Cotton farming october 2017

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

®

OCTOBER 2017

www.cottonfarming.com

CLOUDY IRRIGATION OUTLOOK California Water Uncertainty Complicates Farmers’ Planning

HURRICANE HARVEY RELIEF FUND FOR AG

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Vol. 61 No. 10

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

OCTOBER 2017

www.cottonfarming.com

F E AT U R E S

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Cloudy Water Outlook

Water supply uncertainty, both from Mother Nature and increasing regulations, complicates short- and long-term planning for the California cotton industry. Record rain and snow helped end California’s six-year drought this year, prompting increased cotton acreage. But members of that state’s cotton industry say increasing water-related regulations continue to complicate short- and long-term planning. One solution, they say, would be to build more water storage.

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HURRICANE HARVEY FUND

14

IRMA IMPACTS GA COTTON

18

GINNING MARKETPLACE

The Texas Farm Bureau has established a relief fund to address the agricultural losses inflicted by Hurricane Harvey.

The biggest yield loss across the state projected to come from the cotton plants Tropical Storm Irma blew over.

the official publication of the ginning industry

A special report from Texas A&M AgriLife discusses research efforts to use gin trash, wood chips and other waste products that could be viable in producing electrical power.

WEB EXCLUSIVE In this month’s Cotton Agenda on page 12, Gary Adams, president/ CEO of the National Cotton Council, says NCC created the COTTON USA Sustainability Task Force to set goals to help further reduce the environmental impact of U.S.-grown cotton. To learn more on this subject from several cotton farmers, including Task Force Chairman Ted Schneider from Louisiana, go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

6 Editor’s Note 21 Industry News 12 Cotton’s Agenda 22 My Turn 15 Specialists Speaking ON THE COVER: Fourth-generation cotton producer Travis Fugitt, who farms near Bakersfield, California, says the state’s current water situation makes planning “nearly impossible.”

Cover photo by Vicky Boyd.

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COTTON FARMING (ISSN 0746-8385) is published monthly January through December by One Grower Publishing LLC, 6515 Goodman Rd., Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tenn. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Omeda Communications, Customer Service Department, P.O. Box 1388, Northbrook, IL 60065-1388 (Phone: 847-559-7578) (Fax: 847-564-9453). Annual subscriptions are $40. International rates are $55 in Canada/Mexico, $90 in all other countries for air-speeded delivery. Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.

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OCTOBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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DOW Diamond, Colex-D, Enlist, Enlist Duo, the Enlist Enlist Logos and Enlist One are trademarks of The T Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow. ®PhytoGen iiss a trademark of PhytoGen Seed Company, LL (“Dow”) LLC. LC. PhytoGen Seed Company is a joint join nt venture between Mycogen Corporation, an n affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC, and the J.G. Boswell Company. The Enlist weed w control system is owned and developed by Dow AgroSciences LLC. Enlist Duo® and E Enlist nlist One herbicides are not registered registerred for sale or use in all states or counties. Co Contact ontact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered registerred for sale or use in your area. Enlist Duo and Enlist E One herbicides are the only 2,4-D product productss authorized for use on Enlist crops. Always A read and follow label directions. ©2017 Dow Dow AgroSciences LLC E38-401-028 (10/17) BR 010-91311 DAAGNLST7089 ®™

Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Carroll Smith

®

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

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like ‘Cotton’

O

n Sept. 22, as I prepared to start my day, I reflected on all the cotton-related images I’ve seen this month that covered one end of the spectrum to the other. Unfortunately, this journey began with devastating photos from South Texas.

When Hurricane Harvey rolled in the latter part of August, it blew the tarps off many rectangular modules, scattering freshly picked cotton across the field and back into the bare stalks from which it had just been picked. The round modules appeared to have held up better, but photos of them sitting in pools of water was not a good sign in regard to fiber quality. Many gin infrastructures also took a big hit.

In the aftermath, help appeared from near and far to assist with rescue and restoration efforts. To benefit farmers and ranchers specifically, the Texas Farm Bureau established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund for Agriculture. To learn more about how to donate or how to apply for assistance, see the article on page 13.

And then Tropical Storm Irma brought rain and high winds to the Southeast, twisting cotton and laying it over in some places, which will make defoliation and harvest more challenging. The article on page 14 describes the damage Georgia cotton experienced and what farmers will have to do to get their crop harvested this year.

In areas that escaped Mother Nature’s wrath, photos of beautiful cotton fields have been popping up on social media in stark contrast to the ones showing the weather-ravaged crop. The two extremes create mixed emotions of sadness for those who were devastated and happiness for those who were spared.

While pondering why cotton had to experience such inequities this season, my phone binged, signaling a text. Upon opening it, I saw a serene photo of a field of open cotton shimmering in the early morning sun. A single line of text from Arkansas consultant Bob Griffin was attached: “It’s beginning to look a lot like ‘cotton.’” It made me smile.

For the cotton farmers and ginners who are going about the business of recovering what they can and also to those who are climbing on their pickers and cranking up their gins to finish the season, our hearts go out to all of you.

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

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COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2017

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

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

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

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

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COVER STORY

A ‘Regulatory’ Drought California water supply unpredictability complicates producers’ short- and long-term planning.

BY VICKY BOYD MANAGING EDITOR

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COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2017

VICKY BOYD

C

alifornia received near-record rains and snow this past winter, filling reservoirs to the brim and prompting irrigation districts to allocate full water supplies. But cotton producers say the precipitation did little to eliminate the uncertainty caused by years of “regulatory drought” that reduces surface water supplies available to agriculture.

“The biggest problem continues to be that we don’t know how much water we’re getting in December or January,” says Roger Isom, president and CEO of the Fresno, Californiabased California Cotton Growers and Ginners Association.

RELATED “When it’s April, we’ve already had Cloudy to make decisions so Irrigation it’s almost impossiOutlook | 10 ble to plan like that.”

2017 marked the first time since 2006 that growers on California’s Westside, a large swath of Class I soil on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley from Merced to Bakersfield, received 100 percent of contract deliveries from the federal Central Valley Project.

But the U.S. Bureau of Recla­ mation, which operates the CVP, didn’t announce 65 percent allocations until late March and didn’t announce full water deliveries until April 11.

“The good news is this year we’re up in acreage,” Isom says. “Had we received a notice of 100 percent earlier in the year, we would have had even more acreage, especially on the Pima side. I know growers would have been growing more cotton, how much I don’t know.”

This year, the National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated that

California cotton growers planted 81,000 acres of upland/acala and 215,000 acres of Pima. That compares to 63,000 acres of upland/acala and 155,000 acres Pima in 2016.

Although Isom says he’s heartened by the upward trend, he points to the 1.4 million to 1.6 million acres of cotton that California’s San Joaquin Valley produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Uncertainty Complicates Planning Dan Errotabere — who farms a mix of permanent and row crops, including Pima cotton, near Riverdale — was able to take advantage of the increased water allocations. He planted additional Pima on some of his fallowed acreage.

“The only crop you can plant that late and react to a late allocation is cotton,” says Errotabere, managing partner of the family-owned Errotabere Ranches.

He also has installed about 16,000 miles of subsurface drip irrigation on nearly all of his crops, allowing him to stretch meager water supplies.

In mid-August, Errotabere already had begun tentatively mapping out his crop plans for 2018. His nut orchards are priority because of the longterm investment he has made in them.

Errotabere says he won’t start firming up the remainder of his planting plans until October or early Dan November, when he Errotabere has to commit to processor contracts for cannery tomatoes and garlic tonnage.

“It makes it difficult to make that type of commitment on a broad base of acres,” Errotabere says. “We’re having to make that commitment prior to knowing anything about what the water year will look like from the regulatory aspect.”

He’ll likely wait to finalize plans for the remaining fields until late winter or early spring when he hopes to know more about the water outlook.

Already, Errotabere says he’s changed the way he evaluates crops COTTONFARMING.COM

Until the 1990s, growers who received federal Central Valley Project surface water could pretty much plan on full deliveries each year unless a drought reduced precipitation, snowpack and accompanying runoff. In 1992, Congress passed the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, which redirected at least 800,000 acre-feet of mostly agricultural water annually to fish and wildlife uses.

Precipitation falls unevenly in California, with the northern part typically receiving significantly more than the south. During the winter and spring, pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta help convey runoff from the north across the Delta and into San Luis Reservoir to the south. There it is held until summer, when CVP and State Water Project contractors deliver it to farmers for irrigation and Southern California cities for industrial and residential uses.

As part of the CVPIA, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — which operates the pumps — has to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect a handful of threatened and endangered fish in the Delta. At times when the fish are present, operators have to curtail or shut down pumping so the fish aren’t caught in the machinery.

Critics say models currently used to predict fish presence don’t portray an accurate picture and too often shut down the pumps unnecessarily when fish aren’t nearby. Instead, they’ve advocated for better science and real-time fish monitoring.

They also point out that the pumps are just one of many stressors in the Delta contributing to the fish decline.

During 2014, 2015 and 2016, cross-Delta pumping was limited even during high river flows, and San Luis Reservoir never filled. Those same years, Westside growers received zero, zero and 5 percent CVP water allocations, respectively. The State Water Project also curtailed water deliveries significantly.

Dan Errotabere, a producer of diversified crops near Riverdale as well as a Westlands Water District board member, points to proposed legislation that could provide some short-term relief to what he calls a “regulatory drought.”

• House Resolution 23 — known as the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act or GROW Act by David Valadao (R-Hanford, California) — would change how the CVP and State Water Project are operated.

Among its provisions is one that would require water dedicated to fish and wildlife through the CVPIA be replaced and provided to Central Valley Project water contractors. H.R. 23 passed the House 230-190 from looking at a return per acre to looking at a return per acre-foot of water applied.

The uncertainty about water not only makes planning from year to year difficult but further complicates developing five-year business plans.

“To develop a five-year plan with a water system that’s governed by regulations rather than hydrology, you have to work with numbers that are extremely conservative,” Errotabere says. “Investments and capital improvements are muted because you just don’t know about water for one year or five years.”

Full Deliveries Came Too Late During peak agricultural production, the sprawling Westlands Water Twitter: @CottonFarming

VICKY BOYD

Proposed Projects Could Improve Surface Water Supplies

in July and heads to the Senate. In the long term, Errotabere says he holds out hope for a number of proposed water-storage and conveyance projects.

• In 2014, California voters passed the $7.5 billion Proposition 1 water bond, which includes about $2.7 billion for public benefits from water-storage projects. The California Water Commission is currently reviewing funding requests for 12 different projects totaling $5.8 billion.

It is expected to announce results later this year and in early 2018.

• The proposed 1.8 million acre-foot Sites Reservoir is an offstream storage project north of Sacramento. During wet winters, it would receive diverted Sacramento River water, storing it until needed during the dry summer. Up to 400,000 acre-feet would be earmarked for downstream environmental uses. With a price tag of about $4.4 billion, Sites could be completed as early as 2029. The Sites Powers Authority is seeking $1.6 billion from the state water bond.

• The proposed 1.26 million acre-foot Temperance Flat Reservoir would provide additional upstream storage on the San Joaquin River above the current Friant Reservoir located east of Fresno. Supporters are seeking $1.33 billion from the state water bond.

• The proposed $15 billion Twin Tunnels — consisting of two 35-foot tall, 35-mile tunnels — would convey Northern California water around the Delta, delivering it into San Louis Reservoir. Longtime supporter Gov. Jerry Brown has promoted the California WaterFix project as a solution to the troubled Delta plumbing. The state is looking to fund it through revenue bonds issued by water districts that would benefit from it.

District delivered CVP water to about 600,000 acres of agricultural land west of Fresno. In 2015, when the district had a second straight year of zero federal allocations, about 220,000 acres of Class 1 soil were fallowed, says Westlands public affairs representative Gayle Holman, citing the district’s annual crop survey. In 2016 when the district received 5 percent of federal allocations, the number of fallowed acres was 175,000.

Although figures aren’t in yet for 2017, she estimates about 167,000 acres went unplanted.

“We did have 100 percent (allocations), but it came so late in the year,” Holman says. “We’re not going to see much of a benefit of full water delivery until probably next year.”

Favorable Snowpack San Luis Reservoir, which historically is nearing its lowest point by early September, stood at 1.8 million acre-feet as of Sept. 15. That’s 89 percent of capacity and 200 percent of historical average.

She says the massive snowpack, which continued to feed runoff through the summer, helped keep San Luis levels high.

“It’s a unique year for growers, but they don’t know what to do one year to the next,” Holman says.

Because of the unknown and whether growers will be able to carry over unused surface water allotments to 2018, the district is encouraging them to pre-irrigate fields and orchards this fall and winter.

OCTOBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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COVER STORY

Cloudy Irrigation Outlook Water regulations, including sustainable groundwater act, make uncertainty the norm for California growers

BY VICKY BOYD MANAGING EDITOR

Groundwater Recharge The Kern Delta Water District, which delivers surface water to Fugitt and other producers south of Bakersfield, serves about 92,000 irrigated agricultural acres. It’s main water source is the Kern River, on which it holds water rights, as well as about a 10 percent supplemental supply from the State Water Project, Mulkay says.

Since the early 2000s, Kern Delta has had a groundwater recharge program that involves nine recharge basins totaling 720 acres scattered across the district, he says.

Together, they have an annual recharge capacity of about

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COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2017

VICKY BOYD

D

uring the six-year California drought that ended earlier this year, Travis Fugitt watched as the standing water level in his wells dropped to about 250 feet from 160 feet.

A fourth-generation producer of cotton and diversified row and tree crops near Bakersfield, California, he and his family had no choice but to increasingly turn to groundwater after the local Kern Delta Water District slashed surface water allocations due to the extended drought.

This year, the district was able to make full surface water deliveries, thanks to a record Sierra Nevada snowpack and accompanying runoff that filled the state’s reservoirs. But the uncertainty created by the drought as well as water-related regulations has made planning for the future “almost impossible,” Fugitt says.

RELATED “Uncertainty is the rule here,” he says.

A ‘Regulatory’ “It’s a political nightmare.”

Fugitt points to the Sustainable Drought | 8 Groundwater Management Act as one of many reasons for his uneasiness.

Signed into law in September 2014 by Gov. Jerry Brown, the legislation requires groundwater sustainability plans that will balance water extraction with recharge in over-drafted and critically over-drafted groundwater basins and sub-basins. Depending on the overdraft severity, groundwater plans must be completed and adopted by 2020 or 2022, and all basins must achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040, according to the legislation’s timeline.

The Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency, comprising several water districts and public water providers, has just begun working on its groundwater plan, says Kern Delta Water District general manager Mark Mulkay. What will be expected of water users, including producers, is still unknown.

“I think we’re going to have to do some fallowing in this part of the state, but as far as how much, nobody’s put exact numbers to that,” he says. “But ask me in two years.”

Cotton producer Travis Fugitt was one of a handful of Kern County growers who pushed up berms around fallowed fields and flooded them to create temporary percolation ponds.

121,000 acre-feet. During years with plentiful precipitation, excess water is pumped into the basins where it seeps through the soil and into the groundwater.

“We are all trying to do the best we can to add additional recharge and keep local water local as much as we can,” Mulkay says.

Because of record snowpack and runoff this year, the district expanded the recharge concept to the grower level.

Fueled by incentives from Kern Delta, many growers — including Fugitt — pushed up small berms around fallowed fields with porous soil to create temporary percolation ponds. They then delivered surplus surface water, allowing it to seep down to help replenish groundwater stores.

Altogether, growers created about 1,000 acres of temporary percolation ponds, Mulkay says.

“This is just a one-time event because it was a 250 percent water year,” he says. “These last six or seven years of drought, our groundwater was depleted like everyone else’s.”

The percolation ponds could boost groundwater levels by about 20 feet this season, Fugitt says.

“We’re many years from getting it back to where it was, but we’re getting there,” he says.

COTTONFARMING.COM

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Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Future Improvements Build On Past Successes The U.S. cotton industry recently formalized goals to help further reduce the environmental impact of U.S.grown cotton — a step that will improve the raw material’s popularity in the global textile sector.

How did this come about? n Four years ago, Cotton LEA DS ™ was co-founded by the U.S. and Australian cotton industries. The program is educating the cotton supply chain on 1) the responsible growing practices and environmental gains within the two countries and 2) how the self-investment by their growers contributes to those gains.As a way to ensure we continue to build upon the gains U.S. cotton already has achieved, the National Cotton Council adopted a r e s olut ion c a l l i n g for the creation of the COT TON USA Sustainability Task Force. Cha ired by L ou isia na produc er Ted S ch neider, the task force subsequently collaboratThe U.S. cotton industry developed goals for ed with U.S. cotton measurable continual improvements in envi- industry associations ronmental stewardship, farm productivity, on developing indusand resource efficiency such as land, water, t r y w ide goa l s for air, input, and energy use. measurable continual improvements in environmental stewardship, farm productivity, and resource efficiency such as land, water, air, input and energy use.

What are the task force’s specific goals? n U.S. cotton production goals being pursued by 2025 are reducing: 1) the amount of land needed to produce a pound of cotton fiber by 13 percent; 2) soil loss by 50 percent, in balance with new soil formation; 3) energy to produce seed cotton and ginned lint by 15 percent; and 4) greenhouse gas emissions by 39 percent; and increasing: 1) water use efficiency (more fiber per gallon) by 18 percent, and 2) soil carbon in fields by 30 percent.

We believe the United States may be the world’s only country with these kind of measurable, quantified goals. Our industry already is using science-based metrics and benchmarks developed by Field to Market®: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture to assess environmental impacts and identify opportunities for improvement. This comprehensive system works across the entire agricultural supply chain to define, measure and advance the sustainability of U.S. crop production. In fact, the Field to Market National Indicators Report (2016) — an independent assessment of environmental impacts across a range of U.S. agricultural commodities — revealed significant environmental gains for U.S. cotton over the past 30 years.

Is sustainability improvement a good investment? n The United States is one of the few cotton-growing countries that has national-level oversight of farm practices. It also has conventional growers so committed that they invest a portion of their profits into research and development programs aimed at improving their product’s quality and cost-efficiency.

Their investment was boosted with the recent appointment of an overseer for the industry’s sustainability efforts — Dr. Jesse Daystar, vice president and chief sustainability officer for Cotton Incorporated.

The objective of this expanded sustainability reach is for the U.S. cotton industry to become the supplier of choice for those committed to only buying fiber produced with sustainable and responsible environmental, safety and labor practices. Our global customers already appreciate that we provide them with quality fiber in a timely manner. Now, we want to increase their awareness and appreciation of how that fiber is produced in an environmentally responsible way.

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

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COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2017

COTTONFARMING.COM

SPECIAL REPORT

Hurricane Harvey ‘Overstayed His Welcome’ Texas cotton losses estimated to be as much as 400,000 bales

CCOY Cotton Consultant of the Year established 1981

Danny Moore 2007 CCOY AWARD RECIPIENT

BY JULIE MURPHREE ARIZONA FARM BUREAU OUTREACH DIRECTOR

O

ut west, just about everyone has some connection to Texas. I do. All my dad’s farm family migrated from Texas to Arizona in the early 1900s.

And, though they fully embraced this desert state, I will always remember my grandpa’s stories about Texas.

So, when Hurricane Harvey landed on the gulf shore, the Arizona Murphree clan was all ears and full of prayers. And now we can do something to help thanks to the Texas Farm Bureau.

Agricultural Devastation Texas Farm Bureau has established a relief fund for the agricultural losses from Hurricane Harvey. The Category 4 storm struck Texas with a vengeance, flooding farm communities, small towns and major cities.

Those farm and ranch families in Harvey’s wake are now left facing overwhelming odds following high winds and unprecedented rainfall.

The area declared as a disaster by Gov. Greg Abbott contains about 1.2 million cattle, which is roughly 27 percent of the state’s cowherd.

Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening says the cotton crop on the Texas Gulf Coast was expected to be good, which was needed after several years of low prices and high costs. The losses from Harvey will reduce the expected 2 million bale harvest by as much as 400,000 bales, according to estimates from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Tax-Deductible Donations Texas Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Research and Education Foundation has established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to aid in recovery efforts following the devastating storm.

Tax-deductible donations can Twitter: @CottonFarming

be made to the foundation to assist farmers and ranchers. Donations to the fund will be dispersed via an application process directly to the farmers and ranchers affected by the hurricane.

“Texas agriculture suffered major losses,” Boening says. “Some of that will be covered by other means, but much of it will not. Farmers and ranchers are left to pick up the soggy pieces.”

Harvey was the strongest storm to hit the U.S. since 2004, dropping several feet of rain. “Harvey roared into Texas and overstayed his welcome,” Boening says. “But now we look ahead — to recovery and rebuilding the farms and ranches in that part of our great state.”

Get The Details Visit http://bit.ly/TxFBHarveyfund to make a tax-deductible donation and get details of the relief fund and how to apply for assistance.

Applications for assistance will be posted on the Texas Farm Bureau website at a later date.

My effort to donate took less than five minutes. Let’s invest in Texas’ agriculture future and help those affected by Harvey rebuild.

“I want my farmers to be able to trust me with anything. This does not happen overnight. It takes time. I want a farmer to think I am looking at his crop as if it were my own. That’s the way you earn trust and respect.

“My advice to young people who want to become consultants is you can’t be scared of work — mentally or physically.

You need good values as well as confidence in yourself and the decisions you make. The farmer definitely needs to believe in you.

“Being named the Cotton Consultant of the Year was special to me. A great honor.

It was very humbling to be mentioned in the same breath with the other past winners of this award.”

Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming OCTOBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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SPECIAL REPORT

Irma Impacts Georgia Cotton

G

Cotton Plants Blown Over “Cotton was blown around to varying degrees across the entire state. This can affect yield losses several different ways that can be difficult to estimate,” Whitaker said.

“Much of the cotton I’ve seen has been blown over and wrapped together causing spraying and harvesting issues for the rest of the season.”

With plants laying across the rows where growers usually drive the wheels of their spraying equipment when they’re defoliating their crop, many will have to rely on crop dusters. Colquitt County cotton grower Darren Hembree estimates it costs him $4 an acre to defoliate his crop using his equipment versus $8 an acre to hire a crop duster.

“When the picker is going over cotton in the direction the stalk is laying down it’s not going to pick it, but it will do better if you come at it against the way it is laying,” Hembree said. “But we won’t have time to drive over [the same row of] the field in two different directions.”

Hembree, who chairs the Georgia Farm Bureau Cotton Committee, said he’ll have to drive his picker at a slower speed through the fields than he usually does when harvesting in hopes the machine will be able to grasp the cotton and to keep the twisted stalks from clogging up his machine. Fellow Colquitt County grower Gettis Wingate said he’s known growers to pick a field twice to harvest as much cotton as possible.

“With the price of diesel fuel and cotton, it wouldn’t be worth it,” Gettis said.

Leaf Scald Leaf scald is also expected to cost crop yield. When Irma blew the stalks over, she left the underside of the cotton leaves upturned and exposed to the sun scalding the leaves.

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COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2017

GEORGIA FARM BUREAU NEWS/JENNIFER WHITTAKER

eorgia’s cotton growers lost at least 10 percent of their crop to Tropical Storm Irma but yield losses are likely to reach 20 percent and higher as the season unfolds, UGA Cotton Agronomist Jared Whitaker said.

“From preliminary observations, it is safe to say that every cotton field in Georgia has been negatively impacted by Irma to varying degrees,” Whitaker wrote in a report presented to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue while Perdue was touring damaged cotton fields in Colquitt County Sept. 15.

Unlike Hurricane Matthew last year, which only impacted Southeast Georgia, Irma whirled across the width of Georgia’s Coastal Plain, where the majority of the state’s cotton is grown, leaving lint laying on the ground or hanging in stretched sodden clumps from its burrs.

Georgia Cotton Commission Chairman Bart Davis, who participated in the tour, said cotton growers near Athens told him they’ve experienced similar damage.

Growers and Whitaker say the biggest yield loss will come from the cotton plants Irma blew over.

Colquitt County cotton farmer Gettis Wingate holds one of his windblown plants upright to show how tall the cotton should be standing.

“Windblown cotton will suffer from the fact that leaves that were turned over will get sun-bleached and ultimately fall off,” Whitaker said. “This will greatly affect the ability of the crop to continue to fill and mature bolls that are immature.”

If the plants don’t get enough nutrients they will shed cotton bolls less than 15 days old, he added. Another problem is that bolls still on the stalks that are now laying close to the ground will be susceptible to boll rot if more rain comes.

Wingate, who has been growing cotton for 30 years, said he’s never experienced such a storm. “Cotton isn’t bringing enough as it is and then you take 20 to 30 percent of your crop away, that’s a hard pill to swallow,” he said. “You have crop insurance, but it will only cover your guarantee and you might make that much so you won’t really get money back.”

Whitaker says if only 10 percent of the cotton crop is lost statewide, this equates to a $100 million loss for the industry.

Georgia Farm Bureau News contributed this article.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking Defoliation Tips And More ARKANSAS Bill Robertson The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) September Crop Production report projected Arkansas producers to harvest 1 million bales, unchanged from the Aug. 1 forecast but 160,000 bales above last year. Lint yield is expected to average 1,096 pounds per harvested acre, down 7 pounds from last month but up 21 pounds from 2016 and slightly below our five-year average of 1,101 pounds per acre.

Based on NASS reports, our crop is behind. Mid-September NASS projections reported the crop was 51 percent open compared to 74 percent at this time last year and 61 percent over the past five years.

This season, percent open boll indicators are not matching well with the maturity of bolls in the field. This is the result of cooler temperatures, good soil moisture and active plants.

Perhaps the most reliable method of timing a harvest aid application this year is to slice open bolls with a knife to determine boll maturity. Estimating field maturity by evaluating only percent open bolls may underestimate maturity by as much as 10 days.

The last thing farmers want to do is penalize a good variety by getting into discounts because of something completely in their control.

In an effort to avoid discounts, carefully evaluate harvest aid timings and application techniques. These include ground speed, spray volume, droplet size and boom height to ensure good leaf coverage and canopy penetration of harvest aid products.

There are still reasons to be optimistic about this crop. We look forward to seeing how 2017 wraps up as we make plans for the 2018 season. brobertson@uaex.edu

ARIZONA Randy Norton Harvest season is upon us. As pickers enter the field, questions related to heat stress effects begin to be answered. Several consecutive days of heat stress during late June and mid-July had a significant impact on boll retention and pollination.

Higher incidence of “hooked-beak� bolls has been observed across the state. This phenomenon is a result of poor pollination where seed formation in one of the boll locks is affected, resulting in a misshapen boll that has the appearance of a hooked beak.

Some of the early harvested cotton in the southwestern part of the state has been at least average and in some cases slightly above.

Significant effort has gone into producing this crop and setting it up for high yield and fiber quality. It is important to remember to keep your cotton clean during this stage of the season. Contamination from plastic bags, torn tarps and other foreign material can significantly affect fiber quality. It is important to make every effort to avoid these contamination sources.

Harvest time also provides the opportunity to collect important yield data. As cotton yield monitors become more common, we can collect critical information to support management decisions for the upcoming season. Yield monitor data allow for characterization of yield variability across a field. This can help pinpoint low yield areas, which may be addressed through management decisions next year.

Technology, including variable-rate controllers, allows for site-specific management of cultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and Twitter: @CottonFarming

plant growth regulators, just to name a few. Calibration of yield monitor equipment is important to ensure that data collected by the unit accurately reflects what is occurring in the field.

The University of Arizona has resources available to help calibrate yield-monitoring systems and can provide those services at no charge to you as a grower. Feel free to contact your county Extension agent if you are interested or need help calibrating your system. rnorton@cals.arizona.edu

FLORIDA David Wright High winds and rains from Hurricane Irma twisted most of the state’s cotton crop. Many leaves were blown off, which may make defoliation easier. However, most of the cotton areas did not have heavy rain as did some parts of the state. Harvest and defoliation will be slowed due to the twisted cotton, but there is still a chance for good yields.

It is important for growers to have adequate picking capacity as rain fell three to four days per week, with a few exceptions, since early June. Farmers face challenges every year. It is common to have twisted cotton every few years from major weather events, and farmers tend to do a good job of dealing with this problem.

Overall cotton production has been more difficult this year than normal due to the frequent rains that prevented timely management of fertilization, growth regulator application and weed control efforts.

We hope harvest season turns out well for everyone. wright@ufl.edu

LOUISIANA Dan Fromme Harvest operations began to get under way during the second and third week of September after receiving 11 inches of rain in the month of August. Of this total amount in August, about 6 inches were from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey.

Rains from Hurricane Harvey just compounded the problems we already had from target spot and boll rot.

Target spot has caused plants to prematurely defoliate in some fields by as much as 60-70 percent. Rain also has initiated leaf growth, in many fields, which is making it more challenging to defoliate.

Yield projections at this time are about 875-975 pounds of lint per acre. Wet and cloudy conditions throughout the season coupled with heavy pressure from plant bugs and bollworms has made this season a very challenging one. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds College football is back, the weather is cooling, and cotton pickers are finally running after one of the most challenging growing seasons in recent memory.

A number of folks are reporting tremendous corn and soybean yields; however, as of this writing very little cotton has been harvested. While Mississippi has received remnants of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, our thoughts are certainly with those who have suffered devastation from these weather systems.

Our crop as a whole is about two weeks later than normal and as a result, when the aforementioned weather systems rolled through OCTOBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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Specialists Speaking Mississippi there was not a tremendous amount of defoliated cotton.

While heavy rainfall hurt in some areas, high winds also laid some cotton on the ground and twisted stalks may make defoliation and harvest challenging. Varying levels of hardlock and/or boll rot have been observed as bolls were in the process of opening naturally when these challenging weather systems arrived.

Mississippi cotton yields have averaged more than 1,000 pounds per acre for the past five years and more than 1,200 pounds per acre in three of the past five years. The crop we have in the field does not appear to be a 1,200-pound-per-acre crop; however, only time will tell what our final yields will be. Regardless, with all of the challenges faced this season, cotton has once again proven it’s resiliency in the face of continued adversity. dmd76@pss.msstate.edu

MISSOURI Mike Milam Missouri cotton producers have certainly had an interesting year. Planting was much earlier than it has been over the past several years. We had a lot of rainfall in spite of the Drought Monitor forecast of conditions being drier than normal. We had a lot of nighttime temperatures of 75 degrees or higher. Currently, the Crop Progress and Condition Report shows we have 17 percent cotton open compared with 18 percent a year ago and 24 percent for the five-year average.

The crop is now rated at 5 percent very poor, 14 percent poor, 49 percent fair, 27 percent good and 5 percent excellent. At this time last year, we had 1 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 50 percent fair, 35 percent good and 4 percent excellent.

The August Cotton and Wool Outlook projects the Missouri yield at 1,124 pounds per acre. When I saw this, I was somewhat surprised.

This projection was before the adverse weather conditions. We had about a 10-day very rainy period that has damaged the crop. Some fields had significant flooding, rank plants, rotten bolls and target spot. We have had target spot before, but this year it caused significant boll loss. So I expect yield projections to drop.

The dicamba issue did not go away quietly. There are lawsuits pending, and the state Legislature had a special hearing to address the issue for next year. Likely, the proposed legislation will increase the fines for using a non-labeled product and place more restrictions on producers. milammr@missouri.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Guy Collins As I write this on Labor Day evening, the cotton crop in North Carolina is variable but overall good.

Compared to this time a year ago, the variation in yield potential across the state, and even field to field, seems greater than in 2016. However, the yield potential of the 2017 crop is still relatively higher than normal at this point compared to most years. Ultimately, we will need a warm and dry September and October to capture this yield potential.

Our current situation makes us nervous as we have observed a rapid erosion of high yield potential during the fall of the past two years due to tropical storms and hurricanes. Our hearts go out to the people of South Texas who have recently experienced the effects of a damaging storm. Hopefully, we will avoid any major storms in 2017 that would cause weathering losses, flooding or even boll rot and hardlock.

Our crop is later than normal. However, defoliation is just around the corner. Growers should watch temperatures and moisture, especially during the early defoliation season. Consider using the appropriate rate of thidiazuron-containing products in tankmixes to

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COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2017

address potential regrowth issues. Farmers should also consider nozzle type and application volume when applying harvest aids.

Large-droplet nozzles often result in effective defoliation of the top one-third to one-half of the plant. However, they struggle to reach lower leaves effectively. Additionally, we recommend harvest aids be applied at 15 to 20 gallons of water per acre to minimize the need for a second application. Low application volumes (used in ground sprayers) can run the risk of ineffective defoliation, thereby requiring an additional application. guy_collins@ncsu.edu

OKLAHOMA Randy Boman The 2017 cotton crop maturity rate has taken a bit of a hit with the cooler August temperatures. We closed out the month at about 19 percent below normal for cotton heat unit accumulation. Nearly all of the daily high temperatures were below normal.

Daily low temperatures were normal for most of the month, until the last few days.

As of this writing, cooler-than-normal temperatures have also been encountered during the first 12 days of September. What this means is that we are hoping for a significant warming trend to help us grind out as much maturity as possible, especially for a lot of late-planted dryland fields.

With wheat prices in a continuing slump, producers planted nearly double the historic average for cotton in the state. The September U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service crop report indicated planted acreage for the state ended up close to 580,000, with the estimated harvested acreage at 555,000.

Both of these numbers indicate the highest planted and harvested acreage since 1981.

The per-acre yield estimate was increased from 768 pounds per acre in the August report to 848 pounds per acre in the September report. The math from all this results in an astounding 980,000 bale forecast for the 2017 Oklahoma crop. If realized, the 2017 crop will be the highest bale production in the state since 1933 when 1.27 million bales were harvested from 2.86 million acres.

Both harvesting and ginning infrastructure will be severely tested by this abnormally large crop. Producers are encouraged to get the crop harvested as early as possible to maintain fiber quality. Properly constructing and then installing high-quality module covers on conventional modules will be critical. Watching those module covers in an effort to maintain their integrity will be important, especially if modules cannot be ginned for several weeks or even months.

New cotton producers need to be concerned and get educated about this important management consideration. Many publications are available to provide valuable insight. randy.boman@okstate.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper Harvest aid applications picked up mid-September and a large number of acres received their first application Sept. 18. Pickers will be running in the earliest defoliated cotton by Oct. 1. Several of our small plot trials were defoliated by Sept. 15. I suspect our variety trial publication will be released by Dec. 15 this year.

I’ll comment on it when we get into November.

Last year in my October entry to Specialists Speaking, I highlighted two items to keep in mind as you move into harvest. I think these are still extremely relevant and worth mentioning again. First, properly calibrate yield monitors and protect this valuable data. As we move into the coming years, carefully collected yield data and records have the potential to pay dividends.

COTTONFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking

Cut a boll in a cross section to determine maturity. On the left is a mature boll. On the right is an immature boll.

MICHAEL DONAHOE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA EXTENSION SERVICE

Second, remove any plastic trash from the field prior to harvest.

I’ve personally walked several of my trials adjacent to residences and retail outlets to remove plastic bags, which are a major issue in some production areas. Contamination levels of U.S. cotton are low, but it only takes a few contaminated bales to affect demand. This effort may not positively impact your bottom line during 2017, but will result in the world market continuing to seek out U.S. cotton. traper@utk.edu

TEXAS Seth Byrd Several weather systems that moved through during late August and early September bought rainfall to the majority of the High Plains. Totals for this period ranged from less than an inch to 6 inches or more, highly variable as one looks across the region.

This rainfall could have been more beneficial had it been received a month earlier. However, these showers still had a positive impact on most of the crop and helped finish boll set in late August on upper nodes and second or third fruiting positions. As of Sept.12, most of the region had received the rain needed to finish the crop and allow for an early end to irrigation applications in many fields.

Harvest had yet to begin as of early September, but a few early planted or dryland fields were stripped toward the end of the month.

Depending on rainfall, defoliation should begin on a large proportion of the acres in the region near the end of September or early October.

Harvest could be in full force in mid- to late October.

The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service yield projections for the region range from 540 to 746 pounds per acre, slightly down compared to August numbers in two regions that comprise the majority of cotton acreage in the High Plains. However, projected overall production in bales is still up compared to 2016, likely due to increased acreage.

With good boll retention and rain finally falling at the end of bloom TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

period, a warm, dry stretch the rest of September and into October would lead to optimal conditions for boll maturity and could leave the crop in a favorable place by harvest. seth.byrd@ag.tamu.edu

TEXAS Gaylon Morgan With few exceptions, the yield and fiber quality for the Lower Rio Grande Valley have been quite good, and the region has been catching some rainfall since harvesting its cotton. The Coastal Bend harvested the best cotton crop in a long time, and even topped the superb 2016 crop. When Hurricane Harvey hit, the Coastal Bend was more than 90 percent harvested; however, high winds and excessive rain in these flat clay soils still wreaked havoc on cotton modules and thus seed and fiber quality.

Moving to the Upper Gulf Coast, things were even worse, primarily due to excessive rain and water in cotton fields. More than half the cotton crop had not been harvested, and much of the harvested cotton was in modules on field edges. As a result, there are many questions with few timely answers about how to deal with unharvested fields, wet modules, lint quality, seed marketability, crop insurance, whether to harvest or not, etc.

Hurricane Harvey also detrimentally affected the southern end of the Blacklands, especially the river bottoms, with 20-plus inches of rain. In the remainder of the Blacklands, harvest resumed the second week of September. Yields are variable, but the crop is generally good for this region. In the Rolling Plains, the crop remains behind schedule, but it has a lot of promise after decent August rains were received.

The cotton crop was about 5-10 percent open as of mid-September.

Aphids and some bollworms were problematic earlier in the season but have been brought into check. The weed management situation remains good, with effective weed control and minimal complaints from off-target movement of labeled herbicides when applied over XtendFlex and Enlist varieties. gdmorgan@tamu.edu OCTOBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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Cotton Gin Trash Finds New Life In Power Production Northern Lucus Apr 14 R_CF 11/13 template 3/7/14 3:26 PM Page 1

Finding sustainable markets for gin trash, wood chips and other waste products could be viable in producing more electrical power for a growing global population, according to researchers.

A demonstration was held recently on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station showcasing a biomassfueled fluidized bed gasifier, using cotton gin trash and wood chips to power an electric generator. The fluidized bed gasification system was developed in the 1980s when a patent was issued to Drs. Calvin Parnell Jr. and W.A. Lepori, who were both part of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, now Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

Cotton gin trash and other biomass feedstocks have been used as fuel to generate heat energy for power production.

The technology has been a focal point for Dr. Sergio Capareda, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research agricultural engineer in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M. He researched the technology while working on his graduate degree during the late 1980s. Parnell and Lepori were Capareda’s graduate advisers.

From left, Drs. Calvin B. Parnell Jr., Sergio Capareda and W.A. Lepori have conducted work with a fluidized bed gasification system that uses cotton gin trash and wood chips to generate power.

The Gasification Process Cotton gin trash is produced in abundance at cotton gins across Texas and usually left unused, Capareda says. During harvest season, piles of cotton gin trash can be found at gins

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throughout the state.

“The process is gasification,” Capareda says. “We limit the amount of air to thermally convert the biomass so the products are combustible gases. These are collectively called synthesis gas. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen, plus a little methane and ethlyene, are a combustible mixture. Combustible in a sense that you can feed it into an internal combustible engine coupled with a generator so you can turn this fuel into electrical power.

“It’s easier said than done, because you have to remove the biochar and all the tar in the syngas before it goes into the engine. We have cleaned up the gas very well in this technology.”

The technology converts biomass into electrical power, making it an attractive opportunity for the ag, processing industry and electric utilities.

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Capareda says the biomass used in the system has to be consistent, meaning whether you are using cotton gin trash or wood chips, it has to be relatively dry

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and clean without soil, rocks or metals.

“That’s how you begin, make sure it is dry and consistent,” he says. “Then you can run this system 24/7. We need 1.5-2 tons per hour or about 36 tons a day to generate 1 megawatt depending on the type of biomass. High-energy content biomass would need a little less than that. It also depends on heating value and moisture content of biomass.”

Bob Avant, director of corporate relations for AgriLife Research, says, “(This technology) has taken a very evolutionary approach going from a very basic system to one that is computerized. We’re very excited about it and think it has some good applications. We have a number of very big companies interested in this intellectual property.”

To see the system in action, check out the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/1W7er2YaLRk.

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Blair Fannin, who authored this article, is a media relations specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Communications. Contact him at 979-845-2259 or b-fannin@tamu.edu. Contact Dr. Sergio Capareda at 979-458-3028 or scapareda@tamu.edu.

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Cotton’s Calendar 2017 ■ Oct. 11: Plains Cotton Growers Inc. Board Meeting, Bayer Museum of Agriculture, Lubbock, Texas ■ Oct. 18: Plains Cotton Cooperative Association Board Meeting and Delegate Body Meeting, Lubbock, Texas ■ Nov. 15: PCCA Board Meeting, Lubbock, Texas ■ Dec. 5-6: Texas Plant Protection Conference, Brazos Center, Bryan, Texas

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Industry News Thriving In Cotton Series Kicks Off In November

Cotton Board Holds 2018 Calendar Photo Contest

Are resistant weeds a problem on your farm? Is bacterial blight or nematodes keeping you from reaching top yields? To help cotton farmers make next season their best yet, PhytoGen is sponsoring a Thriving in Cotton series beginning with the November issue of Cotton Farming.

Each column will focus on a different benefit of PhytoGen brand varieties with WideStrike 3 Insect Protection and the Enlist cotton trait (W3FE) to help farmers choose varieties that best fit their production goals.

Throughout the Thriving in Cotton series, farmers from across the Belt will share their experiences with various PhytoGen brand varieties and experts will offer tips. You’ll learn how PhytoGen can help you maximize yields and fiber quality to thrive in cotton against weeds, insects and other pests.

Be sure to check out the Thriving in Cotton series highlighting PhytoGen cottonseed to help you maximize the per-acre value of your 2018 crop.

The Cotton Board wants to see your best cotton photos. One winning photo will be selected and featured in The Cotton Board’s 2018 Industry Calendar.

To be eligible to win, contestants must first “like” The Cotton Board Facebook page and then email their high-resolution jpeg photo to sgorman@cottonboard.org. Up to three entries per contestant will be considered. The contest ends on Oct. 6, 2017. Cotton Board staff will vote to determine the winning photo.

The Cotton Board calendar, in which the winner’s photo and photo credit will be featured, is mailed to every cotton producer and ginner in the United States. The winner also will receive 25 copies of the calendar, a cotton blanket and other cotton prizes.

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With the ability to tankmix with glufosinate, farmers can make Enlist One a cornerstone of their weed control programs that feature multiple modes of action. In addition to glufosinate, a comprehensive offering of tankmix partners will be listed on EnlistTankMix.com. Enlist One joins Enlist Duo herbicide, a proprietary blend of 2,4-D choline and glyphosate.

“Farmers growing Enlist cotton have found the flexibility of Enlist One to be especially helpful,” says Chris Byus, Enlist herbicides product manager. “They get the benefits of 2,4-D choline and the ability to tankmix with glufosinate. Both Enlist Duo and Enlist One contain Colex-D technology to help them land and stay on target.”

Enlist One has received federal registration for use in 34 key cotton, corn and soybean states. To see what farmers who used Enlist One on a trail basis have to say, go to cottonfarming. com to read the article in its entirety.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: Cotton Farming 2. Publication Number: 074-8385 3. Filing Date: 9/15/17 4. Issue Frequency: Jan - Dec 5. Number of Issues: 12x/year 6. Annual Susbcription Price: Free to qualified subscribers 7&8. Mailing Address of Known Office/Headquarters: 6515 Goodman Road, Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654 Contact Person: Kathy Killingsworth (901-767-4020) 9. Publisher: Lia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 Editor: Carroll Smith, 6515 Goodman Road, Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654 10. Owners: Cornelia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470; Dr. David Scott Guthrie,Sr., 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470; Morris Ike Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159; Mary Jane Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning/Holding 1% or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2017 15.a. Total Number of Copies (net press run): (Average No. Copies each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 27,563) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 26,966) 15.b.(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 15,351) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 14,306) 15.c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 15,351) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 14,306) 15.d.(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 11,786) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 12,475) 15.d.(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 47) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date -0-) 15.e. Total Nonrequested Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 11,833) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 12,475) 15.f. Total Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 27,184) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 26,781) 15.g. Copies Not Distributed: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 379) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 185) 15.h. Total: (Average No. copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 27,563) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 26,966) 15.i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 56.5%) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 53.4%) 18. I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete.

Lia Guthrie, Publisher

OCTOBER 2017 COTTON FARMING

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My Turn From ‘Tramp Stamps’ To Body Art

I

’ve always enjoyed attitudes, then mine helped prepare me for my reading “My Turn” for life-changing judgment of tattoos. Growing up the personal insights in a small rural community, my first exposure to and common experi- them was from seasonal hired help on the farm. ences shared by those of The only adult I knew with a visible tattoo ran us associated with cotton. the gas station on the edge of town. A former While cotton experiences Marine, he proudly sported the traditional insigserve as the warp of these nia on his forearm.

From this limited exposure, it became a game personal stories, the weft is always enriched by indi- for me to guess if a tattooed adult male was an viduals who color and give ex-Marine or a sailor. My criterion to separate texture to the fabric of our the two was sailors’ tattoos were usually of less Bruce respectable subjects. My family has a long history individual lives.

Roberts Most often they are rel- of Army service, so my bias toward other military atives who help shape our branches runs deep. If a tattoo was not military personalities, attitudes and world outlooks. This related, the default category of “tramp” applied. mentoring comes through lessons learned in the Hence, my reference to tattoos as “tramp stamps” cotton fields as well across dinner tables, church evolved. Until that is, my daughter, my princess, my buttercup came pews and sometimes classrooms. A com“My daughter, my princess, came home with a tattoo on her arm. mon thread is the home with a tattoo on her arm.”

Upon close inspecshared love and use tion, I noted her of cotton experiences tattoo is an anatomically correct cotton fruitas examples to prepare us for life changes.

The cotton industry has transformed signifi- ing branch. Her explanation for this choice is it cantly since my childhood. The open ground of reminds her of our shared times in cotton fields. our 40-acre peach farm was planted with cotton We spent many happy hours walking through every year. Cotton was the cash crop that along every stage of the season. From counting seedwith harvesting dryland grains paid the bills lings, or finding first flowers (her favorite), to until the orchard came into production. Our cot- assisting as a canopy height reference, she was a ton patch seems insignificant compared to the true helper.

When she was real little and the plants were scale of farms I worked with over my career.

For me, scale didn’t matter. I walked the fur- over her head, she would call out, “Daddy I can’t rows with my father and rode the old planter see you!” and I would reply, “Just keep walking while my great-uncle kept the fuzzy-seed flowing. straight down the furrow, I’m here close.” These Summer was a special time to enjoy cool well experiences helped shape her into an indepenwater flowing down the furrows, followed by play- dent young woman, confident in her abilities to guide whitewater rivers or relocate to where her ing in the cotton trailer during harvest.

Even though a small farmer, my father thought heart, career path and future furrows lead.

Her cotton body art has changed my attitude big. Seeing the end of hand-picking, he purchased one of the earliest two-row pickers in Madera to where I’m considering getting one myself. As County. The 1959 harvest was machine picked I prepare for life’s autumn, my tattoo, in plain where years before a small crew of pickers took script, will read: “If found, return to 5634 West about a week to bring in the crop. My job of help- River Bottom.” ing at the weighing scale and watching the pick– Bruce Roberts ers haul their full sacks up to dump into the trailProfessor, California State University, Fresno er was over. So was the joy of performing acrobatFresno, California ics into a trailer of clean, hand-picked cotton. baroberts@mail.fresnostate.edu If shared cotton experiences can shape our

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.

22

COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2017

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