Cotton Farming February 2020 by One Grower Publishing

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

FEBRUARY 2020

www.cottonfarming.com

NCC Advocates For Natural Disaster Relief

Piedmont Cotton North Carolina Farmer Says The Crop Fits Well ‘At The Foot Of The Mountains’

INSIDE : 2019 COTTON CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR EDDY CATES

Protect your cotton yields with proven solutions from UPL Innovative products that deliver maximum performance and value. » ACENTHRIN™

» MOCCASIN II PLUS ®

Patented, dual mode-of-action insecticide with excellent resistance management, quick knockdown and systemic action.

Effective residual herbicide with excellent soil activity on a wide variety of small-seeded broadleaf weeds and grasses.

» SATELLITE FLEX ®

» ACEPHATE 97UP ®

Insecticide providing reliable contact and systemic control of a wide spectrum of sucking and chewing insects.

Herbicide that delivers pre-emergent control of most annual grasses and troublesome small-seeded broadleaf weeds.

» ARGYLE

» ADIOS

Dual mode-of-action, extended residual insecticide ideal for managing resistance and providing contact and translaminar insect control.

» BIFENTURE EC ®

Innovative, water-based defoliant with proven chemistry and novel formulation for fast, reliable defoliation under a wide range of conditions.

» PIX WSG ®

Second-generation pyrethroid insecticide/miticide with excellent contact and residual activity and cost-effective control.

Plant growth regulator in a patented, water-soluble granule formulation for simple, cost-effective treatment.

» RIO

» INTERLINE

Non-selective herbicide for glufosinate-tolerant cotton that controls glyphosate-resistant weeds while offering an effective burndown treatment.

EPA-registered plant growth stimulant designed to improve plant reproductive growth for higher yield potential.

» INTERMOC™

Non-selective herbicide premix for glufonsinate-tolerant cotton provides immediate and long-lasting residual control of small-seeded broadleaf weeds and grasses.

For more information about our portfolio of solutions for cotton, talk to your local UPL representative or retailer, visit our website at upl-ltd.com/us or call 1-800-438-6071.

ACENTRIN, ARGYLE AND BIFENTURE are restricted use products. Always read and follow label directions. UPL, the UPL logo, OpenAg and all products are trademarks of a UPL Corporation Limited Group Company. ©2020 UPL Corporation Limited Group Company. CTNR-2002

Vol. 64 No. 2

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

FEBRUARY 2020

www.cottonfarming.com

F E AT U R E S

LSU AGCENTER AWARDS

MID-SOUTH SHOWTIME

SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR

GINNERS MARKETPLACE

Three students are honored for work at AgCenter research stations in northeast Louisiana.

Visit the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, Feb. 28-29, at the Memphis Convention Center.

LSU AgCenter’s Dan Fromme recognized as the 2020 Cotton Specialist of the Year.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY

Don Daily named 2019 Southeastern Ginner of the Year at Southern Southeastern meeting.

12 Piedmont Cotton In North Carolina, the Piedmont falls between the Atlantic coastal plain and the Appalachian Mountains. Aaron Burleson, (above), and his cousin, Andrew Burleson, farm about 2,500 acres of cotton, along with corn, soybeans and wheat, in the region. They also run 70 head of beef cattle. Their fathers, Dennis and Ronnie, respectively, still participate in the operation, but Aaron and Andrew are the “boots on the ground” for day-to-day tasks.

D E PA R T M E N T S & C O LU M N S

4 Editor’s Note 21 Industry News 6 Cotton’s Agenda 26 Specialists Speaking 10 Research & Promotion 34 My Turn ON THE COVER: Aaron Burleson says this field is a replicated strip trial of four PhytoGen cotton varieties. Cover photo by Carroll Smith.

2019 Cotton Consultant of the Year

Eddy Cates 2019 COT TON CONSULTA N T

OF THE Y E A R

COT TON CONSULTANT OF THE YE AR

Eddy Cates of Marion, Arkansas, is the 38th recipient of this esteemed award. Read more about him on page 17.

Cotton Farming

WEB EXCLUSIVE The Environmental Potection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers deliver on President Trump’s promise to issue the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

SUPPLEMENT ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

Overwhelmed by seed options? Keep these 4 things in mind

FEBRUARY 2020

Look for Soybean South following page 28 in the Mid-South and Southeast editions of Cotton Farming. Stay informed and 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, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. 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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FEBRUARY 2020 | COTTON FARMING

Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Carroll Smith

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

Focus On Faith, Hope And Confidence

ecause we live in such a fast-moving world these days, bombarded by hysterical Chicken Little cries that “the sky is falling,” it’s often difficult to maintain a positive perspective. I believe the antidote is to slow down for a minute and consider the power of faith, hope and confidence. You may have seen examples of these ideas as part of the “Six Little Stories” making the rounds on social media feeds. Although the source appears to be unknown, the meaning behind them is powerful and worth contemplating as we embark on a new growing season. Here are three of the “Six Little Stories.”  Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That’s faith.  Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarms to wake up. That’s hope.  We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That’s confidence. Yes, the world is complicated. But if you make the effort to include faith, hope and confidence in your daily routine, you have a better chance of sustaining a positive attitude and being productive in your work. As a farmer, weather is always a wild card over which you have no control. But if you subscribe to faith and hope, they will give you confidence to make the best of the circumstances with which you are given to work. The cotton industry is also fortunate to have organizations — like the National Cotton Council — that have your back. In Cotton’s Agenda, NCC President and CEO Gary Adams says, “The NCC strongly advocated for legislation to provide relief and recovery assistance for producers affected by wildfires, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019.... The result was the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) for 2018 and 2019 crop losses due to hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and other covered disasters.” See all the details on page 6. And remember, if you do find yourself praying for rain during the 2020 season, don’t forget to bring your umbrella.

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 | FEBRUARY 2020

Southeast Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Ashley Kumpe ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (901) 767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Audience Services Kate Thomas (847) 559-7514 For circulation changes or change of address, call (847) 559-7578 or email cottonfarming@omeda.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David Burns – North Carolina David Lynch – South Carolina Bob McLendon – Georgia Larkin Martin – Alabama Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi Charles Parker – Missouri Jimmy Hargett – Tennessee Allen Helms – Arkansas Jay Hardwick – Louisiana Ronnie Hopper – Texas Ron Rayner – Arizona John Pucheu – California

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Copyright 2020 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

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COTTONFARMING.COM

Family Legacies We at Cotton Farming are honored to cover the rich family histories of our producers. We strive to stay atop the latest production strategies to keep your operations profitable, generation after generation.

Fourth-generation farmer Shane McLain and his wife, SammiJo, operate a stripper cotton and cow-calf business in the Texas Panhandle. Shaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great-grandfather, Roy McLain, started breaking out prairie land with a team of mules in Castro County, Texas, in the 1920s.

Cotton Farming

Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Amplified Assistance During 2019, the National Cotton Council worked closely with the Administration and Congress to advance passage of a meaningful disaster recovery package.

What were some major NCC actions?

n The NCC strongly advocated for legislation to provide relief and recovery assistance for producers affected by wildfires, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. Letters of support were aimed at ensuring a total of about $3 billion would be appropriated into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP). We also worked with the Administration and Congress to get key improvements to WHIP and state block grants as part of the disaster assistance implementation.

The structure of WHIP+ is very similar to the initial WHIP implemented for the 2017 disaster losses, but there are some key changes in WHIP+. The program is designed to cover between 70% to 90% of crop losses, with the coverage percentage based on an individual producer’s crop insurance coverage level. The WHIP+ factors range from 70% to 95%, with the higher level available for producers with insurance coverage of 80% and higher. In determining a producer’s insurance coverage level, STAX coverage is included along with any underlying insurance policy. Another key change is that the insurance price used to determine the crop’s expected value will be the higher of the projected or harvest price for those producers with a revenue-based insurance policy.

Was WHIP+ expanded recently?

n Yes. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, extended the availability of unobligated funds that were initially made available for agriculture disaster in the wake of the 2017 hurricanes. After all amounts have been obligated for prior eligible losses, there will be an estimated $1.5 billion remaining for newly eligible losses.

WHIP+ provides assistance for 2018 and 2019 crop losses due to flooding, hurricanes, drought, wildfires and other covered disaster events. The result was the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) for 2018 and 2019 crop losses due to hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and other covered disaster events. Instructions for the WHIP+ signup, which began Sept. 11, 2019, along with more information, is at www.farmers.gov. The NCC also posted WHIP+ details and examples on its website at www.cotton.org/issues/2019/ upload/19whipsumm.pdf.

Producers affected by additional disaster events (including drought, excess moisture and quality losses due to a qualifying disaster) are now eligible to apply for aid via WHIP+ for losses in 2018 and 2019. Drought losses will be eligible if any area within the county in which the loss occurs was rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a D3 (Extreme Drought) or higher level of drought intensity at any time during the applicable calendar years. USDA is finalizing implementation and sign-up details of the expanded WHIP+ program, and the NCC plans to post key details and examples on its website. In the meantime, more information is at www.farmers.gov/recover/whip-plus.

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.

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

COTTONFARMING.COM

I CHOOSE

RESULTS #1 COTTON

SYSTEM

planted by farmers

CONTROLS MORE WEEDS than any other crop system

UP TO 14 DAYS OF SOIL ACTIVITY on certain small-seeded broadleaf weeds

Traited U.S. cotton acres containing XtendFlex ® Technology based on Bayer internal estimates.

Based on approved EPA herbicide labels as of Aug. 2018.

Results may vary, depending on rainfall and soil type. Always use dicamba with residual herbicides in pre-emergence and postemergence applications that have different, effective sites of action, along with other Diversified Weed Management Practices. Performance may vary, from location to location and from year to year, as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible and should consider the impacts of these conditions on the grower’s fields. XtendiMax ® herbicide with VaporGrip ® Technology is part of the Roundup Ready ® Xtend Crop System and is a restricted use pesticide. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW GRAIN MARKETING AND ALL OTHER STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES AND PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. See the Products Use Notice for “I Choose Results” advertisement for Roundup Ready ® Xtend Crop System printed in this publication. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2020 Bayer Group. All rights reserved. MDIC-19040-CF-0220

+ Xtend your weed control | RoundupReadyXtend.com

Restricted Use Pesticide Low-Volatility Dicamba

Products Use Notice for “I Choose Results” Advertisement and “Start Clean, Stay Clean in 2020” Advertorial for Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System 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. This product has 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. Excellence Through Stewardship ® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology is part of the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System and is a restricted use pesticide. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. It is a violation of federal and state law to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip ® Technology and products with XtendFlex® Technology may not be approved in all states and may be subject to use restrictions in some states. Check with your local product dealer or representative or U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency for the product registration status and additional restrictions in your state. For approved tank-mix products and nozzles visit XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com. NOT ALL formulations of dicamba, glyphosate or glufosinate are approved for in-crop use with cotton with XtendFlex® Technology. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans or cotton with XtendFlex® Technology. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your seed brand representative for the registration status in your state. Cotton with XtendFlex® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your seed brand dealer or refer to the Monsanto Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs. Insect control technology provided by Vip3A is utilized under license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. Warrant ® Herbicide and Warrant ® Ultra Herbicide are not registered in all states and may be subject to use restrictions. The distribution, sale, or use of an unregistered pesticide is a violation of federal and/or state law and is strictly prohibited. Check with your local dealer or state representative for the product registration status in your state. Bayer, Bayer Cross, Bollgard®, Bollgard II ®, Deltapine ®, Respect the Refuge and Cotton Design®, Roundup Ready ®, VaporGrip ®, Warrant ®, XtendFlex® and XtendiMax® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design® is a trademark of BASF Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2020 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.

LSU AgCenter Student Worker Awards BY JOHNNY MORGAN

he Louisiana State University AgCenter recently presented awards to three students who have worked at AgCenter research stations in northeast Louisiana. The awards, given to full-time and part-time student workers, were recommended by faculty at the research stations. They are sponsored by the Hardwick family, which grows cotton, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans and wheat on Somerset Plantation in Tensas Parish. The three recipients are Sydney Cephus, Acey Hendrix and Valerian Johnson. Each received $500 and a plaque. Cephus graduated from Davidson High School in St. Joseph, Louisiana, and is currently a sophomore majoring in physical education at Alcorn State University. She has worked in the agronomic research program at the AgCenter Northeast Research Station for about four years. She is described as polite, punctual, attentive to instructions and inquisitive. “She can be depended on to carry out her job assignments in a very

conscientious manner,” says Melissa Cater, director of the AgCenter Northeast Region. Hendrix attends Tensas Academy, where he is a senior. He joined the weed science program as a summer worker at the Northeast Research Station in 2019. Cater says Hendrix is an outstanding first-year student worker who performed his duties well and was eager to learn. “He carried out a variety of tasks in the field and in the lab,” Cater says. “He learned tasks quickly and asked questions so he could better understand the job.” Johnson, currently a freshman at Alcorn State University, has been employed in the cover crop agronomy program at the Northeast Research Station since June 2016. “Valerian has demonstrated an excellent work ethic, is detail oriented and cares about her job performance,” Cater says. “She is described as respectful, dependable and trustworthy.” Cater says the awards will be given annually. Johnny Morgan is a communications specialist with the LSU AgCenter.

MDIC-19040-CF-0220-LC

Acey Hendrix (navy polo) and Sydney Cephus (green dress) are two of three recipients of the first Hardwick awards, funded by the Hardwick family of Tensas Parish to full-time and part-time student workers at LSU AgCenter research stations in northeast Louisiana. Pictured with the winners are AgCenter associate vice president Rogers Leonard (left), and Mead and Marshall Hardwick (left to right).

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

COTTONFARMING.COM

Advertorial

Start Clean, Stay Clean in 2020 Off the Gulf Coast near East Bernard, Texas, Brian Hlavinka has enjoyed seeing clean rows of cotton on his farm the past few seasons. The key to these clean fields has been the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System.

Brian Hlavinka TEXAS COTTON FARMER

“Bollgard II® XtendFlex® cotton has allowed me to control weeds that I had trouble managing with herbicides before, mainly resistant waterhemp,” says Hlavinka. He farms a lot of cotton behind cotton. Weeds are being managed much better in Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton with the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, and the weed pressure from season to season is much lower. “That makes managing weeds better next season,” he says.

Stay Clean Whether applied preplant or pre-emergence, residual herbicides are an important tool for staying clean. Pre-emergence options can include products like Caparol® 4L Herbicide and Cotoran® 4L. Depending on moisture for activation, pre-emergence residual herbicides can provide a level of control until the crop begins to emerge. Steele notes that, based on Bayer research in Texas, XtendiMax herbicide can also provide up to 14 days of soil activity on certain small-seeded broadleaf weeds* when adequate moisture is available. “We’ve seen in fairly dry conditions, in our plot work and in farmers’ fields, that if we can get a quarter of an inch of rainfall, it will move the dicamba product into the soil profile and can provide up to two weeks of soil activity,” Steele says. “It doesn’t happen every time, and moisture is the key.”

In South Texas, the strategy with Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton has always been the same: start clean, stay clean, according to Greg Steele, Bayer Crop Protection Technology Development Representative.

“Bollgard II® XtendFlex® cotton has allowed me to control weeds that I had trouble managing with herbicides before, mainly resistant waterhemp.” Start Clean

Spray Early

Starting clean begins with an early burndown application of Roundup PowerMAX® herbicide, plus XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology (Restricted Use Pesticide) (to suppress winter weeds). The burndown application can keep fields clean until spring, allowing farmers to plant into clean fields. To control weeds present at planting and provide early-season residual weed control, Steele recommends an application of Roundup PowerMAX herbicide plus Warrant® Ultra Herbicide (east of Hwy 77) or Valor® SX Herbicide (west of Hwy 77) 21 to 30 days before planting.

“Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton must be walked and scouted soon after crop emergence, and when you see 2-inch-tall pigweeds in a field, pull the trigger on the first in-season herbicide application,” Steele advises. “Our standard recommendation, and one we’ve found to work well, is Roundup PowerMAX herbicide plus XtendiMax herbicide plus Warrant Herbicide.” The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System is flexible, with excellent herbicide choices to address different weed species. Multiple products with different sites of action help manage weed resistance.

Restricted Use Pesticide Low-Volatility Dicamba

* Results may vary, depending on rainfall and soil type. Always use dicamba with residual herbicides in pre-emergence and postemergence applications that have different, effective sites of action, along with other Diversified Weed Management Practices. XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology is part of the Roundup Ready ® Xtend Crop System and is a restricted use pesticide. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING. It is a violation of federal and state law to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology and products with XtendFlex® Technology may not be approved in all states and may be subject to use restrictions in some states. Check with your local product dealer or representative or U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency for the product registration status and additional restrictions in your state. For approved tank-mix products and nozzles visit XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW GRAIN MARKETING AND ALL OTHER STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES AND PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. See the Products Use Notice for “Start Clean, Stay Clean in 2020” advertorial for Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System printed in this publication. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2020 Bayer Group. All rights reserved. MDIC-19062-CF-0220

RESEARCH & PROMOTION

Cotton Incorporated Celebrates 50 Years

his year marks the 50th Anniversary of Cotton Incorporated, the research and marketing company funded by U.S. cotton producers and importers. It is the sole-source contractor of The Cotton Board and was created in 1970. A group of visionary cotton producers decided to pool their resources to invest in cotton research and promotion to help combat a major emerging issue at that time — loss of market share to man-made fibers. In the time leading up to the creation of Cotton Incorporated, synthetic fiber manufacturing companies were introducing relatively new fibers like polyester to the world. These companies had deep BY STACEY GORMAN pockets and were spending sigMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE nificant resources in both product research and consumer marketing. Realizing this, U.S. Upland cotton producers conceived a self-help agricultural promotion program to collectively fight to regain the market share that had been lost to synthetic fibers. Their efforts led to the enactment of a federal statute, the Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966. In a referendum, producers voted to institute a per-bale assessment system to fund the program and established built-in safeguards to protect their investment. The most significant amendment to the Act occurred in 1990 and expanded the Program to include assessment collections on the cotton content of imported apparel and other products. The Cotton Board Is Born The Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 established The Cotton Board to administer and oversee the Cotton Research snd Promotion Program. To fund it, The Cotton Board collects a per bale assessment on all Upland cotton harvested and ginned in the United States. Importers are also assessed on the cotton content of all Upland cotton products brought into the country. The Cotton Board receives oversight from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is also charged with keeping Program stakeholders informed of the work being done on their behalf via their investment. In addition, the Act directed The Cotton Board to contract with a separate organization to conduct the actual research and promotion activities. The original contracting organization was called the Cotton Producer’s Institute, and it operated as a subsidiary of the National Cotton Council.

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

Cotton Incorporated’s World Headquarters and Research Center is located in Cary, North Carolina. Cotton Incorporated Debuts However, in 1970, the Cotton Producer ’s Institute became a separate, non-profit entity named Cotton Incorporated. Cotton Incorporated’s World Headquarters and Research Center is located in Cary, North Carolina, and its Consumer Marketing Headquarters is located in New York City. Supporting offices are located around the globe in Mexico City, Osaka, Shanghai and Hong Kong. During the past 50 years, Cotton Incorporated has worked relentlessly to educate consumers about the benefits of cotton. It also researches and improves cotton production practices to increase cotton producer profitability. From the creation of the first cotton module-builder and the introduction of the Seal of Cotton trademark in the 1970s to the work being done to share cotton’s sustainability story today, Cotton Incorporated has led the way forward for the cotton industry. History In The Spotlight Throughout 2020, The Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated will be sharing information about the history of Cotton Incorporated. Many of the significant advancements and achievements made by Cotton Incorporated during its first 50 years will be highlighted. As we look forward to the next 50 years of cotton research and promotion, it is important to reflect on the vast array of accomplishments generated so far and draw inspiration from Cotton Incorporated’s robust history. The ultimate goal is to ensure U.S. cotton’s viability for years to come. Gorman is The Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org. COTTONFARMING.COM

THRIVING IN COTTON

PhytoGen Grades Well in a Tough Growing Season

amey Duesterhaus has grown PhytoGen® cottonseed since 2017 on irrigated and dryland acres near Littleﬁeld in the Texas Panhandle. Following the 2016 season, he says he was looking for varieties to help control the resistant weed species in his ﬁelds. The PhytoGen Breeding Traits™ that would protect his cotton from root-knot nematodes and verticillium wilt also piqued his interest. “After we planted in 2017, we noticed improved seedling vigor and better emergence than what we had seen from other cotton varieties on the market,” Duesterhaus says. “This is crucial to us on the High Plains where our planting window is about a month and can sometimes be reduced to 2½ to three weeks because of moisture conditions and soil temperatures. “If we plant a cottonseed that is ready to come out of the ground and start growing, we are off to a better start. The PhytoGen varieties are consistent. When 2018 came around, we were much more confident that PhytoGen was what we wanted to plant, and in 2019, we were convinced it was the way to go.”

Thriving in Spite of Perfect Storm This past season, Duesterhaus planted two mid- to fullseason PhytoGen brand varieties on his dryland acres and PHY 300 W3FE, PHY 350 W3FE and PHY 250 W3FE on his irrigated ground. The Texas farmer describes May as cool, wet and plagued by hailstorms. Adverse weather led to replanting much of his acreage. On those acres, Duesterhaus planted PHY 250 W3FE, which is an early maturing variety with high yield potential. As 2019 progressed, conditions that started off cool and wet ended up hot and dry. Duesterhaus says his cotton was subjected to hot nights as well. This was unusual since High Plains’ nights typically are cooler than most of Texas because of the area’s elevation. And to top off everything, the season finished with an earlier-than-normal freeze that began to shut down the plants. “We had every calamity imaginable thrown at us last year,” Duesterhaus says. “Our yields were off, but the grade and quality of the PhytoGen cotton was almost unbelievable. I had one dryland field of PHY 350 W3FE that received absolutely no rain and had a disappointing loan value, but all the other fields were above 50 cents. “My highest dryland loan value was 54 cents. My lowest irrigated loan value was 53 cents on PHY 250 W3FE, and my highest irrigated loan value was 57 cents on PHY 350 W3FE. The quality was there. It was a blessing from God in 2019.”

Despite cantankerous weather, Texas Panhandle cotton farmer Jamey Duesterhaus says the grade and quality of his PhytoGen® cotton was ‘almost unbelievable.’

Complete Set of Benefits After looking at the PhytoGen brand varieties for the past three years, Duesterhaus says he plans to stick with them. “To me, PhytoGen always has a variety that fits,” he says. “If you want to swing for the fence, they have that. If you want a variety that can hang on to get to the next rain or until your pivot makes another pass or until you get back to those zones with subsurface irrigation, they have PHY 350 W3FE.” Duesterhaus likes the whole package PhytoGen delivers — yield, quality and protection from root-knot nematodes and verticillium wilt that comes with PhytoGen Breeding Traits. He depends on WideStrike ® 3 Insect Protection to keep worm pressure off the cotton and the Enlist™ weed control system to take out resistant weed species. After applying a preemergence herbicide at the beginning of the season, Duesterhaus comes back with a tank mix of Enlist One ® herbicide and glufosinate or glyphosate, depending on the field’s weed spectrum. “Based on what I have seen over the past few years on both irrigated and dryland ground, I think my return on investment is high,” he says. “That’s what makes me want to keep planting PhytoGen varieties.”

™ ® Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. The Enlist weed control system is owned and developed by Dow AgroSciences LLC. PhytoGen Seed Company is a joint venture between Mycogen Corporation, an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC, and the J.G. Boswell Company.

COVER STORY

Piedmont Cotton North Carolina Farmer Says The Crop Fits Well At ‘The Foot Of The Mountains’ BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

n North Carolina, the Piedmont falls between the Atlantic coastal plain and the Appalachian Mountains. Aaron Burleson and his cousin, Andrew Burleson, farm about 2,500 acres of cotton, along with corn, soybeans and wheat, in the region. They also run 70 head of beef cattle. Their fathers, Dennis and Ronnie, respectively, participate in the operation, but Aaron and Andrew are the “boots on the ground” for dayto-day tasks. Aaron’s grandfather, Thurman Burleson, worked as an electrician in Roanoke, Virginia, wiring battleships during World War II. In the mid1940s, he returned to North Carolina, bought some land in the Piedmont, which translates to “at the foot of the mountains,” and started farming. He grew cotton for a couple of years, but the boll weevil got so bad that cotton disappeared from Stanly County for almost five decades. “We started growing cotton again on Thurman Burleson & Sons Farm in 1991,” Aaron says. “Although my granddad died on Christmas Eve, he got to see our first cotton harvest before he passed away. We quickly realized the potential of the crop and knew we needed to diversify. We weren’t going to make it by growing $2 corn and $4.50 soybeans.” The Burlesons started out with basket pickers and three cotton wagons they had to haul 80 miles to a gin in Bennettsville, South Carolina. In 1996, the family took a leap of faith and built their own facility — Rolling Hills Gin — in Stanly County. “Even though it is small, it’s one of the most technologically advanced gins in the country,” Aaron says. “We ginned 41,216 bales this season. My

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

Aaron Burleson, (above), and his cousin, Andrew Burleson, share the daily responsibilities at Thurman Burleson and Sons Farm. They also have three employees — Robert Betka, Mark Allman and Danny Gathings — they depend on to keep the operation efficient and profitable. cousin, Wes Morgan, is the gin manager and current president of the National Cotton Ginners Association. His wife, Missy, takes care of the office work.” The Burlesons typically run two round module John Deere 7760 pickers, but they recently traded them for John Deere CP690 harvesters for the 2020 season. Pest Control Strategies In 2019, the Burlesons planted PHY 330 W3FE on 900 acres, along with PHY 350 W3FE, PHY 430 W3FE and an experimental PhytoGen variety. They also grew DP 1916 B3XF,

DP 1646 B2XF, DP 1614 B2XF and a new Deltapine variety candidate. The Burlesons plant cotton on 30-inch rows at a seeding rate of 45,000 to 50,000 seeds per acre. Aaron says the 30-inch row spacing seems to be a good fit with the area’s short growing season. To simplify things, they plant both cotton and corn with the same 30-inch row equipment. “We choose our varieties to have options to control glyphosate-resistant pigweed,” Aaron says. “Marestail and ragweed have also become more of an issue. Because the fields in this area are so small and often adjacent to our neighbors, we have to consider COTTONFARMING.COM

what they are planting as well.” The Burlesons’ weed control program begins with a burndown of Warrant and Roundup herbicides. The first over-the-top herbicide application typically is Enlist One, Roundup and Dual Magnum. Their second post application is Enlist One and Roundup or Enlist One and Liberty herbicide if weed pressure is heavy. Aaron says he likes Enlist One because it has a lot of tankmix options. On the Deltapine varieties, they substitute dicamba herbicide for Enlist. Although the varieties planted on their farm contain WideStrike and Bollgard to protect against worms, Aaron says they are fortunate that pressure from these pests is usually light. “If any worms do show up, these traits just make our job easier,” he says. Double-Cropped Cotton/Wheat The North Carolina farmers double-crop cotton and wheat if the year sets up right and they can harvest wheat in time to plant cotton behind it. “This is always a game-time decision for us,” Aaron says. “We’ve double-cropped cotton and wheat about four times since 1991.” In 2012, he recalls a field of cotton that was planted during the typical planting window. On the other side of the road, a field was planted May 31 behind wheat. It was a hot, dry summer, so the early cotton just shut down. When the rains came in August and September, the double-cropped cotton took off and had time to finish out. The early planted cotton made 1½ bales to the acre, and the double-cropped cotton, right across the road, made 3 bales per acre. Last season, the Burlesons cut wheat May 28 and planted 200 acres of DP 1614 B2XF behind it June. 1. “We decided on that variety since the field had dicam-

ba-tolerant cotton on both sides of it,” Aaron says. “Planting conditions were dry, so I was a little hesitant. But it turned out pretty good, picking about 1,000 to 1,100 pounds per acre.” 2019 Yield And Grades In a relatively good year, the North Carolina farmer says they apply inputs with a yield goal of 3 bales per acre. However, spotty thunderstorms can be a defining factor. “One field may catch all of them, and another field miss them all,” Aaron says. “This can make the difference between picking 1,600 pounds per acre and making 900pound cotton. In the end, we hope to average 1,200 pounds per acre. We have the potential to make really good cotton if we get the rain.” The past season was a good cotton year overall, he says. “Our average yield over the whole farm was 1,300 pounds per acre. Yields ranged from 1,000 pounds to more than 1,800 on some fields. We saw a lot of 21 and 31 color grades, which is good for us. We even had some 11s, which is rare. We had some cotton that didn’t get a drop of rain from the time it opened to the time it was delivered to the gin. This is an unusual occurrence here.” The Cycle Of Life Farming has its rewards as well as its challenges. When asked what keeps him motivated to pursue this profession, Aaron says, “It’s in my blood. You are either born with it, or you are not. I also have a 10-year-old son, Bryce, and it’s exciting to see him take an interest in the operation. He likes going to the field and being a part of the farm. I see a lot of me at that age when I went to work with my dad. “Another driver is our entire farming family is always trying to do something a little better the next year than we did the year before. It’s what we do.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON BURLESON

The replicated strip trial of four PhytoGen cotton varieties shown on the cover picked in the 1,800- to 1,900-pounds-per-acre range, says North Carolina farmer Aaron Burleson.

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FEBRUARY 2020 | COTTON FARMING

Mississippi Agriculture Nears $7.4 Billion BY ROBERT NATHAN GREGORY

Trade Issues And Prices Poultry production was down 3% to an estimated $2.78 billion. The state’s forestry industry held steady at $1.15 billion. Livestock production was down 2% to an estimated $388 million. Catfish production was up 5% to just over $172 million. The commodity group with the most fluctuation was row crops. At an estimated $2.3 billion, overall totals were down 6.5% from 2018. Most notably, corn vaulted 39% from last year, while soybean values dipped 27%. “The U.S.-China tariff standoff had a major impact on crop markets and production this year,” says MSU Extension Service row crop economist Will Maples. “Coming into the planting season, price signals were not very favorable to plant soybeans as the harvest month futures contract price hovered around $9 a bushel. The low price of soybeans was due to our trade issues, which made corn and cotton the more attractive crops to plant this year.” Soybeans were still the most profitable row crop despite the standoff and reduced acreage. Production values fell to $762 million in 2019 after eclipsing $1 billion last year. Producers planted fewer than 2 million acres of the crop for the first time since 2012. Cotton And Corn Cotton growers had a strong crop this year, planting

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

TUCKER MILLER

n 2019, Mississippi’s agricultural industry faced the prospect of dipping below $7 billion for the first time in eight years, but federal payments pushed its value up enough to post a slight gain over 2018. The estimated value of Mississippi agriculture in 2019 is $7.39 billion, a 0.2% gain from 2018’s $7.37 billion. Included in the total is an estimated $628 million in government payments — the largest amount of federal assistance Mississippi producers have seen since 2006. The total value not including those payments is an estimated $6.8 billion. 2011 was the last time total values prior to government payments were below $7 billion. Keith Coble, head of the Mississippi State University Department of Agricultural Economics, says the projected increase in net revenues reflects a nationwide trend. “Government payments such as Market Facilitation Program payments are meant to mitigate farmer income losses due to the trade war with China,” he says. “The 2019 program is based on national commodity price changes estimated to reflect market losses and the county aggregate crop mix in 2019. Cotton and soybeans had the largest relative losses for 2019. “County payments range from $15 to $150 per acre. Variation across Mississippi counties is largely driven by the relative percentage of cotton grown in the county.”

more than 700,000 acres with average yields of 1,082 pounds per acre. However, lower cotton prices offset increases in the value of total production that would typically follow. The estimated total production was about $585 million, an increase from 2018 of about 1%. Maples says cotton acreage was up 95,000 acres in 2019. “The drop in cotton price was not directly tied to the trade war with China but a symptom of it,” he says. “Due to low soybean prices, the U.S. overall planted a lot more cotton than the market expected, and the extra supply dropped prices.” The value of corn production was the highest it has been in six years, checking in at nearly $455 million, thanks to a 160,000-acre increase in acreage and slightly better market prices than last year. Additional Crop Values Hay is expected to have nearly $151 million in value in 2019, which is a 25% increase. Rounding out the top five in row crop production was specialty crops, which held steady at nearly $106 million. Sweet potatoes were a $95 million industry despite falling 11% from 2018. This crop outperformed rice, which saw its value drop 19% from 2018 to about $91 million. Peanut production in Mississippi was worth $16.3 million in 2019, while grain sorghum values were slightly over $1 million. Percentagewise, the row crop seeing the largest production decrease was wheat. The estimated $4.8 million total is almost a 33% drop from 2018. Robert Nathan Gregory is a news writer with Mississippi State University Extension. COTTONFARMING.COM

TRAIT STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES NOTICE TO FARMERS 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. This product has 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. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your representative for the registration status in your state. Insect control technology provided by Vip3A is utilized under license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. NOT ALL formulations of dicamba or glyphosate are approved for in-crop use with cotton with XtendFlex® Technology. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with cotton with XtendFlex® Technology. Cotton with XtendFlex® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, dicamba and glufosinate. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your dealer or refer to the Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs. Bollgard®, Respect the Refuge and Cotton Design®, and XtendFlex® are trademarks of Bayer Group. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design® are registered trademarks of BASF. Agrisure Viptera® is a trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. All other products, company names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Before opening a bag of seed, be sure to read, understand, and accept the stewardship requirements, including applicable refuge requirements for insect resistance management, for the biotechnology traits expressed in the seed as set forth in the Technology/Stewardship Agreement that you sign. By opening and using a bag of seed, you are reafﬁrming your obligation to comply with the most recent stewardship requirements. 16

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

Showtime In The South The 68th Annual Mid-South Farm And Gin Show

ocated not far from the Mighty Mississippi, the MidSouth Farm and Gin Show is a not-for-profit educational opportunity for farmers and other folks involved in agriculture. This year’s event will be held at the Memphis Convention Center, 255 N. Main St., in Memphis, Tennessee, Feb. 28-29. The annual show provides valuable information and features products and services offered by hundreds of exhibitors. It’s also a welcoming venue for farm families to spend the day and reunite with old friends. Everyone is invited to attend the Southern Cotton Ginners Association and Foundation Annual Meetings, which begin Thursday, Feb. 27, 1:30 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel. Kater Hake, Cotton Incorporated; Sammy Wright, Chickasha of Georgia; and Dr. Chris Delhom, U.S. Department of Agriculture Cotton Ginning Research Unit, will discuss ag research and new opportunities. Tim Price, show manager and Southern Cotton Ginners Association executive vice president, says visitors who attend the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show can’t help but be encouraged despite the challenges that permeate the farm sector. “The ag business segment of our industry continues to come forward with new machinery, new innovations and amazing new technology,” he says. “We also try to provide the best assessment possible on topics of interest to those in the business of agriculture.” Friday’s Lineup The show officially begins at 8:30 a.m., Friday, with the Ag Update Meeting. Kent D. Fountain, National Cotton Council chairman, will discuss cotton issues; and Joe Nicosia, senior head, cotton merchandising platforms, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, will dis-

cuss the outlook for U.S. and world cotton. Show exhibits open at 9 a.m. both Friday and Saturday. Cash prize drawings take place each day at noon, 2 and 4 p.m., and you must be 18 years old and present to win. A special hemp industry outlook starts at 1:30 p.m. This session, hosted by SBX Farms, will provide an informative overview of the potential opportunities and pitfalls presented by the emerging hemp industry. Other Educational Opportunities The show resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with another Ag Update Meeting, featuring Richard Brock, Brock Associates, who will present a grain market outlook and discuss challenges facing farmers in 2020. Milo Hamilton, co-founder and senior agricultural economist, Firstgrain Inc., will host a special rice marketing educational seminar at 1:30 p.m. This meeting is broken into two distinct sessions. One will assess global rice conditions, and the other will address high and low prices in local areas. “In this world of profitless prices, every Truman dime counts now,” he says. “Will you survive or thrive in 2019/2020?” Show closing times are 5 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, respectively. At 9 p.m., Saturday, the popular Jamboree will kick off at the Peabody Hotel Grand Ballroom with music by The Krackerjacks. “The Mid-South Farm and Gin Show continues to confirm that we have a viable, active ag business sector as represented by our exhibitors,” Price says. “It also provides numerous opportunities for people to get an idea of where our industry is headed.” See you in Memphis! For more information, please visit farmand ginshow.com or southerncottonginners.org. COTTONFARMING.COM

Eddy Cates 2019 COT TON CONSULTA N T OF THE Y E A R

Cotton Farming

PHOTOS BY CARROLL SMITH

Arkansas crop consultant Eddy Cates, (right), is joined in the field by his son, Austin, and his wife, Carron. “To say I am proud of Eddy is an understatement,” Carron says. “Not only have I watched him grow his business on a personal level, I have watched him mentor so many others who have continued on in the industry. Eddy makes a difference in the farming community and gives it his all.”

rowing up in Marked Tree, Arkansas, Eddy Cates loved the outdoors. While in high school, his FFA teacher, Sam Mullins, not only educated him about agriculture but also encouraged him to scout cotton during the summer. “At that time, farmers were looking for young men who were willing to work hard and in a timely manner,” Cates says. “They needed someone they could rely on to be on their farms every week on a scheduled day. I was interested in entomology, so scouting for insects was a good fit for me.

“The group of farmers I scouted for in Marked Tree pushed me to do more and stay involved in agriculture. Mr. Dude Provost was a great mentor who encouraged me to set career goals and attend college.” Cates took their advice to heart and went to Arkansas State University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and economics. “After graduation, Marked Tree Co-op hired me full time as a sales consultant and troubleshooter,” Cates says. “I would not have been very successful without the help of people like Mr. Jim Kimbrough. He was a county Extension agent who always took the time to meet me in a field or answer any questions I had. “Two years later, I decided I wanted to be more than just an insect scout. I wanted to be an agricultural consultant. I enjoyed being outdoors and working with the growers. Sitting down with them to go over varieties and discuss different row crops

and new technologies that were already available or coming down the pipe always fascinated me. I approached two of the local farmers — Marty White and Jim Moon Sr. — who helped me make this career choice happen. Twenty-nine years later, I am still working for these family farms.” In 1990, the Arkansas consultant established Cates Agri Tech Services Inc. and began working in Poinsett County with one part-time employee. The consulting firm now covers a five-county region and employs three full-time and four part-time consultants. It offers year-round services that include grid soil sampling, variable-rate fertility programs, variety selection and recommendations for weed control, insect control and defoliation. “My son, Austin, has worked with me for about six years and is now full time,” Cates says. “He plays a big part in my company and is scheduled to graduate from the University of Arkansas in May with a Master of Science degree in agricultural business and

economics. Joseph Peridore and Daniel Cato also are full time and have been with me for eight years. My business relies on full-time people, and I am only as good as my team and how well we work together. It’s always a team effort.”

Trust And Reliability Are Key When Cates and his crew show up at a farm, you don’t just see one truck, you see three or four. They look like a calvary of troops ready to hit the fields. “I am within radio distance of my employees, so I can easily jump over to look at a field if there is a problem,” he says. “We all work on the same farm together. To me, that makes my business special. I also like to provide hands-on service for my growers. When I turn in a recommendation, I give them a hard copy, email them a copy and am there to answer any questions. I believe they deserve that. “My philosophy is that the relationships between a consultant and his farmers are built around trust — them trusting you and you earning their trust. Reliability is also important. At Cates Agri Tech, we are proud of the fact that we are very reliable, have years of experience in the field, and are willing and capable of adapting to change and new technology. But No. 1 is earning the farmer’s trust.” And Cates’ high level of service has not gone unnoticed by his farmer clients. “I have been a cotton producer in Arkansas since 1975,” says Marty White. “Eddy has been a trusted consultant and friend of mine for most of my farming career. He stays up to date on any pressing issues concerning our crop. “Eddy works closely with the seed companies and the university to be on top of all aspects of the crop. His recommendations are always spot on, and I never question his integrity or recommendations.”

‘Tight Network Of Information’ Cates also stays in close contact with other consultants in the area and neighboring states, and with university and industry personnel. “Consultants call and talk with each other about what’s

Eddy Cates and his son, Austin, work together in the business and agree this Bobcat 4x4 hydraulic soil probe is a time-saving tool in the field.

Arkansas cotton farmer Marty White, (left), says Eddy Cates has been a trusted consultant and friend for most of White’s farming career. going on in the field, what’s working and what’s not working,” he says. “But it’s not just phone calls. We also get together for meetings during the summer. It’s a tight network of information.” Cates says he often cooperates with industry on test plots and demonstration trials, typically on 40 acres or a small area of a field where the companies might be looking at new products, such as varieties, herbicides or fungicides. The Arkansas consultant says technologies in the field change quickly. He believes an important part of his job is to adapt and learn as much about them as he can to determine if they might be a good fit in his growers’ fields. Keith Driggs, Syngenta agronomic service representative, has known and worked with Cates since the early 1990s.

COURTESY OF EDDY CATES

Arkansas Extension cotton specialist Bill Robertson, (left), says Eddy Cates always asks the hard questions in his quest to make his farmers as profitable as possible.

When Eddy Cates turns in a recommendation to his growers, he gives them a hard copy, emails them a copy and is readily available to answer any questions they may have.

“From walking fields to diagnose problems, make recommendations and evaluate demonstration trials to interacting at many consultant and industry meetings, I’ve always enjoyed working with Eddy and found him to be the consummate professional,” Driggs says. “Eddy is a straight shooter who tells it like it is and has a definite passion for helping his producers be successful and profitable.” Cates also works with university personnel’s test plots on his growers’ farms. He says many of the plots involve variety testing and the use of cover crops, which has been a topic of interest recently. “As we look at those test plots, we make recommendations according to the field, not just the plots,” Cates says. “Either the university folks call us or we call them to discuss what we are seeing in the field. We all work together.” Bill Robertson, Arkansas Extension cotton specialist, says, “Eddy always asks the hard questions in his task to make his producers as profitable as possible. If there are no clear answers, he and some of his producers are always willing to work with Extension to initiate field studies to help answer these questions. “Eddy is well respected by his growers, his peers, Extension and industry. Over the years, he has trained several young men and women who are currently employed in the agriculture industry or running their own farms or consulting businesses.”

Blessed With A Rewarding Career Cates says his career as a crop consultant has always provided a good life for him and his family. “It has allowed me to stay active outdoors and in constant communication with my growers and industry representatives.

Cotton Consultant of the Year Award Recipients, 1981-2019 1981 Bob Stanford, Flagstaff, Ariz. 1982 Jep Gates, Memphis, Tenn. 1983 Dennis Bouchard, Minter City, Miss. 1984 John Nickelsen, Shafter, Calif. 1985 Dwight Lincoln, Portland, Ark. 1986 Grady Coburn, Cheneyville, La. 1987 Stanley Nemec, Snook, Texas 1988 Robert Moore, Hartsville, S.C. 1989 Curtis Wilhelm, Harlingen, Texas 1990 Mills Rogers, Cleveland, Miss. 1991 Clyde Sartor, Vicksburg, Miss.

1992 John Christian, Raymondville, Texas 1993 Billy McLawhorn, Cove City, N.C. 1994 Dwain Reed, Courtland, Ala. 1995 Barry Aycock, Parma, Mo. 1996 Ray Young, Wisner, La. 1997 Lonnie Bull, Cameron, S.C. 1998 Chuck Farr, Crawfordsville, Ark. 1999 Bob Griffin, Jonesboro, Ark. 2000 Roger Carter, Clayton, La. 2001 Harold Lambert, Innis, La. 2002 Lee Hutchins, Sinton, Texas

Eddy Cates: Personal & Career History Career • Independent consultant with 40 years’ experience. • Completed a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business and economics, Arkansas State University. • Established Cates Agri Tech Services Inc. in 1990. • Consults on cotton, rice, corn, soybeans and peanuts in Northeast Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. • Member of the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants. • Member of the Arkansas Agricultural Consultants Association. Served as president and vice president for two terms.

Family Life Cates grew up in Marked Tree, Arkansas, and now resides in Marion, Arkansas, with his wife, Carron. They have two children: Austin Cates; and Leshea Tate and her husband, Cole; and four grandchildren: Dawson, Kimbyr, Grayson and Tatum. When time permits, Cates loves to duck hunt and crappie fish. Carron is the secretary for Cates Agri Tech Services Inc. and also teaches school at Richland Elementary in West Memphis, Arkansas.

I have been blessed to learn from and work for some great people in the agriculture industry.” When asked about his reaction upon learning that he was selected as the 2019 Cotton Consultant of the Year, Cates says he was overwhelmed with excitement. “Knowing that my peers think I am worthy of this honor is like a lifetime achievement award,” he says. “I was very grateful and a little emotional. It was a very proud moment for me.”

2003 Danny Pierce, Princeton, N.C. 2004 Tucker Miller, Drew, Miss. 2005 John Hunter, Lubbock, Texas 2006 Jack Royal, Leary, Ga. 2007 Danny Moore, Marion, Ark. 2008 Ray Young, Wisner, La. (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2009 Joe Townsend, Coahoma, Miss. 2010 Mark Nemec, Waco, Texas

2011 Virgil King, Lexington, Miss. 2012 Tim White, Jonesville, La. 2013 Bob Glodt, Plainview, Texas 2014 Stan Winslow, Belvidere, N.C. 2015 Wes Briggs, Bainbridge, Ga. 2016 Tim Roberts, Dyersburg, Tenn. 2017 Paul Pilsner, Wharton, Texas 2018 Mark Scott, Lubbock, Texas 2019 Eddy Cates, Marion, Ark.

Cotton Farming

Industry News UT Releases Field Crop Insect Management Recommendations The University of Tennessee Extension Service says the 2020 version of PB 1768, Insect Management Recommendations for Field Crops (and pasture), is now available online. “The guide has gone through substantial revision this year and closely matches the content on the mobile friendly Disease and Insect Field Guides at https://guide.utcrops.com/,” says Scott Stewart, IPM Extension specialist. “Hard copies will be available soon and distributed through county Extension offices and at various educational meetings.”

National Cotton Council Says New Water Rule Is Practical The National Cotton Council welcomes the Environmental Protection Agency and Corps of Engineers’ release of the Trump administration’s version of the “waters of the United States,” officially named the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. NCC Chairman Mike Tate says. “This final rule removes many elements from federal control that were initiated by the previous administration. That includes features that contain water only in response to rainfall, groundwater, many farm and roadside ditches, prior converted cropland and stock watering ponds.” The Alabama cotton producer says the NCC has worked tirelessly for this rule — an action that will restore power to states for controlling their own waters and their local land use and zoning issues. “The U.S. cotton industry has long sought consistency and simplicity in water regulations,” Tate says. “All of agriculture deserves a common-sense and understandable rule.” He says the NCC will continue to monitor the rule’s implementation.

World Ag Expo Will Display ‘Top 10 New Products’ Results are in for the World Ag Expo’s Top-10 New Products Competition, with the winners being showcased Feb. 11-13, during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California. Exhibitors submitted new products for judging by a panel comprising farmers, ranchers and industry proTWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

fessionals. The Top-10 New Products competition is once again sponsored by Bank of America, according to a news release. Winners will be noted on show maps, marked with “Top-10 Winner” flags at the show and recognized at an awards session at shows opening ceremonies, Feb. 11. Among the winners were these cotton-related products.  Cotton Folding Attachment by Berbereia Engineering & Manufacturing, Tulare, California Using the versatility of the Row Digger, this attachment will pick up the cotton laying in the ditch next to the irrigation border, push it up and away from the border, and lay it back toward the field as you drive perpendicular to the furrows.  Jaltest AGV by Cojali USA Inc., Doral, Florida Jaltest AGV is an all-makes, all-systems diagnostics tool for ag machinery (tractors, telehandlers, etc.) to get them back in the field in the shortest period of time. It allows users to connect, read and clear fault codes of different electronic control

modules in vehicles but also perform advanced bi-directional controls such as regens or parts calibrations. Visit http://www.cojaliusa.com  CPH Silt & Sand Separators by Epiphene Inc., Clovis, California The CPH Separator offers unparalleled removal of clay, silt and sand down to 1/2 micron from irrigation water. It requires minimal pressure loss as low as 1 psi and protects primary filters by lightening the load and reducing frequency of flushing. It also offers primary filtration for pivots and low-pressure drip where only sand and silt are present, saving energy and water. Visit http://www. epiphene.com.  MY20 8RX by John Deere, Olathe, Kansas The 8RX is the next leap forward in tractor innovation with the all-new four-track machine form that delivers unmatched flotation, traction and ride quality. The company says it is the only fixed frame four-track configuration tractor on the market. Visit http://www.deere.com. Continued on page 24

Getting Back To The Basics: Conventional Cotton Seed

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University Extension cotton specialists surround 2020 Cotton Specialist of the Year (center with plaque) after a recognition dinner recently in Austin, Texas. Back row from left are Tyler Sandlin, Murilo Maeda, Bill Robertson, Randy Norton, Seth Byrd, Calvin Meeks, Stu Duncan, David Wright and Mike Jones. Front row from left are Darrin Dodds, Bob Hutmacher, Keith Edmisten, Dan Fromme, Steve Brown, Guy Collins and Hunter Frame.

LSU’s Dan Fromme Honored As 2020 Cotton Specialist Of The Year BY VICKY BOYD MANAGING EDITOR

r. Dan Fromme, who grew up on a Texas cotton farm and has been working in cotton most of his life, was recognized as the 2020 Cotton Specialist of the Year during the recent Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Austin, Texas. A professor and state Extension specialist in cotton, corn and grain sorghum at the Louisiana State University AgCenter in Alexandria, Fromme says he was caught off guard by the award. “I was not expecting this after all of these years,” he said afterward. “Just look at the people who have received this award in the past 30 years – to see some of the names and what I’ve learned from them, how well respected they were and how much they taught me. It makes this quite an honor.” Fromme became the 31st cotton specialist to receive the honor, which is presented annually by the Extension Cotton Specialists Working Group and for the past 14 years has been sponsored by FiberMax and Stoneville. The award is designed to honor a cotton specialist for his or her accomplishments in helping producers be as profitable as possible, says Dr. Bill Robertson, University of Arkansas Extension cotton agronomist and a past honoree. “All of us know when producers are profitable, it’s good for everyone.” In making the awards presentation, Dr. Steve Nichols, BASF head of global agronomic services – cotton, said, “(Dan’s) expertise and experience in cotton and agronomy has allowed him to make significant contributions to the cotton growers of Texas, Louisiana and to the cotton industry. “His strong leadership and working relationships with

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

producers, consultants and key stakeholders is widely recognized amongst his peers.” Experience From The Ground Up After receiving a bachelor’s degree in crops from Texas Tech University in 1979, Fromme started from the ground up. He worked in the private ag sector for four years and then served as an assistant county agent and county agent for Gonzales County east of San Antonio, Texas. Along the way, he obtained a master’s of ag education from Texas State in San Marcos, Texas, in 1992. After spending 13 years at the county level, Fromme became a Texas A&M integrated pest management agent, a position he held at Corpus Christi and Uvalde for a total of 10 years. Of those, seven were spent in row crops. He also was encouraged to pursue a doctor’s agree in agronomy at Texas A&M University, which he completed in August 2007. From Texas A&M, Fromme jokingly says he jumped the state line to join the LSU AgCenter as Extension cotton specialist based at the Dean Lee Research & Extension Center, a position he’s held for more than six years. Fromme credits meeting LSU AgCenter’s Dr. Rogers Leonard, who was based at the Northeast Research Station in Winnsboro at the time, for his eventual move to LSU. “I wouldn’t be here today if not for Rogers Leonard – he hired me,” Fromme says. “I really owe him a debt of gratitude. Coming to Louisiana was really icing on the cake.” Fromme grew up on a cotton farm near Sinton, Texas, on the Texas Gulf Coast, where both his father and grandfather grew cotton. His great grandfather also was a farmer, although not of cotton. COTTONFARMING.COM

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Industry News Continued from page 21

Cotton Trait Targets Tarnished Plant Bugs And Thrips Tarnished plant bugs and thrips are important pests in cotton. Bayer has developed a new cotton trait named ThryvOn Technology that will provide cotton plants increased protection — and growers an additional tool — against these damaging pests. ThryvOn Technology will represent the first trait in the industry designed to help cotton growers protect against these pests and help reduce the need for some insecticide applications. Bayer says pending various factors such as regulatory approvals, ThryvOn Technology is expected to be available to cotton growers in the next few years — the early 2020s. It will be stacked with Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Technology, providing cotton growers the latest technology for insect pest and weed control. Once launched, here are some expected benefits:  Season-long protection against

feeding damage from tarnished plant bugs and thrips through built-in trait technology.  A potential reduction in the number of foliar insecticide applications needed for control of tarnished plant bugs (Lygus hesperus and Lygus lineolaris) and thrips.  ThryvOn Technology will be stacked with the Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Technology. Beginning this season and pending various factors such as regulatory approvals, growers will be able to see educational, academic test plots.

and agricultural policy. Lunch will be served in the First National Bank Arena at noon. Afternoon sessions include presentations on commodity, credit and farmland markets. A complete conference program and on-line registration is available at https://www.astate.edu/. There is no registration fee. For more information contact Astate_Agribus_Conf@astate. edu or 870-972-3221.

Agribusiness Conference Features Legal Issues, Ag Policy And Arkansas Economy

Americot Inc. continues to offer cash rebates on select crop protection products when purchased in conjunction with its NexGen XtendFlex varieties. Qualifying growers can earn a rebate up to $4 per acre or more, by bundling their seed purchase with essential herbicides, insecticides and Americot’s CottolyST Enhanced seed treatment. The 2020 Americot Advanced Protection Program enables growers to select from several herbicide and insecticide products while helping to

Arkansas State University Agribusiness Conference, Feb. 20, will be held at the A-State Fowler Center and First National Bank Arena, Jonesboro, Arkansas. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Fowler Center. The morning general session features presentations on the Arkansas economy, agricultural legal issues,

2020 Advanced Protection Program Offers Cash Rebates

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Industry News promote a stronger start and better yield potential for their cotton crops. To qualify for the rebate, the purchase must include at least 40 units of NexGen XtendFlex cotton seed along with at least 60 gallons of Interline brand glufosinate herbicide or 120 gallons of InterMoc herbicide (or equivalent combined amounts of the two). In addition, further rebates can be earned on purchases of Moccasin II Plus (S-metolachlor), Satellite (pendimethalin), and Argyle and Acenthrin insecticides, as part of this program. Americot’s Advanced Protection Program is underway now and applies to any qualifying purchases made from Nov. 1, 2019, through Aug. 31. The offer is open to growers in all cotton-producing states in the United States where the NexGen brand of cottonseed is sold. For more details about eligibility requirements and specific product choices, growers should contact their participating NexGen seed dealer or NexGen representative. Additional information may also be found at www.americot.com/programs.

Oklahoma/Kansas Launch Great Plains Cotton Conference

one,” says Kenny Melton, BASF western region agronomic manager during the recent Agronomic Performance Trials Summit in Austin, Texas. “We want to make sure that what’s brought to the table is something that will fill a new niche. We want to make sure it adds something of value.” Further down the development pipeline are varieties that have tolerance to four different herbicide modes of action and resistance to three types of insect pests. The newest addition to the FiberMax family, FM 2202GL is designed for the Texas High Plains and eastern plains of New Mexico where growers still have to plant a Bt refuge, Melton says. FM 2202GL has resistance to glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides, excellent Verticillium wilt tolerance and good bacterial blight resistance. It also has a semi-smooth leaf, moderate growth habits, a good fiber package and a storm tolerance rank of 5 out of 10. In trials, it has shown high yield potentials under both irrigated and dryland conditions.

The Inaugural Great Plains Cotton Conference, Feb. 25-26, will be held at the Red Roof Inn – Airport, Wichita, Kansas. The 30-minute auxin training session listed for noon, Feb. 25, isn’t part of the official cotton conference. But Dr. Todd Baughman of Oklahoma State University has offered to conduct it. The conference brings in experts from throughout the Mid-South to discuss different cotton issues. Go to https://bit.ly/2GrpLVu for event details or contact OSU cotton Extension specialist Seth Byrd at seth.byrd@okstate.edu.

New FiberMax Variety Set To Debut In 2020 BASF plans to launch one new cotton variety for the 2020 growing season, sticking to its belief that any new release should offer a benefit over existing ones. “We tested five experimental lines last year and we’ll be launching just

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Specialists Speaking Planning Season Shifts Into High Gear ALABAMA Steve M. Brown I don’t like thick stands of cotton. What looks just right in May is too thick in August. And I sure don’t like hill-dropping that results in three or more plants per hill. I can’t stand spindly stalks. Think outside the box with me. First, I acknowledge that my experiences are biased by cotton in the southern extremes of the belt. This region typically provides for favorable conditions early and throughout the planting calendar and often a long season to mature a crop. In the mid-1990s when we were entering the transgenic era and knew seed costs were about to escalate, we asked, “How low can we go?” in regard to seeding rates. More recently, Curtis Adams et al from Texas published a review in which they examined data from 15 cotton trials in the United States (12) and China (3). Locations included Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. They concluded that the low-end breaking point in which yields were affected was a population of 14,306 plants per acre, and that “yield does not increase above this density threshold.” For a 36-inch row, this is just below 1 plant per foot; for a 40-inch row, that’s 1.1 plants per foot. I know of no farmer who plants 1 seed per foot. Most I encounter target 2 to 3 seeds per foot. However, these trials should give you confidence to experiment. If you’re planting 36,000 seeds per acre, you could reduce it to 32,000… You get the idea. Here are a few tempering thoughts:  Any reduction in seeding rates increases pressure on planter performance and seed quality. Don’t take risks in poor conditions — field, equipment or weather.  Make sure planters are dropping seed accurately.  Check seed germ data. Request cool and warm germ numbers. Anything above 70 cool is pretty good; above 80 is really strong.  Some growers counter that thin stands don’t pick clean. Think. Plan. Prepare. cottonbrown@auburn.edu

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson Cash margin information for all commodities is very tight and has little room for mistakes. We must be smart to get the most out of our inputs. We need to watch costs yet provide necessary inputs to protect yield potential. Variety selection for yield and quality is an important first step in establishing yield potential. There are a number of resources available to assist in selecting new varieties. A useful tool is the University Variety Testing Program. Results from the Arkansas trials conducted by Dr. Fred Bourland may be found at https://arkansas-variety-testing.uark.edu/. County demonstrations are another good source of information and are included with this data set. It is also appropriate to evaluate variety performance trials from neighboring states in the Mid-South. Other practices to protect yield potential include matching nutrient applications to crop requirements, using integrated pest management tools to manage pests, fine-tuning irrigation scheduling, and using tools like Pipe Planner that can increase efficiency. Following end-of-season termination guidelines coupled with variety selection to help ensure we can get a picker in the field by mid-September is another important consideration. This will help us

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

to hold onto the yield potential we have worked to build all season while meeting our harvest completion goal of Nov. 1. Contact your county Extension agent for information or to get assistance in improving efficiency and profitability. brobertson@uaex.edu

ARIZONA Randy Norton The hot, dry climate of our Arizona cotton-growing region brings many benefits. One centers on the fact we have very few plant diseases — particularly foliar diseases — that affect our crop. A few instances of Alternaria leaf spot or southwest cotton rust will occur occasionally in our higher elevation production systems, but typically our disease pressure is relatively low. We do have one major soil-borne fungus that is of concern in our desert cotton production systems. Under certain conditions, it can be devastating to the crop. This fungal pathogen is Phymatotrichopsis omnivora, or cotton root rot. It is found in nearly all soils across the state but is most closely related to alluvial soils near old streams and river beds. The disease typically infests the crop’s root system toward the latter part of the season. We begin to see symptoms in late July and early August. Research done over the past several years has indicated good results in controlling the fungus using the fungicide flutriafol, with the trade name TopGuard Terra. This pathogen is found in the same place in the field every year and can be somewhat patchy in nature. Developing application maps is an effective technique for using precision fungicide placement for control only in areas where the pathogen exists. Reviewing satellite imagery, yield maps or aerial drone imagery can reveal these locations. Maps developed from the imagery can then be used to make targeted fungicide applications. Now is the time to develop those maps from last year’s data and make plans to treat for the disease in 2020. For more information, go to cals.arizona.edu/crops. rnorton@cals.arizona.edu

CALIFORNIA Bob Hutmacher Near the end of 2019, rain and snow accumulations seemed headed toward below-average. With the arrival of a few storm systems in January that at least provided some mountain snow, we hope there will be more favorable weather patterns as we head into the 2020 San Joaquin Valley planting season. Irrigation water supply issues are never a done deal in California, so hopefully this year will bring the release of workable amounts of water for the state’s cotton farmers. Uncertainty in irrigation water supplies results in a range of strategies for pre-plant and early season irrigations. These will affect irrigation scheduling and strategies for the rest of the growing season. Changes in cropping patterns continue in the SJV due to additions of perennial crop acreage (trees, vines). It can be useful to consider new ideas about where cotton could fit into your production plans and allocated acreage. If you need to shift a portion of water earmarked for annual crops to cover perennial crops, remember that most cotton varieties can be managed to shorten the growing season. Continued on page 29 COTTONFARMING.COM

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To Spray Or Not To Spray Imagine A Season Without Foliar Sprays For Thrips

s most growers, consultants and researchers will painfully attest, thrips were extremely heavy and problematic throughout most of the Southeastern cotton and peanut growing region in 2019. From Georgia and Alabama to the Carolinas, thrips showed up early and with a vengeance on cotton and peanuts. In some pockets, it was blamed largely on the weather. Sparse early season precipitation left a lot of fields high and dry at crop emergence — a literal piercing-sucking feast for thrips. With little healthy plant resistance to the onslaught, young seedlings were susceptible from the cotyledon stage through the first four to six weeks of development. By the time the rain started hitting, there was considerable damage to many cotton and peanut crops in the Southeast. One, two or even three early season thrips sprays were common just to coax the crops along. Battling Thrips In 2019 Not everyone was singing the blues, however. Growers who invested in systemic, granular, at-plant pesticides were largely whistling a different tune. “For a few years, we used seed treatments and foliars for thrips,” says Neil Lee, vice president of Lee Farms, a division of McCleskey Cotton Co. in Dawson, Georgia. “Before that, we had used Temik aldicarb at plant, but that product was unavailable for several years.” When aldicarb came back on the market in 2006 marketed under the brand name AgLogic aldicarb, Lee jumped on the opportunity. “I’ve known for years; my dad has known for years what it can mean for a cotton crop,” he says. “We really saw it in 2019. Everyone was having problems with thrips.” The McCleskey operation consists of almost 6,000 acres of cotton — about 90% Deltapine varieties. In 2019, he didn’t bother with a test plot when it came to aldicarb. “We applied

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

Neil Lee, who farms cotton in Dawson, Georgia, says preliminary yield results indicate an average of 1,350 pounds per acre on his irrigated ground and 775 pounds per acre on the dryland fields. it to all of our cotton acreage,” Lee says. “Hind-sight is always 20/20, but I’m glad we made that decision.” Lee applied aldicarb at a rate of 5 pounds per acre. Approximately 85% of McCleskey cotton is irrigated, but Lee also applied it to the other 15% that was dryland. “Even the dryland looked good,” he says. “You could see it almost from the moment it emerged, whether it was irrigated or dryland. There was definitely an earliness factor. It jumped out of the ground. We had the occasional hopper box that stopped up, and you could see those rows throughout the entire season.” Between the thrips control and earliness factor, Lee credits AgLogic with a decent crop in 2019. “If you look at the overall equation, it works,” he says. Post-Harvest Thoughts Even though AgLogic is initially a larger investment than seed treatments, Lee says he doesn’t regret the investment. “To me, the seed treatments were no comparison to AgLogic aldicarb,” he says. “They either lost efficacy or

just didn’t work as well. We usually had to spray. AgLogic saved us at least one foliar application across the entire acreage.” Another issue, Lee says, are other early season pests that factor into the economic equation. “We have reniform nematodes on some of our fields, and root-knot can be a problem,” he says. “AgLogic definitely helps with that. “My dad used Temik aldicarb from day one when he started farming. He hated to see it go and was relieved when it came back under the name AgLogic, because we saw our nematode numbers increasing. That was in addition to saving the extra spray for thrips.” The preliminary yield results are in, Lee says. “Looks like our irrigated acreage will average 1,350 pounds per acre, and our dryland will average 775 pounds per acre,” he says. Asked about his plans for using aldicarb going forward, Lee says, “As long as it’s available, I wouldn’t grow another acre of cotton without it.” AgLogic contributed this article. COTTONFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking Continued from page 26

This is done through reductions/delays in irrigation and more aggressive plant growth regulator applications. It also can be accomplished more easily with drip irrigation than with furrow irrigation. Across different soil types where rooting depths and water-holding capacity differ, cotton varieties and types (Upland, Pima) can differ in how much you can shorten the growing season to reduce water use, which can affect yield and quality. On-farm strip trials to evaluate these options with multiple varieties on your own operation may be a worthwhile effort. If you have to rely on back-up or primary water supplies with moderate levels of salt-related issues, keep in mind that while we know the relative salinity tolerance of cotton is very good compared with most other agronomic crops, there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many recent evaluations that look at relative salt tolerance of current cotton varieties for the SJV. This again suggests value in strip trials or other on-farm variety comparisons with more saline water sources. rbhutmacher@ucdavis.edu

FLORIDA David Wright As spring planting season gets closer, farmers must make decisions on how to manage cover crops. These include when to terminate and how long should it be grazed if used for grazing and a fertilizer/ lime source. Also, rates and placement are important considerations for the following cotton crop. Cover crops help control erosion and retain residual nutrients from previous crops as well as provide a source of food for soil microbial populations. Our studies indicate that having a couple of species in the cover crop mix is good for winter grazing as some species survive better under cold conditions or dry versus wet conditions. The same is true for cover crops used solely for cover crops. In most cases where covers are used for grazing, little residue is left to plant into. Our data indicates 150-400 pounds per acre more lint from these fields than where the cover crop is left as cover and not grazed. Weed management is another important consideration. Every field tends to have different weed populations that require prescriptive management. Map fields at harvest according to weed species and have a plan for each field before the season begins for both pre- and post-emergence weed control. This can result in fewer escapes and less money spent on less-than-optimum options for post-emergence weed control. wright@ufl.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds The beginning of 2020 feels like part of the same nightmare we experienced in spring 2019. Rain, tornadoes and unseasonably warm weather have dominated 2020 to this point. Planting season is still a few months away; however, if the past eight or nine years are any indication, little cotton is likely to be planted prior to May 1. The next two to three months should provide ample time to evaluate budgets, resource allocation, etc. The importance of variety selection has been discussed ad nauseam (a former cotton specialist taught me that term). There is ample data available on which to base variety selection decisions. Mississippi farmers employ a wide range of seeding rates. Some growers on the Gulf Coast drop as few as 29,000 seeds per acre whereas a few folks still seed upward of 55,000 seeds per acre. Exceptional cotton yields can be achieved with as few as 15,000 healthy, evenly spaced plants per acre. I am not advocating dropping Twitter: @CottonFarming

seeding rates this low, but if you have stand issues, many times we can get by with less than we think. Also, warm and cold germination trends for cotton seed have been trending downward in recent years. But for the most part, the seed we plant tends to be quite good. If you are considering dropping seeding rates, make sure the seed you are planting is the highest quality possible. dmd76@pss.msstate.edu

MISSOURI Calvin Meeks Missouri producers had a bumpy ride with the wet season we had and a cool, wet start to winter. But high yields were a good Christmas present for the year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Cotton and Wool Outlook released on Nov.11 estimated the statewide average yield at 1,265 pounds per acre, so there is a lot to be thankful for. The 2018 yield was revised to a new record average of 1,373 pounds per acre. So even with the wet year that was 2019, yields were estimated to be the second highest average lint on record. Hopefully, rain will be spread more evenly in 202 with better planting conditions in the spring and a drier fall. Since now is crunch time to make variety decisions and fine-tune fertilizer and herbicide practices, I encourage you to visit my blog at mizzoucotton.wordpress.com. If you missed the Missouri Cotton Production and Outlook Conference at Fisher Delta Research Center Jan. 22, review the blog for the most up-to-date research data available for Missouri producers. The Cotton Conference presentations and additional data on variety performance and seedling vigor are available on the blog as well. Consult the data to help make variety selections, and do not commit all of your acreage to later maturing varieties in the event an early frost occurs. Strive to plant varieties that have high yield stability for our area to help mitigate risk for the crop. meeksc@missouri.edu

LOUISIANA Dan Fromme In Louisiana and across the Cotton Belt, thrips are the No. 1 early season seedling cotton pest. According to Dr. Sebe Brown, entomologist with the Louisiana State University AgCenter, tobacco thrips compose the primary species infesting Louisiana cotton while western flower thrips are often present at lower numbers. He says with the absence of aldicarb (although we now have a commercially available aldicarb replacement named AgLogic), insecticide seed treatments now dominate the early season cotton insect pest management landscape. As of 2019, there are only two seed treatment options: acephate and neonicotinoids. Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam are the two most commonly used neonicotinoids, and these treatments are offered alone or in combination with nematicides. Based on bioassay data generated over the past seven years, the LSU AgCenter does not recommend thiamethoxam alone as a seed treatment for cotton because tobacco thrips have developed resistance to it. However, imidacloprid is still effective. When used in conjunction with the insecticide/nematicide thiodicarb (Aeris), it provides good thrips control. If Aeris is not an option, imidacloprid overtreated with acephate (6.4 oz/cwt) is another viable treatment. Acephate alone will control thrips. However, acephate has a significantly shorter residual than imidacloprid and the probability of returning with a foliar application is very high. If you elect to overtreat cotton seed with acephate, the seed cannot be returned. In-furrow applications of imidacloprid also work well to control thrips. Four pounds of imidaFEBRUARY 2020 | COTTON FARMING

Specialists Speaking cloprid at 9.2 ounces per acre or 2 pounds material at 19 ounces per acre provide excellent thrips control. AgLogic — the generic replacement for Temik — has demonstrated satisfactory control of thrips at the 3.3 and 4-pounds-per-acre rate. Under Louisiana growing conditions, Dr. Trey Price, plant pathologist with the LSU AgCenter, recommends the following tips on fungicide seed treatments for Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp., Fusarium spp., and Thielaviopsis basicola.  Do not plant without a fungicide seed treatment.  Use best management practices to avoid seedling disease. BMPs include planting high-quality seed, crop rotation, and planting when soil temperatures and the five-day forecast are favorable.  Even the best seed treatments can fail under high disease pressure. Price stresses that in most situations, a base fungicide treatment offered by a seed company will be adequate.  Do your homework to figure out what is on the seed before deciding to add an additional fungicide. The more you put on the seed, the more expensive the option. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten Many growers have probably heard that the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services is initiating a first-ever pilot program for cotton seed quality testing beginning in the 2020 season. This is in response to what appears to be a decrease in cottonseed quality over the past few years. Cottonseed quality can vary within a year and between years, primarily due to environmental conditions where the seed is produced. NCDA&CS will try to test each lot of seed that comes into North Carolina, and the companies have agreed to notify the department when and where their seed will enter the state. What can growers do to help the program succeed and provide them with good seed quality information? First, order your seed early to give NCDA&CS time to perform tests and provide results before planting. Secondly, farmers need to realize that as hard as companies try to provide high-quality seed, some seed lots can be of higher quality than others. Knowing the actual seed quality can help growers if they match seed quality with planting conditions and are willing to adjust planting rates with seed quality and planting conditions. The Cotton Planting Conditions Calculator can be found at http://climate. ncsu.edu/cotton_planting. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu

OKLAHOMA Seth Byrd The big question in Oklahoma as we look to the 2020 cotton season is “How many acres are we going to have?” Even recently, this number has fluctuated greatly due to a variety of factors. While 2019 was shaping up to be a big acreage year in the state, with the low end of predictions hovering around 800,000 acres, poor spring weather prevented much cotton, or anything else, from being planted. Favorable markets and weather could provide more optimism for cotton this year. While most estimates have Oklahoma back around 600,000 to 620,000 acres for the season, this number could swell depending on interest in the north central and eastern parts of the state. There will be several excellent opportunities in February for those interested in cotton production in some of the less traditional cotton areas of Oklahoma to discuss agronomic practices and other concerns. For producers in the Panhandle, the Crops Clinic will take place at the Oklahoma Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Goodwell, Feb. 11. For those in northern Oklahoma, the first-ever

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

Great Plains Cotton Conference will be held Feb. 25-26 in Wichita, Kansas. For more information, contact your Oklahoma State University county Extension office. seth.byrd@okstate.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper At each of Tennessee’s winter meetings, I’m covering research results on cultivar selection, fertility, seeding rates and plant growth management. Throughout the past year, I’ve seen the possibility to reduce input costs or increase return on investment by making slight adjustments in each of these areas. To summarize, the variety selection decision needs to be driven by data and experience. Sulfur has become a bigger issue in West Tennessee as atmospheric deposition continues to decline. As yields increase, many are tempted to increase applied fertilizer nitrogen. From my observations, we likely need to look more closely at increasing potassium than increasing nitrogen. Seeding rates for our area are typically higher than required to maintain excellent yield potential. Finally, plant growth management needs to start earlier and more aggressively on many acres. I encourage you to take a close look at your operation to make sure your decisions in each of these areas are calculated and data based. To hear more about research conducted in each of these areas, catch me at one of our county meetings or attend our upcoming Cotton Focus meeting on Feb. 13 starting at 8 a.m. at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson. traper@utk.edu

TEXAS Murilo Maeda With harvest concluded in the Texas High Plains, our attention turns to planning for the next season. In general, yields across the region were lower than initially expected due to extremely hot, dry conditions, especially during July and August. In and around Lubbock, our preliminary Replicated Agronomic Cotton Evaluation trial results (two irrigated sites and five dryland and light water), as of early January show yields ranging from 0.25 to 0.8 bales per acre (average 0.6 bale per acre) for dryland and light water, and 1 to 3.1 bales per acre (average 2 bales per acre) for irrigated trials. Although these results are based on a limited number of locations, I believe they broadly depict yields across much of the region. While West Texas growers may be a couple months away from putting down the first seed, folks in South Texas are not that far out. The 2019 season brought many challenges to the region, and #plant20 is just around the corner. Dr. Katie Lewis (associate professor of soil fertility and chemistry, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Lubbock) says this is the time to begin planning your nutrient management program. The first step to maximize fertilizer use efficiency is to collect soil samples and determine plant available macro- and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nitrate-N, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Micronutrients are boron, copper, iron, manganese and zinc. Collect samples at a zero to 6-inch depth for both. If possible, collect an additional sample at 6 to 12 inches for macronutrients. Adjust your fertility program to match realistic yield goals. In February, AgriLife Research and Extension personnel will deliver up-to-date information on lessons learned this past season. Reach out to us or your county agent with topics you are interested in. Check with your Extension office for a meeting near you and make plans to attend. Results from the Texas RACE trials by region should be available at http://varietytesting.tamu.edu/cotton/ by the time this issue of Cotton Farming reaches you. mmaeda@ag.tamu.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

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2019 Southeastern Ginner Of The Year Named At Annual Meeting Don Daily with Dexter Supply Co., also known as Modern Gin Co., was recently honored as the 2019 Southeastern Ginner of the Year at the Southern Southeastern Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association President Drake Perrow presented the award and shared these remarks about Daily. “The 2019 Ginner of the year literally grew up in this business — something that can’t be said for a lot of folks ginning today. In fact, he has shared his stories of going to the gin show in Atlanta when kids probably shouldn’t have been going to the gin show. “His family has been in the ginning business for well over 100 years and at least four generations. Over the years, they have ginned somewhere between 50 million and 75 million pounds of cotton. The family gins have been powered by water, steam, diesel and electricity. “Our recipient graduated from Waynesboro High School and went on to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. From there, he went to the ‘Loveliest Village on the Plain,’ attending Auburn University where he received his bachelor’s degree in marketing and transportation. He also was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. “He began his career, not in ginning, but at Maxwell Brothers Furniture in Warner Robins and Macon, Georgia. After about a year, his father gave him the opportunity to come to the gin where he has worked for the past 44 years. “Farmers Mill and Elevator, doing business as Dexter Supply Co., (we know it as Modern Gin Co.) is a diversified ag business handling a variety of commodities including peanuts, corn, soybeans and fertilizer, as well as housing a hardware store and cotton gin. “Our recipient has been active in just about every organization related to his businesses. Currently, he is a delegate to the

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DUSTY FINDLEY

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Cotton Ginners Marketplace

Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association President Drake Perrow (center) presented the 2019 Southeastern Ginner of the Year award to Don Daily, who is joined by his wife, Pam. Their children, Michael and Gayle, also attended the ceremony.

National Cotton Council and director to Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association. He has also been active in peanut and other organizations over the years. “He has been a member of his local school board for Dublin High School and is an Eagle Scout. You’ve probably figured out this year’s Ginner of the Year is Don Daily. Don and his wife, Pam, have two children — Michael and Gayle — both of whom have joined him here today.” Southern Southeastern Inc. contributed this article.

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California Cotton Ginners And Growers Association Announces 2020 Board Of Directors The California Cotton Ginners And Growers Association received nominations for all of the incumbents in this year’s board of directors election and did not receive any new nominations. Therefore, the current slate of incumbents was reelected at the association’s December board meeting. On the ginner side, Mike Davis of Dos Palos Co-op, Wayne Gilbert of County Line Gin and Kirk Gilkey of Cross Creek ll Gin LLC were all reappointed. On the grower side, Steve Wilbur from Tulare County, along with Gary Martin, Vince Marshall and Andrew Clark, all of Fresno County, were reelected. In addition, Jake Cauzza from Kern County was appointed to fill the seat of outgoing board member Jim Neufeld. Wade Van Hooser of Mid-Valley Cotton Growers was appointed to fill the seat of outgoing board member Stan Creelman. Here are the board of directors for 2020:

California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association Board of Directors for 2020 Ginners Term 2021

Term 2022

Term 2023

Tom Gaffney, J.G. Boswell Co.

Adriane Carbonel, Farmers Cooperative Gin Inc.

Mike Davis, Dos Palos Cooperative Gin Inc.

Greg Gillard, Olam Cotton

Rosie Navarro, Modern Ginning Co.

Wayne Gilbert, County Line Gin Inc.

Tom Pires, West Valley Cotton Growers

Matt Toste, Huron Ginning Company Inc.

Kirk Gilkey, Cross Creek II Gin LLC

VACANCY

Wade Van Hooser, Mid-Valley Cotton Growers Inc.

VACANCY

Growers Kings County

Kern County

Fresno County

Philip Hansen Jim Razor Geoff Toledo

Bryan Bone Jake Cauzza

Andrew Clark Vincent Marshall Gary Martin

Riverside/Imperial County

Merced County

Tulare County

Tim Cox

Cannon Michael Tony Neves

Steve Wilbur

Advisors Bill Stone Charles Meyer Mark McKean Earl Williams

Sam Carreiro Ted Sheely Bob Hutmacher Christi Chadwell

Craig Stevens Kevin Madding Mike Breggemann

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Physical Address: 225225 Bourne Boulevard • Savannah, Georgia 31408-9586 Physical Address: Bourne Boulevard • Savannah, Georgia 31408-9586USA USA Mailing Address: P.O. Box 929929 • Pooler, Georgia 31322-0929 USA Mailing Address: P.O. Box • Pooler, Georgia 31322-0929 USA Phone: (912) 447-9000 • Fax: (912) 447-9250 Phone: (912) 447-9000 • Fax: (912) 447-9250 TollToll Free (USA Only): 1-800-4LUMMUS (1-800-458-6687) Free (USA Only): 1-800-4LUMMUS (1-800-458-6687) Web Site: www.lummus.com • E-mail: lummus.sales@lummus.com Web Site: www.lummus.com • E-mail: lummus.sales@lummus.com

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

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My Turn Always Keep Cotton Farmers’ Best Interests At Heart

am the fifth generation to operate Gholston Farms near Baldwyn, Mississippi, where cotton has always been our primary crop. I grew up working with my daddy, my uncle and my granddaddy. Some of my best memories are being with them on the family farm. You learn a lot about work ethic — be hard working and honest. I was 13 years old when I grew my first cotton crop. I vividly remember Daddy telling me that whatever I started, I would get out of it what I put into it. I found that to be true. Cotton is a crop that responds to management. The more you put into it, if God blesses you with the right weather, the more you will get out of it. The thing I remember most about my first cotton crop is we had to chop it twice. I didn’t have any money to hire anybody to do it, so my first cousin and I chopped it by ourselves. Why I kept farming cotton after that, I don’t know! Those were some long, hot days. After my daddy retired and I took over the farm sometime in the ’90s, we had a really tough year and lost money. I remember telling my dad, “I am never going to grow cotton again. I’m quitting.” He said, “Son, if you lost your billfold, where would you go look for it?” I said, “Daddy, I would go look wherever I thought I lost it.” He said, “You need to remember that.” I went back with cotton again and caught up in one year. It’s a rewarding crop, and I have never stopped farming. When I graduated from Mississippi State, I went to work for Sawan Seeds in Columbus, Mississippi, to supplement my farm income. We delinted

and treated cottonseed, and then sold everybody’s brand. I later worked for Paymaster Seed Co. where we started the Paymaster picker cotton division. Paymaster was eventually sold to Deltapine. I stayed with Deltapine, and then Monsanto bought the company and later Bayer bought Monsanto. I’ve been with the Deltapine brand since the early 1990s.

“Cotton responds to management. The more you put into the crop, the more you will get out of it.” I remember when we came out with DP 555. I was there when we weren’t going to release it because of the seed size. We finally convinced everybody it had a thing called yield that would overcome the seed size. We released it as DP 555 and never thought about calling it Triple Nickel. Growers made up that name, and it stuck. I am just a simple country boy but have had a lot of people mentor me through the years. Some that come to mind are Dr. Bob Bridge, Dr. Curtis Williams and Jim Wilke. The advent of cotton biotechnology and boll weevil eradication are the things I remember as having the biggest positive effect on the industry. They’ve allowed us to raise yields and do it easier and more economically than we could have had those two events not taken place. One of the most rewarding parts of my career in the seed business was launching the Deltapine New Product Evaluators program in 2008.

Keylon Gholston We give growers across the Cotton Belt seed for different Deltapine variety candidates and let them grow it on their farms under their management. I spend much of my summer visiting with NPE growers on their farms and looking at varieties in NPE plots in as many locations as I possibly can. At the end of the year, cotton from the plots is ginned in commercial gins instead of micro-gins, which are not as tough on cotton fiber. We collect the farmers’ input, yield and fiber quality data to help us decide which varieties to move forward. Over the years, I think the NPE growers have become almost like one big family. They also take their contribution to the industry very seriously and do a good job. These farmers are the key to the success of the program. Today, my office is in Baldwyn in the old home place that was built back in the 1870s. My four children — Brent, Cole, Lakin and Clay — are all in the ag industry and come home, especially on Saturdays, to work on the farm. Everybody is on a piece of equipment doing something. I try to tell them the same thing my daddy told me. Work hard, be honest and always keep the cotton farmers’ best interests at heart. If you do that, you will be successful.

— Keylon Gholston Baldwyn, Mississippi keylon.gholston@bayer.com

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

COTTON FARMING | FEBRUARY 2020

COTTONFARMING.COM

Introducing a new look… Introducing a new look… from an old friend. from an old friend.

With a new decade come new challenges and opportunities. We also thought a new look was in order. With a new decade come new challenges and opportunities. We also thought a new look Based on the continued growth within Lummus Corporation, the time was right to update was in order. our branding in an effort to better define our various business units. Lummus Corporation, Based on the growth within Corporation, the time was right to update the name you continued have known for years, willLummus continue to be the parent corporate entity, our branding inour anvarious effort tobusiness better define oura various business units. Lummus Corporation, consolidating units at global level. the name you have known for years, will continue to be the parent corporate entity, Lummus Ag Technology will be the new for our level. traditional business of cotton ginning, consolidating our various business unitsname at a global oilseed processing, and other fiber processing machinery. This new name “dials in” our Lummus Ag Technology will be thetonew name for our traditional business of cotton ginning, focus, because our commitment these businesses has never been stronger. In fact, we oilseed processing, andinvestments other fiber processing This new name “dials in” our are making substantial not only in machinery. product development, but also through focus, because our commitment to these businesses In fact, we heightened initiatives on even greater service throughhas ournever repairbeen partsstronger. and technical are making substantial investments not only in product development, but also through services divisions. heightened initiatives on even greater service through our repair parts and technical While thedivisions. new look may take a while to get used to, you can rest assured that this old services friend will be here to help you meet the challenges and achieve success in your While the new look may takechanges. a while to get used to, you can rest assured that this old business….that truth never friend will be here to help you meet the challenges and achieve success in your business….that truth never changes.

225 Bourne Boulevard ● Savannah, Georgia 31408-9586 USA P. O. Box 929 ● Pooler, Georgia 31322-0929 USA Phone: (912) 447-9000 ● Fax: (912) 447-9250 Toll Free (USA Only): 1-800-4LUMMUS (1-800-458-6687) 225 Bourne Boulevard ● Savannah, Georgia 31408-9586 USA Web www.lummus.com ● E-mail: lummus.sales@lummus.com P. O. Site: Box 929 ● Pooler, Georgia 31322-0929 USA Phone: (912) 447-9000 ● Fax: (912) 447-9250 Toll Free (USA Only): 1-800-4LUMMUS (1-800-458-6687) ® Copyright 2020 Lummus Ag Technology Web Site: www.lummus.com ● E-mail: lummus.sales@lummus.com ® Copyright 2020 Lummus Ag Technology

“

I’ve seen enough from the Deltapine® brand to know that’s what we need to plant. - Rance Barnes, Jr. Grower | Kenton, TN

See Rance’s full story. Deltapine.com/Barnes

STRONG COTTON Performance may vary from location to location and from year to year, as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible and should consider the impacts of these conditions on the grower’s fields. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW IRM, WHERE APPLICABLE, GRAIN MARKETING AND ALL OTHER STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES AND PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Bayer Cross Design and Deltapine® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2020 Bayer Group. All rights reserved. DP-19057-CF-FEBMAR-MS