts, jackets and hats. The Blue Jeans Go Green program has enjoyed its share of celebrity attention, too. Last year, singer Sheryl Crow and actress AnnaSophia Robb honored the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by joining a Habitat for Humanity Build-A-Thon. Twitter: @CottonFarming

CCOY Cotton Consultant of the Year established 1981

Mark Nemec 2010 CCOY AWARD RECIPIENT

Recycled denim fibers can clearly be seen in this close-up photo of home and building insulation. They helped construct 10 new homes in 10 days in New Orleans, padding the homes with the UltraTouch Denim Insulation. Retailers and brands have also gotten in on the recycling effort. Industry supporters of the Blue Jeans Go Green program in 2016 include Madewell, Guess and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th. A Natural Choice For Insulation Bonded Logic Inc. has been on the leading edge of renewable building technology for 35 years. Its product engineers chose recycled cotton fiber as the basis for their patented formula because of its inherent qualities for sound absorption and maximum thermal performance. Compared to fiberglass insulation products, cotton UltraTouch has no itch and is easy to handle. There are no chemical irritants, airborne particulates, VOC concerns and no need for carcinogenic warning labels. UltraTouch also contains an Environmental Protection Agency registered fungal inhibitor to actively resist the growth of mold, fungi and bacteria. The Blue Jeans Go Green program is a unique and responsible way The Cotton Research & Promotion Program is finding innovative applications for cotton. To learn more, please visit bluejeansgogreen.org. The Cotton Board, which administers CI’s Research and Promotion Program, contributed this article.

“My father, Stanley Nemec, was a cotton consultant and the CCOY honoree in 1987. What other career path could I have chosen after walking cotton fields with him since I was 7 years old? “You have to be ready to roll the minute the sun comes up. I try to educate my growers as to what is going on in their fields. In central Texas, we have to be conservative because of input costs, weather and the challenges of dryland acreage. “To me, it was a great honor to receive the CCOY award. We, as consultants, work hard to help growers make the best and most economical decisions for their operations. It is a humbling experience to be recognized for it.” Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

Specialists Speaking 2016 Weather And Crop Outcome FLORIDA David Wright I asked an older farmer how many years he had been farming, and he told me “the first time this year.” Every year is new and has challenges. This was one that had low prices and record warm temperatures throughout with heavy thrips numbers early in the season. Wet conditions slowed planting in some areas followed by short periods of drought throughout the summer. Plant stands seemed erratic when the cotton first came up, but most fields ended up looking good. The early September hurricane twisted the cotton as it was beginning to open but appeared not to do a lot of harm. New cotton varieties are exciting with excellent yield potential, giving growers hope that they can make a profit with higher yields. Yields have varied in cotton that has been picked so far but appear to be average overall with some fields looking very good. Our growers are hoping for higher prices in 2017 as they have good varieties from which to choose and like to have cotton in rotation with peanut and corn if prices are favorable. wright@ufl.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten Hopefully, all cotton has been defoliated and harvested by the time you read this, but some, if not most, of you will likely have cotton left to defoliate and harvest. Defoliation in cool conditions can often be difficult. One of the treatments we have seen work best in cooler weather is products that contain thidiazuron and diuron. Ginstar is the product with which most of you are likely familiar, but there also are generic defoliants that contain these active ingredients. The temperatures in November will likely be cool enough that we will need to use rates at the upper end of the label. Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) defoliants such as Aim, Blizzard, ET and Resource also generally work well in cooler temperatures. Adding the proper adjuvant is especially important with PPO products under cool conditions. See labels for recommended adjuvants. Growers will need to keep in mind that boll openers are hormonal defoliants with activity that is temperature dependent. Where boll openers are needed, they should be applied at the higher end of the labeled application rates. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu

VIRGINIA Hunter Frame Well, the good news is Hurricane Matthew is gone. The bad news is the last two weeks of September and first week of October saw 20-plus inches of rain for much of Virginia’s cotton growing region. Reports of substantial hardlock and boll rot are now surfacing. There seems to be a variety correlation with these issues as well as a management component. One observation I have made in our test plots is that no matter the planting date, nitrogen rates exceeding 100 pounds per acre on heavier textured soils exacerbated the hardlock in 2016. Also, sulfur rates exceeding 30 pounds sulfur per acre on the same soils seemed to produce plants that did not cut out properly. We are doing a lot of research on nitrogen and sulfur fertility and are finding that soil type, variety, and nitrogen and sulfur management are instrumental

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

in performance at the end of the season. Site-specific management (variable-rate N and S) will be needed across fields with varying soil types to minimize these losses in the future. With the weather we experienced, an average of 1,000 pounds lint per acre is most likely out of reach. Producers in Virginia are looking at another hard year on the back end of cotton production. whframe@vt.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper Tennessee, as a whole, has had an exceptional year for cotton. Replant acres were down, and a large portion of our acres was planted between April 25 and May 8. Even the later planted crop has done well largely due to timely rains and the long fall we have had up to this point. Some areas struggled with drought stress late in the effective flowering period – especially around Whiteville – but the bulk of our acres in Haywood and Crockett counties appeared to luck out with several pop-up showers through the heat of summer. Early planting dates have resulted in an early harvest for many. Preliminary numbers along the Mississippi River, south along the Mississippi state line, through Central Tennessee, and within the center of West Tennessee have all been promising. The USDA estimate is still close to 1,020 pounds per acre, and I believe this is a good number. Although we may fail to break last year’s record, we have almost twice as many acres this year as last. For that reason, many within the cotton industry have called this a year to remember. On another note, we are currently harvesting plots and will start the UT Cotton MicroGin within the next two weeks. Find me on Twitter (@TysonRaper) or on news.utcrops.com for information on trial results and updated recommendations. Safe harvest! traper@utk.edu

MISSOURI Mike Milam That harvest has gone so smoothly is somewhat of a surprise to me and many other Missouri agricultural veterans. We did have some rain during the early defoliation period, but not much since. For the last two weeks of October, we have only a few days of rainfall projected. Having so little rain during harvest is an oddity. Not only have we had little rainfall, the warm days have certainly helped speed up defoliation. Harvest has proceeded at a rapid pace. At the time of this writing in mid-October, we are 34 percent harvested, which is 13 points above the 5-year average. The condition of the crop is 5 percent very poor, 14 percent poor, 52 percent fair, 26 percent good and 3 percent excellent. As far as overall yields, we could have an above-average crop. But a lot can happen late in the season. With the lack of rain and very little dew, it is dusty. A good rain could help knock off a few more leaves, but it could also result in more regrowth. As soon as harvest is completed, soil sampling, meetings, weed control planning and variety selection begin. Some producers have indicated they will use the dicamba trait next year out of self-defense against drift. I can remember pre-GMO, when variety selection was so much simpler. milammr@missouri.edu Continued on page 16 COTTONFARMING.COM

CF1116 Layout_CF 11/13 template 10/18/16 9:34 AM Page 19

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Specialists Speaking Continued from page 14

The National Agricultural Statistics Service October Crop Production report estimated Arkansas cotton production to be at 1,088 pounds lint per acre, unchanged from last month but down 4 pounds from 2015. This exceeds our 5-year average of 1,073 pounds lint per acre by 15 pounds. Our crop continues to be ahead of schedule. As about half of our crop has been harvested this season, the 5-year average for the same date was just shy of 30 percent harvested. Reports of fiber quality have been good. Lack of rainfall during much of the harvest season has resulted in excellent color grades. Just over 45 percent has received a color grade of 31 or better. About 80 percent of the bales classed have a leaf grade of 4 or less. Micronaire values this season have averaged 4.6 with less than 17 percent in the discount range of 5 or greater. In Arkansas, we generally expect to see our early crop outyield our later crop. This is not what most farmers are experiencing this season. The extended wet and cloudy August weather came just as our early crop was starting to open. Reports of 1.25 to 1.5 bales per acre were heard from our early cotton as the occurrence of boll rot and hard lock was great. Fortunately, yields improved as harvest progressed. Our good fields are yielding in excess of 3 bales per acre. The 4-bale yield potential we had in many fields the first part of August slipped away. While we have harvested a number of our county on-farm variety plots, we have yet to start the gin. Based on seed cotton weights, we have a number of varieties that are consistently performing well. We look forward to combining the county data with Dr. Fred Bourland’s Variety Performance Trial results. County production meetings are being scheduled at this time. Contact your county Extension agent for dates and locations for a meeting near you. brobertson@uaex.edu

OKLAHOMA Randy Boman The 2016 crop is racing toward the finish line. A considerable number of acres reached cutout somewhat earlier than normal in August, which was about 10 percent below normal for cotton heat unit accumulation. September temperatures were extremely beneficial for maturity, and we finished the month about 4 percent above normal. As of this writing in mid-October, temperatures have been above normal, and initial harvest-aid treatments have been very effective. Some of the early May planted cotton has been terminated with harvest aids, and harvest has begun. A record-setting year is possible if we can get the crop harvested without significant weathering issues. Questions are being asked about bacterial blight challenges that susceptible varieties encountered this year. In some fields, premature defoliation and boll infections were noted, and yield loss is likely. We had a perfect storm of factors that contributed to disease development, especially in Jackson and Tillman counties. Plant-damaging maximum wind gusts of 50-60 mph were recorded by the Altus Mesonet Station on May 22, June 28, and July 6, 8 and 15. Normal rainfall in May and June coupled with above-normal July rainfall provided ample opportunities for higher-than-normal humidity. According to Altus Mesonet data, the long-term 24-hour average humidity at 1.5 meters above the ground in early July is just under 60 percent. In 2016, this value was nearly 70 percent. High humidity coupled with the fact that in 2016, Altus had only five days with 100 degrees or greater temperatures provided more opportuni-

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

TUCKER MILLER

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson

“One of the things that helped make this crop was a warm September,” says Mississippi cotton specialist Darrin Dodds. “For the most part, daytime temperatures topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the entire month.” ty for the bacteria to infect susceptible varieties. In 2016, we never really encountered the sustained high temperatures and low humidity that are typical in July and August. These hot, dry conditions are generally unfriendly for further disease development. Producers with concerns about this disease should do their homework and investigate bacterial blight-resistant varieties for planting in 2017, especially in fields where heavy disease pressure was observed this year. randy.boman@okstate.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds Mississippi cotton growers could not have asked for a better harvest season up to this point. Little to no rainfall occurred after we defoliated, and yields have been very good. Two months ago (late July, early August), many folks were nervous about the status of this crop given the two to four weeks of wet weather that was occurring at that time. However, once defoliation applications took place and this crop started to open up, many were pleasantly surprised by what awaited them in the field. Dryland yields of 1,000-1,200 pounds per acre (and more in some cases) have been common. Irrigated yields have been even better in many areas. One of the things that helped make this crop was a warm September. For the most part, daytime temperatures topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the entire month. Warm temperatures allowed much of the upper portion of the plant to mature, and as a result, there are not many fields with a prominent switch in the upper portion of the plant. Many growers were working on land preparation immediately after harvest. If all goes well, the vast majority of this crop will be out of the field by the time this issue of Cotton Farming reaches your hands. Early indications point to acreage increases for cotton in Mississippi in 2017. darrind@ext.msstate.edu

LOUISIANA Dan Fromme As we approach mid-October, cotton harvest is nearing completion. Harvest conditions have been good throughout the state during the past six weeks. We hope to finish harvesting by the end of October. Louisiana will harvest about 136,000 acres of cotton this year, which will be the third lowest on record. Lint yields across the state in 2016 are variable due to the heavy amounts of rain we received in August. Yield estimates for the state are projected to be about 800-900 pounds of lint per COTTONFARMING.COM

acre. Yields are extremely variable and lower in Central Louisiana compared to Northeast Louisiana where yields are being reported in the 1,100-1,200 pound range. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing Service ﬁgures (as of 10/6/16) out of Rayville, 40 percent of the bales received have produced a micronaire value of 5 or greater. In 2015, 59.6 percent of the bales produced a micronaire of 5 or greater. This year’s strength and uniformity are a little lower, while length is a little higher compared to the 2015 crop. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

TEXAS Seth Byrd Harvest began across parts of the High Plains in late September. As of Oct. 12, there has been some progress made in many dryland fields in areas that missed the majority of the seasonal rainfall. However, much of the dryland acres benefited from rains received in late August through mid-September. Harvest-aid applications ramped up across the region in early to mid-October on these fields as well as the irrigated acres. The late moisture the crop received, coupled with good environmental conditions over the past two months, have resulted in several fields with taller-than-normal plants with some bolls present that likely won’t mature by harvest due to cold nighttime temperatures. Many of these fields will benefit from an application of a tribufos or PPO-type defoliant in combination with ethephon to remove green vegetation prior to the desiccating application for stripper harvest preparation. Though some regrowth occurred due to late rains, high fruit retention has kept it in check in most fields. Harvest operations across the area will likely occur in full force beginning in late October or early November. Crop maturation has benefitted from warm temperatures and effective harvest-aid products, leaving many opti-

mistic about what we may see when harvest gets fully underway. seth.byrd@ag.tamu.edu

TEXAS Gaylon Morgan Lint quality in the Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend followed suit with their yields, with overall good lint quality. The Upper Gulf Coast and Blacklands have not been so fortunate. Seven to nine days of persistent rain in mid-August delayed harvest for 30-plus days. Although no major amounts of lint were on the ground, lint yields are off significantly compared to earlier harvested fields. Some “weathered” cotton is now working its way through the U.S. Department of Agriculture classing office. Color, trash, micronaire, and uniformity have all been negatively affected by the weathering and delayed harvest. Low loan values and not having sufficient seed to cover ginning cost have added insult to injury. In the Southern and Central Rolling Plains, harvest has just begun but average to slightly above-average yields are expected as a whole. However, August rains spurred significant regrowth and are making defoliation a challenging and expensive endeavor. The Northern Rolling Plains has a great looking dryland and irrigated crop. Hailstorms in certain areas have destroyed some significant acreage, but this is one of the better dryland cotton crops I have seen across the Northern Rolling Plains. Stink bugs and boll rot are typically not major problems in the Rolling Plains, but I observed numerous fields showing the results of high infestations of stink bugs earlier in the season. In reflection, 2016 has been different than most, due to unusual weather. However, like most years in a state as big as Texas, there are regions that have great cotton, most have good to average cotton, and some have poor cotton. We hope the “great” cotton is spread around, and cotton remains a viable crop for producers across Texas. gmorgan@tamu.edu

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COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

COTTON

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

Whatever They’re Faced With, 3 template 3/7/14 3:26 PM Page 1Ginners Just ‘Handle It’ Ginners need to be ready for anything. It happens almost every year. Some kind of adverse weather or harvest condition complicates an already hectic job. It seems like gin season will never get here, and then all of a sudden it’s “all hands on deck” and we’re running 24/7. Then it happens. A huge rainstorm, snow, ice, wind, ﬂood…. I could continue. And all the preparation goes out the window. As farmers move through harvest, the crop they’ve cared for all season is now out of their control. While some are relieved, others get very nervous. The ginners take over and bring the crop in, sort out the modules and gin the cotton to get the best return for their producers. Weather can be a huge wrench thrown in all that normally smooth-running machinery.

just handles it – the diversity thrown at farmers and ginners while trying to get a crop out. The first year I started, the upper Texas coast had huge flooding. Fields went under water and module trucks were pushed and pulled to the cotton that had been picked days before the floods. They cut the modules, left the rotting cotton in the field and got more cotton to the gin than anyone could have expected. That’s just one example. In the past couple years, West Texas has seen huge snows, and the Southeast has had massive rains from tropical systems. The ginners just handle it. This year, from South Texas to the Carolinas, ginners are handling cotton that isn’t completely defoliated, has sprouted, is soggy and, yes, much of it is BEAUTIFUL. Most ginners take the time necessary to get the job done. This typically means changing the process of ginning the cotton, which includes cleaning lint cleaners more often, slowing down and spreading out wet modules to let them air out.

Dealing With Adverse Weather

‘The Best Ones Don’t Panic’

In my short career, I’ve probably not seen it all, but I’ve seen a lot. I’ve been so proud to work with an industry that

One of the lessons I’ve learned by working for these guys (farmers and ginners) is that the best ones don’t panic.

WWW.NORTHERNLUCUS.COM 1116 Slaton Hwy. Lubbock, TX

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Cotton Ginners Marketplace

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

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

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There may be a cost involved in slowing down and waiting, but there is often a bigger price to pay for rushing through the process – poor seed, worse grades, moldy bales and mad farmers can all result from rushing the crop through the gin. The crop has spent several months growing and maturing. We should all take the time to let it dry (if possible) and be in good condition as harvest and ginning are completed. Good luck through the rest of another interesting harvest and gin season. Dusty Findley of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association contributed this article. Contact him at 706-344-1212 or dusty@ southern-southeastern.org.

* * * * *

Port of Oakland’s Largest Terminal Says Night Gates Here To Stay After a three-month trial, “night gates” are here to stay at the Port of Oakland’s busiest marine terminal. The port announced that the Oakland International Container Terminal will make evening operations permanent. The decision makes Oakland one of the few U.S. ports open late for container pick-up or delivery. The port says night gates will continue to take pressure off busier daytime operations. “This is an important step,” says maritime director John Driscoll. “We’re making it easier for customers to do business with us by saving time and improving efficiency.” Oakland International Container Terminal launched night gates June 27. They’re open Monday through Thursday, 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., for truck drivers to haul cargo.

That’s important because cargo owners have lobbied hard for faster container-handling, according to the port. “The system is working and customers are paying less,” says Scott Taylor, CEO of GSC Logistics, one of the largest trucking companies at the port. “Things are better and we’re saving time.”

Fee Stays In Place The Oakland International Container Terminal will continue to charge customers a $30 fee to finance night gates. The terminal assesses the levy on all loaded import and export containers. About 6,000 trucks pass through the terminal’s gates daily, making it one of the busiest in the United States. It handles 70 percent of the containerized cargo in Oakland. “The Cotton Chronicle,” which is the newsletter of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, contributed this article.

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Night Gates Make A Difference According to data compiled by the terminal and the Port, here’s the difference they’re making: ■■ About 1,300 container transactions have migrated from day to evening. ■■ The average transaction time for truck drivers has dropped from 96 minutes in August to 79 minutes. ■■ Thirty percent of trucking companies at the port have reduced congestion surcharges assessed customers for picking up containers.

Cotton Ginners Marketplace

The port surveyed cargo owners and found that 74 percent of those queried use Oakland night gates. The reason: there’s less terminal crowding at night. Sixty-five percent say transaction times have improved thanks to night gates.

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COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

Cotton’s Calendar 2016 ■ Nov. 15: Calcot Ltd. Board of Directors Meeting, Bakersﬁeld, Calif. ■ Dec. 6-8: Cotton Board/Cotton Incorporated Joint Meeting, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, La.

2017 ■ Jan. 4-6: Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Dallas, Texas. ■ Jan. 18-21: Southern Southeastern Annual Meeting, Charlotte, N.C. ■ Jan. 30-Feb. 1: Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, Baton Rouge, La. ■ Feb. 10-12: NCC Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas. ■ March 3-4: Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, Memphis, Tenn. ■ April 6-7: Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association Trade Show, Lubbock, Texas.

MODULE FEEDERS

CHANNEL SAWS

COTTON GIN BRUSHES

BATS & BRUSHES

VERTICAL COMBO DRYER

ROUND MODULE MACHINERY

■ June 6-8: Cotton Incorporated Meeting. ■ July 10-12: Southern Southeastern Mid-Year Board Meeting, Marriott Grand Dunes, Myrtle Beach, S.C. ■ Aug. 8-10: Cotton Board/Cotton Incorporated Joint Meeting.

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

■ Aug. 23-25: NCC Board Meeting, Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Tenn.

Lummus Corporation has available the following quality, high-capacity used gin machinery. All machinery is offered “as is, where is” (unless noted otherwise) and is subject to prior sale. “As is” machinery can be repaired/reconditioned for an additional charge. 1 – Consolidated 96” R-5000 Stick Machine* 2 – Consolidated 120” R-5000 Stick Machines* 1 – Lummus 60” overshot Standard Battery Condenser* 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot Standard Battery Condenser* 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot MC Battery Condenser*

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

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COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

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Industry News Presidential Candidates Answer Farmers’ & Ranchers’ Questions Every four years, the American Farm Bureau Federation asks the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to address the issues that concern farmers and ranchers the most. The organization asked Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump the same questions. Both candidates explained their positions on biotechnology, trade, immigration reform, regulatory reform, food safety and more. To view the candidates’ responses, visit http:// fbnews.fb.org/Templates/Article.aspx?id=40466

California Farmer Stands Up To Federal Regulators John Duarte, a fourth-generation California farmer, nursery owner and Farm Bureau member, has taken a stand against the federal government over whether farming is a violation of federal law and is making his story available in a very public way. To help fund his legal defense effort,

Duarte has established a page telling his story on the GoFundMe platform. Duarte is in a legal battle with federal regulators over whether he violated federal law by plowing his land. Duarte and his family are facing fines of $8 million, and potentially the loss of his home, just for plowing his land to plant wheat. The cost of his legal defense already has run into the millions. While Duarte is taking a stand, he also is asking the broad agricultural community to stand with him because of the important legal issues at stake for all farmers and ranchers. “What makes Duarte’s story different is he ran head-on into regulators wanting to make him an example by calling into question his use of normal farming practices in an area they have identified as a water of the U.S.,” says American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. Duarte has a mortgage on 450 acres of California farmland that a court has ordered him not to farm, along with still-rising legal bills, currently estimated at $1.5 million. See more in the AFBF video – “California Farmers Stand up to Federal Enforcers on Water Regulations.”

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DO NOT APPLY DICAMBA HERBICIDE IN-CROP TO BOLLGARD II ® XTENDFLEX ® or XTENDFLEX ® COTTON IN 2016 unless you use a dicamba herbicide product that is specifically labeled for that use in the location where you intend to make the application. While no in-crop use of dicamba is currently approved, some dicamba products may be labeled for weed control prior to planting a crop and subject to minimum plant-back restrictions. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO MAKE AN IN-CROP APPLICATION O F A N Y D I CA M B A H E R B I C I D E PR O D U C T O N B O L LG A R D I I ® X T E N D F L E X ® o r X T E N D F L E X ® COTTON, OR ANY OTHER PESTICIDE APPLICATION, UNLESS THE PRODUCT L ABEL SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZES THE USE. Contact the U.S. EPA or your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for IN-CROP USE WITH Bollgard II ® XtendFlex ® or XtendFlex® cotton and follow all pesticide product labeling. 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.

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Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW 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®, Respect the Refuge and Cot ton Design ®, Roundup Ready ®, Roundup Technology ®, Roundup ® and XtendFlex® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Dedicated to Cot ton. Commit ted to You. ® and Deltapine ® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Company. Liber t yLink ® and the Water Droplet Design ® is a registered trademark of Bayer. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 Monsanto Company. DP-17010-CF-LC-NOV

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

My Turn Luther Bird – My Favorite MARtian

The MAR breeding system never caught on his essay is a brief description of the in the cotton breeding community at-large. contributions to Research showed that the faster a cotton crop c o t t o n f a r m e r s emerged, the more vigorous and productive that made by my major pro- crop would be. The MAR system, however, selectfessor, mentor and friend, ed for slow germination and emergence. I asked Luther S. Bird, Ph.D., Dr. Bird about this contradiction. He told me professor of genetics and that in the early 1960s when he started the MAR of plant pathology, Texas program, he selected for early germination and A&M University, College emergence like everyone else. But he found that Station. Dr. Bird devel- seedling disease was decimating his early emergoped cotton varieties resis- ing lines. To resolve this conundrum, he set up an David tant to biotic (diseases and elaborate step-wise regression analysis and ran Bush insects) and abiotic (heat, it on the TAMU main-frame computer. In those cold and drought) stress- early days of computing, a main-frame computes as well as doing the basic research needed to er was a massive machine that took up a whole understand and explain how and why resistance building. It was also slow and took all night to crunch Dr. Bird’s numbers, consuming almost to these cotton maladies worked. During a career stretching from the 1950s the entire plant science department’s annual computing budget. His until his retirement department head was i n 1 9 8 6 , D r. B i r d “His department head was apoplectic. “GOOD developed his “MAR h y p o t h e s i s . ” M A R apoplectic. ‘GOOD GRIEF, Luther!’” GRIEF, Luther!” Dr. Bird was a good is an acronym for Multi-Adversity Resistance. Adversity was his research scientist, but he was an even better word for plant stress, and his MAR breeding sys- cotton breeder. In the 1970s, before boll weevil tem was a method for simultaneously selecting eradication, pyrethroid insecticides and transgenfor resistance to multiple adversities (stress- ic varieties, insects in South and Central Texas es). He always required of himself and us other were making economical, environmentally sensiMARtians (his graduate students) that no matter ble pest control difficult. MAR varieties produced how basic our research, it must ultimately relate good yields even under high insect pressure to better profits for cotton farmers. That attitude through early maturity and genetic resistance to was why he was so appreciated and his research the budworm/bollworm complex. Notable MAR varieties of that era – SP-37, SP-37H, SP-21, so well supported by Texas cotton farmers. The MAR program started as a method to SP-21S, CAMD-E and CAB-CS – became the select cotton lines that germinated and emerged varieties of choice for South and Central Texas. Dr. Bird once received a photocopy of a deed for in soil temperatures that were colder than the optimum for Rhizoctonia solani. After working farmland in South Texas. An accompanying letter with cold tolerance, Dr. Bird began to see simul- from the farmer stated that he had paid for that taneous improvement to other stresses. From farm by planting TAMCOT SP-37 cotton. Dr. Bird these observations, he created his MAR hypothe- had a long and successful research career and sis and breeding system. The MAR breeding sys- received his share of awards and accolades. But I tem is based on three traits 1.) slow germination don’t think anything ever pleased him as much as at 13.3 Celsius, 2.) seed coat resistance to mold that farmer’s letter. Dr. Bird died on Oct. 21, 2006. I think about growth and 3.) functional immunity to bacterial blight. By selecting these traits, the breeder indi- him often. rectly selected for resistance to major diseases – Dr. David L. Bush, Lubbock, Texas and insects, increased yield, improved earliness doctorbee68@gmail.com and abiotic stress resistance – cold and drought.

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.

COTTON FARMING NOVEMBER 2016

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