e U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol released its 2023/24 Annual Report, showcasing record grower participation and great strides in environmental stewardship.
13 A LONG-TERM OUTLOOK
Georgia economist discusses long-term economic struggles and some potential strategies for Southern cotton farmers to consider.
20 GINNERS MARKETPLACE
the official publication of the ginning industry NCGA provides guidelines and precautions for re prevention and response in cottonseed storage.
and yet they are not considered as affected counties by the Risk Management Agency, she said. Learn more about the hurricane policy wording and datasets used.
Ann Catherine Jouett has joined the University of Arkansas as development manager. She enjoys the creation of “opportunities to propel ideas and innovations through developing authentic relationships that create success and advance people.” Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.
Editor’s Note
Carroll Smith
Oranges, Apples And Responsible Cotton Production
While growing up in a small town in Louisiana, I attended the local public elementary school located on the edge of town. After turning onto the access road at the John Deere store, all you could see were cotton fields on the horizon and a large pecan grove that straddled the highway going out to Lake St. John.
Almost everyone rode the school bus, and Mr. Cross was the driver on our route. That man was one of the jolliest people I have ever known. I always thought he bore an uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus with his shock of pure white hair and bushy beard.
Every year — without fail — during the week before school let out for the holidays, he had a big box of oranges or apples next to his driver’s seat. Since he knew all our names, he personally greeted each one of us when we got on the bus and presented us with a piece of fruit.
Years later, one of the boys who rode Mr. Cross’s bus worked as a farmer and decided to pay homage to the kind man who gave out farm-grown fruit to the kids at Christmas instead of a bag of packaged candy. His idea was also a nod to all the farmers who provided food and fiber to the world.
The young man wrapped his best tractor in battery-powered, multi-colored Christmas lights and joined the nighttime parade that rolled down Main Street. He had a big box of oranges and apples that he tossed into the crowd reminiscent of the Mardi Gras float riders throwing beads.
Although farmers are currently facing many challenges, they are inherently resilient and looking for ways to make the most of what they can control instead of being dragged down by what they can’t. One of the brightest lights in the cotton industry today is the success of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. By enrolling their cotton acres, a tremendous number of cotton farmers have embraced the program, showing their commitment to responsible production.
As we soon turn the page on a new year, let’s enjoy this positive momentum in the same spirit that the school kids and parade goers savored the farm-grown fruit handed out by Mr. Cross and the young farmer riding his brightly lit tractor in the Christmas parade.
Here’s wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
Carroll
If you have comments, please send them to: Cotton Farming Magazine, 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN 38138.
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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
Mike Lamensdorf President/treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
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Cotton’s Agenda
Gary Adams
Transparency In Action
The 2023/24 U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Annual Report reveals a 31% increase in enrolled planted acreage compared to the previous year.
What is the primary goal of the Trust Protocol?
■ The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol was launched in 2020 and is the voluntary sustainability program for U.S. cotton growers and traceability platform for all U.S. cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to responsible cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability areas: land use, soil health, water management, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and fiber quality. The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s sustainability progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification.
What are some of the latest achievements?
■ The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol 2023/24 Annual Report showcases record grower participation and notable strides in environmental stewardship. The report highlights the program’s progress in driving transparency and continuous improvement across the cotton supply chain, even amidst a challenging economic climate for growers. The Trust Protocol Annual Report at https://report.trustuscotton.org/ revealed these specifics:
1) 2.1 million acres were enrolled in the Trust Protocol, a 31% increase from the previous year, demonstrating a strong industry commitment to responsible production;
2) Trust Protocol growers continued to outperform national averages, achieving a 14% improvement
in yield and making significant reductions in water use (14%), energy use (27%), greenhouse gas emissions (21%), and soil loss (79%) compared to a 2015 baseline;
3) The Climate Smart Cotton Program, designed to help growers adopt climate-smart practices, saw growth with 1,427 U.S. farming entities enrolled, including 282 from historically underserved communities.
The Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 45 global parent companies and their brands, including some of the largest names in fashion, such as Ralph Lauren, Macy’s and Gap Inc., as well as new members, such as Carhartt, Inc. and Engelbert Strauss, Inc. Additionally, the program has successfully enrolled more than 2,500 mills and manufacturers from 46 countries.
Any other success?
■ The Trust Protocol made noteworthy strides in scaling its Protocol Consumption Management Solution (PCMS), recording 1.2k shipments of cotton fiber, which is the equivalent to 3.4 million bales of U.S. Cotton and 636,000 bales of Protocol Cotton.
While we celebrate achievements in acreage enrollment, grower participation, and environmental improvements, we recognize that these are challenging times for many in the cotton industry. Declining commodity prices, rising input costs, and the ever-present realities of volatile weather events place immense pressure on our growers. Yet, even in the face of these challenges, the dedication of U.S. cotton growers to sustainability remains strong, as evident in the environmental gains outlined in this report, from improved water and energy use efficiency to enhanced soil health and decreased greenhouse gas emissions.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will continue to enhance its data collection and analysis processes, expand its Climate Smart Cotton Program, and strengthen its traceability platform to meet the evolving needs of brands and retailers.
Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America.
Crop Insurance Wording And Datasets
Why Hurricane Insurance Is Not Paying For Many Farmers’ Claims
BY PAM KNOX UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Ihave received many questions about weather-related crop insurance and why the counties designated by the Risk Management Agency do not match what they have experienced in their area. Producers are frustrated when they experience weather that they think clearly meets the requirements for the insurance, and yet they are not considered as affected counties by the RMA.
My goal in this article is to explain the wording of the crop insurance and what datasets are used to determine whether a county is eligible for an insurance payment. I am not here to blame RMA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or any other group for the determinations.
I will just tell you about the insurance wording and the datasets and what they do and do not show. Everyone wants to make sure the appropriate producers are getting paid in the quickest way possible. But the way the insurance policy is written limits who will get payments. The wording of the RMA insurance policy can be found at the RMA website at rb.gy/91xh7f.
A Named Storm
Weather Event refers to a named tropical cyclone, as identified by NOAA and determined by Federal Crop Insurance Corporation in accordance with the Hurricane Destruction
Weather in counties farmers think clearly met the requirements for crop insurance may not be considered as “a ected counties” by the RMA.
DISCLAIMER: This article is purely my opinion about what is going on based on my understanding of the crop insurance policies and databases. If I get something wrong, please let me know and I will correct it.
I do not know how the datasets used in the determination of eligibility were chosen. I think it is likely because those datasets are based on the highest quality NOAA stations and are usually available quickly after an event so that payments can start to be processed quickly.
There may be many other stations that report high-quality data (including the UGA Weather Network data and CoCoRaHS, both of which I manage), but they are not used in the databases used to determine insurance payment eligibility.
Note that RMA may choose to reevaluate their county maps later based on additional weather data but there is no way to guarantee they will make any changes to the maps.
Potential and identified in the actuarial documents, which includes hurricanes and tropical storms.
To meet the County Loss Trigger:
■ A hurricane must have maximum sustained surface winds of 64 knots (74 mph) or greater in a county or adjacent county.
■ A tropical storm must have: (1) Maximum sustained surface winds ranging from 39-73 mph (34 to 63 knots); and (2) A Final Rainfall Amount of at least 6 inches received over the following four consecutive days: (i) The day immediately
preceding the arrival date of the tropical storm; (ii) The arrival date of the tropical storm; and (iii) The two days immediately following the arrival date of the tropical storm.
The key points here are that it needs to be a named storm, it must have had observed sustained winds of a minimum value that depends on whether it is classified as a hurricane or tropical storm. In the case of the tropical storm payment, it must have had measured rainfall measurements of at least 6 inches over a four-day period.
Note that sustained winds are generally considered to be an average over a period of time, like a one-minute average. Gusts are not used because they are instantaneous measures of the wind speed over one second. Those winds are measured at 10 meters (33 feet) above the ground.
Note that not just any weather data can be used to make the determination. According to the RMA Frequently Asked Questions, NOAA IBTrACS data is used to determine wind extents for Hurricane and Tropical Storm county loss triggers. [The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) project is the most complete global collection of tropical cyclones].
In addition, NOAA-Climate Prediction Center data is used to determine the Final Rainfall amount for Tropical Storm county loss triggers. The rainfall observations are put into a model that interpolates the values to a grid.
The county rainfall is calculated using an area-weighted total rainfall for all grids that intersect that county. The rainfall average for the entire county must be greater than or equal to 6 inches, even if some stations are greater than that and others are below that threshold. You can read a detailed description of the rainfall dataset at CPC_Gauge_Ananalysis_Procedure_ final_20210316.pdf.
NOAA-CPC only uses weather stations certified by the National Weather Service Office of Observation as having a long and reliable record and available through the official NWS data stream. They specifically say that CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow) data are not included in this list for rainfall.
Tropical Storm Debby
This year I received a number of requests about eligibility for tropical storm payments from Tropical Storm Debby after it occurred in early August. In most cases, the counties that did not receive primary status did not receive it due to the rainfall limit, not the wind limit.
Even though there were many observations in a county that
met the 6-inch requirement, there were not enough official gauges that measured over 6 inches to affect the county-wide average based on gridded data. The map shows roughly where the tropical wind speed requirements were met from Debby.
In most cases, once Hurricane Helene moved over Georgia, the hurricane insurance coverage overwrote the tropical storm coverage from Debby, although that was not true in all cases, especially in eastern Georgia.
Hurricane Helene
For Helene, most of the questions focus on the dataset called IBTrACS and how is it determined. Based on my conversation with Deke Arndt at the National Centers for Environmental Information, RMA uses the hurricane track information from the National Hurricane Center.
This includes the center position of the storm and the radii of winds in the four quadrants, which is essentially the same thing as the IBTrACS database. The initial estimated NHC wind map from Helene is shown.
Note that this does not include a lot of wind observations to the right of the track because most of those NWS Automated Station Observing Systems were offline due to power outages and were not included in the original IBTrACS database.
I think it is also important to note that National Centers for Environmental Information is located in Asheville, North Carolina, and was without power, water and internet for a significant amount of time after Helene moved through, which undoubtedly affected their ability to gather the data as quickly as RMA needed.
If you compare the payout map to the NHC hurricane track, you can see the counties identified as Hurricane Direct counties for Helene are mostly along the original path of the hurricane as estimated by NHC.
However, the strongest winds in Helene as measured by damage were much more widespread to the east of the track than is shown in the NHC depiction of where hurricane winds occurred. The power outage map shows where the worst damage occurred.
According to the damage track, there was widespread damage from Helene from the eye of the storm all the way to the Georgia coast, although it is impossible to determine what the exact wind speeds there were because most official observing sites were not operating due to power losses.
Wind over land is often more turbulent than over the ocean, and topography like hills and valleys can cause big differences
in wind speed. There could have been pockets of wind that were sustained at more than hurricane-force in some places. But with no observations to verify that, there is no way to use that information to collect insurance payments because they are not official observations.
We also need to keep in mind that when the ground is saturated, trees are more likely to fall over in high winds. The damage, including power outages, may be worse than if the wind occurred with less rain.
The Bottom Line
These statements are my own opinions:
• I understand why they used the IBTrACS database to get wind observations. It is quick and allows fast relief to farmers who are in the designated areas without having to wait weeks for official weather data. Wind measurements are messy and often affected by the location of the instrument. But it does not work well when the actual wind field of the hurricane does not match the estimated circular field identified by NHC at the time the hurricane moved over land.
It does not account for things like interactions with topography, local circulations within convective bands, tornadoes or other small-scale circulations within the larger hurricane or interactions with fronts that may increase winds in some places far from the eye of the storm. It may also not account for loss of data due to power to the NOAA stations, although they may have corrected for this.
The UGA Weather Network has provided all of our wind data to a group that is producing an enhanced wind field for FEMA.
But, I don’t know if this will be used at a later date to update the RMA map of direct and indirect counties or if it is being used for something completely different.
■ I understand why they use counties as the designated entities for determining if producers are eligible for insurance payments since many government agencies are set to work on a county basis.
However, it hurts farmers in large counties where there is a high variation in weather across the county because of where the path of the storm is, especially for rainfall.
In that case, nearly half the county’s producers could not get a payment because the average rainfall for the entire county is less than the required 6 inches, even if the wind criteria were met.
■ I think Georgia is particularly hurt by the reliance on county estimates, since we have more and smaller counties than surrounding states. This means our swaths of direct and indirect counties are often narrower than in states with bigger counties.
I hope that this lengthy explanation will provide some insight into how RMA hurricane insurance payments are made, even if it gives you no satisfaction that all the producers who need help will get it from insurance. I know you are all worried about them (and in some cases may need Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) insurance yourself for your own farms) and want what is best for them.
Pam Knox is the director of the University of Georgia Weather Network and an agricultural climatologist who studies how weather and climate affect crops, livestock, forests and water resources.
Promoting Cotton: A Sustainable Solution To Plastic Pollution
At the forefront of sustainability in the apparel industry, Cotton Incorporated has dedicated decades to building a scientific foundation that supports cotton as a superior alternative to synthetic fibers. With more than 40 years of research, the organization leads efforts in promoting the environmental benefits of cotton while defending its reputation against the rising tide of plastic pollution.
BY STACEY GORMAN WARREN, ARKANSAS
Recent studies reveal a startling fact: individuals could be ingesting approximately 5 grams of plastic each week1, akin to the weight of a credit card. Plastics have also been found in human blood2, reproductive organs3, and brain tissue4, an issue that has garnered significant headlines and concern from the masses.
A significant portion of this plastic originates from microfibers shed by synthetic clothing. Recent estimates indicate that synthetic clothing is responsible for approximately 35% of the global release of primary microplastics into the world’s oceans, making it one of the leading contributors to microplastic pollution.5
Cotton Incorporated has been researching microplastic and microfiber issues for more than 10 years, collaborating with institutions like Cornell University and North Carolina State University. These studies focus on the biodegradation rates of cotton versus polyester fabrics and microfibers and the impact of textile laundering on microfiber emissions.
As Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Cotton Incorporated, Dr. Jesse Daystar is committed to addressing pressing environmental challenges, particularly plastic pollution.
Hidden Pollution Source
“While single-use plastics have garnered public attention, the hidden plastic pollution from the apparel sector is often overlooked. The global apparel industry creates an estimated 8.3 million tons of plastic leakage annually, primarily from synthetic garments that shed microplastics during laundering and the release of macroplastics at the end of their life cycle6 Macroplastic is a relatively new word to describe larger pieces of plastics, such as a polyester t-shirt that often ends up as waste on the ground,” Daystar said.
The estimated 8.3 million tons of annual plastic leakage is equivalent to 820 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower, more than 23 times the weight of the Empire State Building, and almost 9 times the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge. This substantial contribution is mainly due to inadequate synthetic garment collection and treatment after disposal.
Cotton Incorporated and leading researchers published a groundbreaking study in Nature Communications, titled “The
Global Apparel Industry: A Significant, Yet Overlooked Source of Plastic Leakage,” highlighting that synthetic clothing contributes 7.4 million metric tons of plastic pollution each year — 10 times more than cotton7. This leakage largely results from macroplastic waste when synthetic garments are discarded. The report reveals that the apparel industry accounts for 14% of the total plastic leakage into the environment, stressing the urgent need for a shift towards more sustainable materials like cotton. Moreover, the growing demand for fast fashion exacerbates the issue. Increased per capita sales and the doubling of clothing production over the last 15 years have led to significant plastic leakage8 The leakage includes littering, illegal dumping and inadequately managed landfills, contributing to the ongoing environmental degradation.
Cotton’s
Eco-Friendly
Role
Cotton Incorporated research indicates that while cotton production contributes less than 1% to total plastic pollution, it could play an important role in helping reduce plastic leakage. Cotton Incorporated was part of a multistakeholder initiative called the Plastic Leak Project, which developed guidelines to help businesses assess and mitigate plastic leakage in their operations. The guidelines were used as the foundation and motivation for the Global Apparel Plastic Leakage study estimating the global plastic leakage footprint of the apparel industry.
At The Cotton Sustainability Summit hosted by The Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated in September, Dr. Jesse Daystar highlighted the research and urgent issue of plastic pollution from synthetic fabrics, covering both micro and macro levels. The summit gathered buyers, designers, and sustainability experts to discuss critical issues in cotton sustainability and the natural benefits of cotton over synthetic fibers. It served as a call to action, urging industry collaboration on innovative, eco-friendly solutions while emphasizing cotton as a sustainable alternative to synthetics and the need to reduce plastic pollution in textiles.
As the fashion industry confronts the challenges of plastic pollution, Cotton Incorporated is stressing how essential it is to embrace natural fibers like cotton. It is leading the way by providing the science, data and guidance to champion a more sustainable future for the apparel industry by using cotton.
Stacey Gorman is The Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org.
1 Estimation of the mass of microplastics ingested – A pivotal first step towards human health risk assessment - ScienceDirect
2 Microplastics found in human blood for first time | Plastics | The Guardian
3 Microplastic presence in dog and human testis and its potential association with sperm count and weights of testis and epididymis | Toxicological Sciences | Oxford Academic
4 Startling Findings – Scientists Discover That Microplastics Could Be Changing Your Brain
5 2017-002-En.pdf
6 The global apparel industry is a significant yet overlooked source of plastic leakage | Nature Communications
7 Plastic Leakage Assessment of the Global Apparel Industry
8 A New Textile Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future
On-The-Ground Impact
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Makes Tremendous Strides
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a leading program for responsibly grown cotton, recently released its 2023/24 Annual Report, showcasing record grower participation and notable strides in environmental stewardship. The report highlights the program’s progress in driving transparency and continuous improvement across the cotton supply chain, even amidst a challenging economic climate for growers.
“This year’s report demonstrates the unwavering commitment of U.S. cotton growers to continuous improvement, even in the face of significant challenges,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “The Trust Protocol is proud to support their efforts by providing the tools, resources and market opportunities needed to build a more resilient and sustainable future for U.S. cotton.”
Cotton Farmer Perspectives
Alyssa Cain, a third-generation cotton farmer and a Trust protocol grower from Texas, is finding ways to blend time-tested traditions with modern approaches for a more sustainable future. While proud of her family’s legacy on their dryland farm, Cain also sees the need to adapt and evolve, especially with the challenges of a changing climate in an arid region that is prone to drought and a tough farm economy.
One of Cain’s main goals is shifting her family’s farm away from conventional tillage and toward a system that prioritizes the long-term health of their soil. She vividly remembers a time when they left a field unplowed for two years and were impressed by the difference.
Texas Protocol grower Alyssa Cain
“We pulled up a cotton plant, and the chunks of soil clung together, full of wormholes,” she said. “It was moving in the right direction.”
Through participation in the Climate Smart Cotton Program, their goal is to eventually transition to no-till practices, which will protect their soil from erosion, improve how well water soaks in and enhance overall soil health.
Beyond her family’s cotton operation, Cain is passionate about raising cattle and pictures a future where livestock and crop production work together. She sees the Climate Smart program as a stepping stone towards integrating her cattle into the operation, utilizing them for grazing cover crops and naturally fertilizing the soil, further reducing reliance on additional inputs. Cain is also committed to using data provided by the Trust Protocol to track their progress, identify areas for improvement and demonstrate the tangible benefits of their efforts.
“It’s not always easy to take risks when you’re a farmer, especially financial risks,” Cain said. “This program gives us the support to try new things, to build a better system for the long haul. That not only provides peace of mind but a farm with healthier soil, cleaner water, a system that works with nature, not against it.”
Frank Rogers, a fourth-generation cotton farmer from South Carolina where he operates in a humid subtropical climate with ample rainfall, illustrates how he leverages technology to finetune his operation for optimal sustainability.
For instance, recognizing water’s value, Rogers — a Protocol grower — uses moisture sensors to provide real-time data on soil conditions. This information controls his irrigation pivots, which he operates remotely via a smartphone app, delivering water precisely when and where needed.
Rogers’ commitment to data-driven decisions extends to other areas of his farm as well. He and his son, who has a knack for technology, conduct their own soil sampling and analysis.
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Rogers said. “Knowing exactly what’s in our soil lets us give our crops what they need, where they need it, when they need it.”
This allows them to create highly specific fertilizer plans for different field areas, maximizing nutrient uptake by the plants and minimizing impact to the surrounding environment. Rogers also embraces GPS-guided spraying technology with his sprayers automatically shutting off nozzles when they detect overlap.
Rogers is one example of how cotton farming is a data-driven endeavor, enhancing both productivity and sustainability.
As he said, “People might have an image of what cotton farming is, but it’s changing fast. We’re using technology every day to be more efficient, use less water and grow a sustainable crop. Using data, being precise with how we farm, is how we make sure we’re leaving something good behind.”
For Arkansas Protocol grower Lambert Marshall, sustainability isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. Managing a diverse operation of cotton, corn, rice and soybeans in the Mid-South, Marshall leverages data as a critical tool to make informed decisions that benefit both his land and his bottom line.
Arkansas’s climate, characterized by over 50 inches of rainfall annually, presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges for farmers like Marshall. He has implemented a sophisticated system of rainwater harvesting, strategically capturing and storing rainfall for future irrigation. This, combined with precision irrigation and soil moisture monitoring, ensures his crops have the precise amount of water they need to thrive, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.
South Carolina Protocol grower Frank Rogers, right
Lambert’s commitment to data extends beyond water management. He meticulously tracks energy consumption across his operation, from electric wells to tractors, identifying inefficiencies and proactively addressing maintenance needs. This commitment to continuous improvement led him to invest in a solar array to power his irrigation system, further reducing his environmental footprint and stabilizing energy costs.
As Marshall put it, “All of the sudden, we’re swamped with data, but what I look for is usable data. Pick the data points that are good to you as an operation and follow them — that’s when you can really see the benefits.”
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol 2023/24 Annual Report Key Findings Record Grower Adoption:
Planted acreage enrolled in the Trust Protocol surged to 2.1 million acres, a 31% increase from the previous year. This growth underscores the U.S. cotton industry’s commitment to responsible production.
Measurable Environmental Improvements: Trust Protocol growers continued to outperform national averages, achieving a 14% improvement in yield and notable reductions in six key environmental impact areas compared to a 2015 baseline:
■ Water Use: 14% reduction
■ Energy Use: 27% reduction
■ Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 21% reduction
■ Soil Loss: 79% reduction
■ Land Use Efficiency: 15% improvement
■ Soil Health: 74% of growers achieved a positive Soil Conditioning Index, indicating improvements in soil organic matter.
Regenerative Agriculture Practices:
■ 56% of growers adopted no-till or conservation tillage methods, leaving over 30% crop residue on fields, reducing soil erosion, improving water retention and supporting soil carbon sequestration.
■ 62% of growers integrated cover crops into their farming operations, preventing soil erosion, improving water infiltration and contributing to carbon sequestration.
■ 78% of reported Fieldprint acres employed conventional crop rotation, disrupting pest cycles, preventing disease buildup and enhancing soil biodiversity.
■ 87% of growers implement 4Rs (right source, time, place and rate) that helps ensure crops get the nutrients they need to grow while minimizing runoff.
■ 75% of growers implemented IPM strategies, including practices such as reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and promoting crop rotation/beneficial insects.
■ 87% of growers implement conservation practices that help prevent leaching off nutrients into water sources.
Climate Action:
The Climate Smart Cotton Program, designed to help growers adopt climate-smart practices and participate in carbon markets, expanded its reach:
■ 1,427 U.S. farming entities enrolled, including 282 from historically underserved communities.
■ 16,500 acres adopted new Climate Smart Agriculture practices, contributing to 15,000 metric tons of GHG emission reductions.
Traceability At Scale:
Arkansas Protocol grower
Lambert Marshall
change within the fashion and textile industries.
Why This Matters For The Fashion Industry:
The Trust Protocol’s Protocol Consumption Management Solution saw increased utilization, tracking increased volumes of sustainably sourced cotton.
■ 1,200 shipments of cotton fiber recorded, equivalent to 3.4 million bales of U.S. cotton and 636,000 bales of Protocol cotton.
■ Nearly 110 million shipped units tracked by brands and retailers.
Enhanced Governance And Global Collaboration:
The Trust Protocol expanded its Board of Directors to include greater international representation and joined the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network, strengthening its commitment to global collaboration and driving positive
■ Meeting Sustainability Goals: The Trust Protocol provides brands and retailers with a credible and transparent way to source sustainably grown U.S. cotton, supporting their environmental, social and governance commitments.
■ Meeting Regulatory Requirements: The program’s data aligns with key industry standards and emerging regulations, such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, helping brands meet reporting requirements and demonstrate due diligence.
■ Traceability and Transparency: The PCMS offers article-level traceability, enabling brands to track their cotton from farm to finished product and communicate their sustainability efforts to consumers with confidence.
Overall Headway
Daren Abney, executive director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol said, “This year’s report highlights both the progress our growers have made and the operational improvements within the Trust Protocol. We’ve streamlined systems to make participation easier for all and introduced a new consumption-based membership model launching in 2025 to support companies of all sizes in responsible sourcing.”
To view the complete U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol 2023/24 Annual Report, please visit report.trustuscotton.org.
This information was provided by the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
Long-Term Economic Struggles Of Southern Cotton Farmers
BY YANGXUAN LIU DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL & APPLIED ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Southern agriculture faces unique challenges with limited crops that are both suitable and competitive in the region. Cotton, one of the major row crops in the Southern United States, has historically been favored for its drought resistance, making it well-suited to the region’s soil and weather conditions.
In 2024, the United States is projected to produce 14.5 million bales of cotton. While market prices are expected to be around $0.66 per pound (USDA WASDE), the value of cotton production is approximately $4.6 billion nationwide, underscoring its essential role in the Southern region.
Recent data from the USDA’s Economic Research Service highlights the complexities of cotton farming, showing that growers have faced financial challenges over the years. This data accounts for all costs incurred by participants in the production process, including farm operators, landlords and contractors. It reflects actual production costs incurred by cotton farmers, including labor, equipment and other inputs, as well as the revenue generated from cotton sales. However, these figures do not reflect government payments and crop insurance indemnities received by producers during this period. The government payments include traditional Farm Bill programs for farmers with base acres, as well as ad-hoc disaster relief programs.
Scramble To Cover Costs
Producers are compelled to become more efficient in their operations to achieve profitability. However, over a 27-year period, cotton only managed to exceed total production costs in four years. On average, cotton growers faced annual losses of $94 per acre, highlighting the crop’s ongoing struggle to cover total production costs — including fixed expenses like longterm asset depreciation for buildings and equipment — presents a serious risk to the agricultural future.
Many farmers are increasingly relying on personal equity to keep their operations running, a practice that is financially unsustainable in the longterm. As a result, many are turning to government support, including Farm Bill programs and disaster relief initiatives, which can provide a safety net during challenging times. With long-term economic loss for cotton production, the economic health of Southern agriculture and the livelihoods of its farmers are at risk.
Potential Solutions
Following are some thoughts I have regarding possible strategies:
■ Enhanced Risk Management Strategies
Use of Crop Insurance: Cotton producers are vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns and market price volatility. A strong crop insurance strategy can protect farmers against adverse weather conditions, yield losses and price fluctuations.
Access to Government Programs: For many cotton farmers, government support can be a critical lifeline. Programs under the Farm Bill and ad-hoc disaster relief programs provide essential financial assistance during challenging seasons.
■ Efficiency Improvements
Precision Agriculture: Implementing technologies, such as GPS-guided tractors, soil moisture sensors and drones for crop health monitoring, can improve farm efficiency. These tools allow farmers to precisely monitor field conditions and optimize their use of resources like water, pesticides and fertilizers, ultimately reducing input costs and enhancing yields.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Inputs: Rising costs for inputs like seeds, fertilizers and pesticides continue to pressure profit margins. By evaluating input costs relative to yields, farmers can adjust their strategies to respond to market conditions and reduce costs where feasible.
■ Alternative or Supplemental Crops
Cotton farmers can reduce financial risk by diversifying their crops. Rotating cotton with other crops suited to the region’s climate can create new revenue streams, potentially reduce reliance on cotton and improve resilience against market and environmental shocks.
■ Co-ops for Input Purchasing, Product Marketing
Through cooperative buying, farmers can negotiate lower prices for inputs, reducing per-unit costs. Additionally, cooperative marketing of cotton products can help small- and medium-sized producers capture better prices and increase their profit margins. Cooperative models may also help smaller operations access modern technologies and infrastructure that would otherwise be financially out of reach.
■ Market Development of Foreign Buyers
Expanding export markets could offer significant economic opportunities for Southern cotton producers. Facilitating and maintaining good trading relationships with current buyers and building relationships with foreign buyers could create a steady demand for U.S.-produced cotton.
EPA Approves Next Generation Custom Formulation Herbicide
Liberty ULTRA herbicide, powered by Glu-L Technology has received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registration and is now approved for use, subject to state approvals.
Liberty ULTRA herbicide, with the active ingredient glufosinate-P-ammonium, also referred to as L-glufosinate ammonium, is the next generation of Liberty herbicide from BASF.
The company says this post knockdown solution is effective on broadleaves and grasses and is available for use on glufosinate-enabled soybean, cotton, corn and canola acres. In research trials, Liberty ULTRA herbicide has demonstrated 20% superior weed control and won nine out of 10 head-to-head comparisons against generics.
“Liberty ULTRA herbicide, will offer a post knockdown tool that delivers improved performance and convenience thanks to the new Liberty Lock formulation and BASF’s patented Glu-L Technology,” said Matt Malone, product manager for BASF Agricultural Solutions.
Glu-L Technology, the patented synthesis process that refines the glufosinate-ammonium active ingredient to its most herbicidally active component, allows every gallon of Liberty ULTRA to cover 33% more acres than generics. Liberty ULTRA herbicide packs the power of 32 fluid ounces of Liberty herbicide into a convenient 24 fluid ounces standard use rate.
In addition to its lower standard use rate, BASF’s Liberty Lock formulation locks more herbicide onto leaves and into weeds. This custom formulation is designed to adhere more droplets onto weed leaves for better coverage with every pass. Once on the leaves, the patent-pending formulation drives nearly three times more herbicide into weeds compared to generic glufosinate.
For more information about Liberty ULTRA herbicide, powered by Glu-L Technology, contact your local BASF representative or visit Liberty-Ultra.us.
New Texas High Plains Cotton Breeder Announced
Four-year-old Carol Kelly used to enjoy pulling bolls off the cotton plants in her daddy’s fields and pry them open to look inside. I guess you could say cot-
ton fiber has always fascinated her. As a graduate student in 2006, she was asked by her boss, John Gannaway (the cotton breeder at the time), if she would ever want his job. She said yes.
Now, nearly 20 years later, she’s got it.
“We are excited to welcome Carol to this new role,” said Todd Baughman, center director for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock. “Her vast experience with this program is unmatched, and we know she’ll be tremendously successful in moving this historic cotton breeding program into the future.”
As assistant professor of cotton breeding, Kelly will mentor students as she highly values the mentors who helped develop her as a professional. She will also have a more direct impact on how the center approaches production challenges and fiber quality — something very personal to her.
“My grandfather owned a cotton gin in Brownfield that my dad managed alongside farming cotton in that area, so I know the struggles producers face,” Kelly said. “And now, my friends are farming their own operations, so I’m very passionate about helping them be successful.”
This program’s longevity has been highly esteemed in the Plains Cotton Growers service area for many years. Kelly says it’s important to her that it be preserved for many years to come.
USDA’s Annual Land Values Summary For 2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual Land Values Summary for 2024 in August. It looks at the average value for agricultural real estate across the country.
The most recent report indicates increasing values nationwide over the past year. For “farm real estate value,” which takes into account the value of all land and buildings on farms, the U.S. average value was $4,170/acre, up 5% from 2023.
For cropland, the nationwide average value increased 4.7% to $5,570/acre. For pastureland, the nationwide average value was $1,830/acre, up 5.2% from last year.
The report also looks at various regional measurements.
Farm real estate average value is the highest in the Pacific region (CA, OR, WA) at $8,040/acre. The highest state value is found in Rhode Island at $22,000/acre. The lowest regional average was $1,600 for the Mountain region (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY). The lowest state value is New Mexico at $700. By way of comparison, Texas and Oklahoma make up the Southern Plains region, which has an average of $2,720.
For cropland values, California reports the highest at $17,330/acre, while regionally the Pacific region shows the highest values at an average of $9,520/acre. The Southern Plains region (OK, TX) reported the lowest cropland average value at $2,500/acre, a 4.6% increase from the prior year. The state with the lowest cropland value is Montana at $1,280/acre.
Pasture average value per acre was highest in New Jersey at $15,000 and lowest in New Mexico at $600/acre. Regionally, values were the highest in the Southeast (AL, FL, GA, SC) at $5,510 and the lowest in the Mountain region at $909. For the Southern Plains region, pastureland value came in at an average of $2,160.
Looking specifically at Texas: Farm real estate average value: $2,800/acre, a 7.3% increase from 2023. Cropland average value: $2,570/acre. This is up 3.2% from a year ago. This includes an irrigated average of $3,150 and non-irrigated average of $2,500. Pastureland average value: $2,200/acre, up 6.3%.
To view the entire report and see complete information for each state and region, go to tiny.cc/4juvzz.
Register Now For The 2025 Beltwide In New Orleans
The National Cotton Council and its cooperating partners welcome all to the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Jan. 14-16 (Tuesday-Thursday) at the New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, Louisiana.
A dynamic program, along with the opportunity to network with peers from across the Cotton Belt, separate this conference from all others in agriculture. The conference will be educational, as well as enjoyable.
To register for the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, please go to t.ly/2NaB3. To view the preliminary program, visit t.ly/DYrw8. The final program will be posted online Dec. 4. The hotel reservations cutoff date is Dec. 18.
Come, learn and experience all the sites and attractions that New Orleans has to offer. Register, mark your calendar and plan to attend!
Tessenderlo Kerley has acquired TigerSul Products, LLC, a North American focused provider of sulfur-based fertilizer products, from Platte River Equity. The acquisition closed on Nov. 6, 2024.
The acquisition strengthens Tessenderlo Kerley’s specialty fertilizer portfolio as Tessenderlo Kerley looks to provide a better crop yield, more control for farmers and a healthier planet for everyone. Tiger-Sul will continue to operate under its brand names.
“We’re excited to welcome Tiger-Sul to the Tessenderlo Kerley team, and we look forward to our ability to offer our customers Tiger-Sul’s complementary crop nutrition and soil enhancement products,” said Russell Sides, executive vice president of Tessenderlo Kerley.
“We appreciate the support from Platte River Equity, and we are looking
forward to providing great value to our customers through our new partnership with Tessenderlo Kerley,” said Mike Dennerlein, president of Tiger-Sul.
Kris Whalen, managing director at Platte River Equity, commented, “Tessenderlo Kerley’s strategic vision and focus on innovation are well-aligned with Tiger-Sul’s mission, and we wish both the Tessenderlo Kerley and Tiger-Sul teams’ great success in this next chapter together.”
CWD Found In Farm-Raised White-Tailed Deer In Je erson Davis Parish
On Nov. 7, LSU Diagnostics (Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory), in coordination with the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, confirmed to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Office of the State Veterinarian a positive Chronic Wasting Disease test from a deceased deer at a deer farm in Jefferson Davis Parish.
The farm, a participant in the U.S. Department of Agriculture CWD Voluntary Herd Certification Program administered by LDAF, has been issued a quarantine restricting movement into or out of the facility, including live deer or deer products, and a 25-mile radius surveillance zone has been activated.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a neurological disease that fatally infects whitetailed deer, elk and moose and poses a serious threat to wild populations.
While CWD is not known to infect people, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend against eating meat from infected animals.
The Office of the State Veterinarian has established a surveillance zone for herds near the affected deer farm and is diligently reviewing recent movement records. All deer farms in the surveillance zone are under restricted movement until further notice.
CWD cases have been identified in 34 U.S. states, five Canadian provinces, Norway, Finland, Sweden and South Korea. Signs of the disease include weight loss, uncoordinated movement, listlessness, excessive thirst or urination, drooling, drooping ears and behavioral changes.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has conducted statewide sur-
Continued on page 19
TRAIT STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
NOTICE TO FARMERS
IMPORTANT NOTICE: No dicamba herbicide has been approved for use in-crop with this seed technology at the time this notice was printed. No dicamba herbicide may be used in-crop with this seed unless and until such use is approved or specifically permitted. For current approval statuses for in-crop dicamba use with this seed, scan the below QR code, call 1-844-RRXTEND or 1-866-99-BAYER, or contact the U.S. EPA or your state pesticide regulatory agency. Plants that are not tolerant to dicamba may be damaged or killed if exposed to dicamba herbicides.
Bayer is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Bayer products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Bayer’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all applicable regulatory requirements have been met. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. 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 products with XtendFlex® Technology. 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, glyphosate or glufosinate are approved for in-crop use with products 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. Products with XtendFlex® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba. Plants that are not tolerant to glyphosate, dicamba, and/or glufosinate may be damaged or killed if exposed to those herbicides. Contact your seed brand dealer or refer to the Bayer Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs. Insect control technology provided by Vip3A is utilized under license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. Bollgard®, Respect the Refuge and Cotton Design®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup®, ThryvOn® and XtendFlex® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. 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.
Do not open a bag of seed until you read, understand and accept the stewardship requirements for the biotechnology traits expressed in this seed as set forth in the Bayer Technology Stewardship Agreement (“TSA”) that you sign. By opening and using this bag of seed, you are reaffirming your obligation to comply with the most recent regulatory and stewardship requirements.
Wrapping Up The 2024 Cotton Crop
TEXAS Ben McKnight
As the 2024 growing season winds down and we begin to shi towards making plans for the 2025 cotton crop, there are some decisions made now that can help get next year’s cotton crop o to a strong start. One of the items at the top of many growers’ list is how to manage weeds in 2025 with the uncertainty surrounding the registration of approved dicamba products. While dicamba herbicide has provided an extremely useful tool for managing troublesome species, including Palmer amaranth and tall waterhemp, other options for e ective weed management are still available.
From a weed control standpoint, I am a big proponent of starting the growing season o clean and staying clean for the remainder of the year. One way to accomplish this is to begin as soon as the 2024 crop is harvested. In many growing regions in Texas, there is still plenty of warm weather le between harvesting and the rst freeze. Palmer amaranth and tall waterhemp can capitalize on these favorable growing conditions in the fall, and in some cases, can produce viable seed that can end up creating weed control headaches in the following growing season.
Fall and winter weed control options, including mechanical weed control and residual herbicide programs, can assist with managing these weed pests and preventing them from contributing more seed to the soil seedbank. Always familiarize yourself with the product labels and make sure to pay close attention to product rates and re-crop intervals for residual herbicides to avoid cotton crop injury in the following year.
Residual herbicides applied pre-plant or pre-emergence can also provide value to weed management by extending weed control during the most crucial time to avoid weed competition with cotton, early in the season. Additionally, overlaying residual products with early post-emergence applications can extend residual weed control further into the growing season. bmcknight@tamu.edu
MISSISSIPPI Brian Pieralisi
October is a tricky month for a variety of reasons in Mississippi. First of all, there is Halloween (the trickiest day of the year), coupled with a strange transition from summer to “fall” and harvest season.
As for cotton, the bulk of harvest is during October for us. It’s tricky in terms of both defoliation and harvest. I always run into a conundrum with crop maturity, environmental conditions and low temperatures, all of which complicate things. Earlier cotton is less tricky as temperatures are consistently higher, and hormonal products work better under these conditions.
As I write this on Oct. 10, Hurricane Milton ravaged the Florida peninsula last night. I have compassion for the folks dealing with this type of devastation because it reminds me of all the years, especially when I was farming, where hurricanes took most everything you worked so hard for that year.
In Mississippi, the U.S. Department of Agriculture currently has us at 45% complete with harvest. Based on the two-week forecast, this number should bump up to 80% to 85% complete by late October. Similar to last year, cotton yields are variable, but the low end isn’t nearly as low.
Basically, cotton that received one to two timely rains or was irrigated at the right time, is producing phenomenal yields. Later-planted cotton, especially in the eastern and northern part of the state, is producing average to slightly below-average yields. is was primarily due to a very wet May, which kept farmers out of the elds until early June, posing problems for the entire year.
Based on cotton market prices, it will likely be a tough year for some, but hopefully we will see some improvement in the market. Visit Mississippi-crops.com for Mississippi cotton variety data that will be available by Dec. 1. bkp4@msstate.edu
Specialists Speaking
NORTH CAROLINA Guy Collins
As I write this on Sept. 24, rains continue across most of North Carolina as it has for a lot of September. Naturally, this has led to a noticeable amount of hardlock in places, depending on the variety and when it was planted.
When bolls pop open, the burrs essentially just need to dry out in order to retract and expose lint for harvest. When the burrs can not dry out due to prolonged wet, cloudy conditions, hardlock can result. With that said, many areas have had intermittent sunshine, which has helped some bolls to open normally.
As of this point in time, the forecast has sunny weather toward the end of the rst week of October, and hopefully that will be the case. We always say that September and October will either preserve our yield potential or chip away at it, and this year is a reminder of that. We’ll see what October holds with regard to weather.
By the time this article is read, harvest will hopefully be winding down. Variety performance data from the North Carolina On-Farm Cotton Variety Evaluation Program and North Carolina State University OVT is usually available in early December and will be published on cotton.ces.ncsu.edu and will also appear in the North Carolina Cotton Variety Performance Calculator (trials.ces.ncsu.edu/cotton) as soon as data becomes available. guy_collins@ncsu.edu
TEXAS Ken Legé
West Texas cotton growers entered the 2024 season a er enduring the last two years of drought, heat and high abandonment rates across the region. Although drought persisted through April, the region began receiving timely and e ective planting rains in May, and the crop generally was planted into better moisture than we have seen in the last two years. e rain and humidity generally continued into June and July, making weed control both easier and harder; easier because we had better activity from residuals and glufosinate from the higher-than-average humidity; harder because the welcomed, frequent rainfall also brought new ushes of weeds, and growers had to run sand ghters a er every shower to keep the sand blowing on conventionally tilled elds.
Earlier-planted elds tended to perform better than late-planted elds, which reversed a trend we have seen in recent years. With the rainfall in May, June and July, coupled with a milder-than-average July, early fruit set was tremendous. Very high retention and good growth resulted from the favorable weather early in the season.
en came August, which brought very high temperatures and very little rainfall. Not only were the daytime high temperatures extreme, but the nighttime low temperatures were higher than normal, with many of those above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is very unusual in the High Plains region. e result was massive fruit shed, which hit the later-planted crop worse than the earlier-planted crop. e later-planted crop (planted in late May and mostly in early June south of Lubbock) began blooming about the same time as the extreme heat and drought hit in August. e result has been high abandonment for dryland elds, especially south of Lubbock, which is 80% to 90% dryland.
ere are some bright spots in the region’s production: the panhandle area had more rainfall in August and generally has a good crop, even on most dryland cotton. e area north of Lubbock to Tulia has some very good irrigated yield potential and will see lower abandonment on dryland than the last two years. However, the area south of Lubbock has been devastated by the August weather and will su er great losses of dryland acres, and the light water pivots, which dominate the irrigated crop in that area, will once again produce disappointing yields.
Another positive aspect of the season has been the warmer-than-average September. In some areas, DD60 accumulation has been nearly twice as high as normal. is has allowed full maturation of any late-set fruit, and it will keep our micronaire levels in the non-discount, if not the premium, range. Fiber maturation and associated micronaire readings are a continual concern for West Texas growers. At least for 2024, we don’t have to worry about discounts from low micronaire; this is, however, a small consolation, given the yield levels.
As of this writing (Oct. 10), defoliation has begun in earnest across the region, and with the warm temperatures, chemical choices are not a concern; nearly any combination of harvest aids have done an outstanding job. Late October will most certainly bring some cool season challenges (the average freeze date for Lubbock is Oct. 31). All current predictions are for a later-than-average frost and freeze, but we know that can change quickly. While growers are most certainly concerned with having to use crop insurance claims for dryland acres, the local gins and associated support
Specialists Speaking
industry are facing even more dire financial challenges. In many cases, gins in the region are facing a third season of not operating, which could be the death knell for many of those operations, unfortunately. The result will most likely be significant consolidation in the ginning industry in West Texas. This is especially true south of Lubbock, but less so as you move northward toward the panhandle area. Everyone in the cotton industry is hoping 2025 brings more favorable conditions. ken.lege@ag.tamu.edu
ALABAMA Scott H. Graham
This has been a challenging year for the Alabama crop. Alternating months of drought and rain pushed the cotton to make as much as it could in a short amount of time. I have heard Dr. Steve Brown say many times that “you can make a crop in four weeks.” This year, that is exactly what we had to do. Drought in June and August were relatively mitigated by significant rains in July and September. Input decisions were difficult to make as when there was no rain, it felt as if it would never rain again; then when rains started, it was hard to get back in the field.
As I write this in early October, cotton harvest has just gotten started. Early yield reports are all over the board, but generally speaking, most people have been pleasantly surprised. The early planted crop, late April to the first week of May, has been better than we thought. Cotton that was reaching peak bloom in July when rains came were able to make a crop in a short amount of time.
Another factor in this has been lack of boll rot. Thankfully, the earliest-set bolls are making it to the picker this year. Many of the farmers, consultants and scouts I have talked to have been optimistic on the crop. However, at the time I am writing, about 20% of the crop has been harvested, so we still have a ways to go. We will know a lot more about where the state average will land when this report comes out, but hopefully things continue to trend better than expected. scottg@auburn.edu
TENNESSEE Tyson Raper
In the past few days, I’ve had a number of calls concerning variety performance. For those who have followed my comments through the year or have friends farming over here in Tennessee, you likely understand how challenging our season has been. Our wet May/ June/July limited the number of acres we could plant and created a shallow-rooted crop, while August turned very dry and much of our crop suffered, and those that received even the slightest rainfall in August are much better off than those who did not.
The number of varieties an operation plants within a given year now typically falls under five, and the date and location when each of these is planted often varies substantially. I would strongly encourage caution when trying to extrapolate field performance of a variety in a given season without reference to other varieties.
In Tennessee, variety trials are regularly conducted in every cotton-producing county. This holds true throughout the Mid-South. The best way to understand variety performance relative to its peers is to evaluate these ‘ceteris paribus’ — with all other variables (planting date, soil type, rainfall, pest pressure, etc.) held constant.
Most specialists will publish variety trial results in early December. These evaluations are the best assessment of variety performance and are much better at predicting variety performance in subsequent years than field-by-field observations. traper@utk.edu
ARKANSAS Zachary Treadway
As I began to write this on Oct. 2, I had to reach deep in the closet for a sweatshirt that morning. It felt like fall had arrived in Arkansas. The following days were much warmer though, with highs approaching 90 degrees. At that time, we had around 25% of cotton harvested in Arkansas, but as I expected, that number grew rapidly as we have encountered a welcome long dry spell.
It is now Oct. 10, and according to the latest report, and adjusting for the days since the release of that report, I would approximate that we are nearing the halfway point of cotton harvest. Compared to last year and the five-year average, we seem to be slightly ahead of schedule.
The past several weeks have been a trying time for cotton farmers across the entire belt. Hurricane Francine blew into Arkansas on Sept. 12 and dumped up to eight inches of rain in areas. This left producers with lodged plants, standing water and fiber dripping out of open bolls. The remnants of Hurricane Helene followed a couple of weeks later, bringing even more rain to an already saturated region. The turn to dry weather has been a welcome change in The Natural State. Early harvest reports have been very encouraging, and we hope to continue with that momentum and have a safe, bountiful and uninterrupted harvest moving forward.
In closing, I would be remiss not to mention our friends in the eastern parts of the belt who are facing the hardships following Hurricane Helene. This community, though geographically distant, is very close knit with a common goal of feeding and clothing the world. The scenes out of those areas are unfathomable, and I cannot imagine what those producers are facing. So please keep these producers, and all of those affected, in your thoughts and prayers. As always, if there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to reach out. ztreadway@uada.edu
Industry News
Continued from page 15
veillance of free-ranging deer since 2002. To date, the only CWD detections in the wild have been collected in Tensas Parish. For more information, contact Jennifer Finley at PressSecretary@ldaf.state.la.us or visit www.ldaf.la.gov.
UT To O er Agriculture-Based Ph.D. Program In Fall 2025
Students interested in addressing complex issues related to food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences will soon have a new choice for their advanced education. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will begin offering a new Ph.D. program through the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications (ALEC) in the Herbert College of Agriculture.
The program was approved by the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and will become the first of its kind in Tennessee. Applications will be accepted beginning in Spring 2025. The program will offer online and on-campus completion options. The ALEC Department offers
bachelor’s and master’s programs. The Ph.D. program makes it the only department in the Herbert College of Agriculture to offer all three degrees online.
“The online availability of the required credit hours is in response to the needs of today’s learners and will provide an opportunity for adults to reengage in higher education and complete an advanced degree,” said ALEC department head Christopher Stripling.
Interim Dean David White said, “We are excited to soon offer the only Ph.D. program in Tennessee with an emphasis on agricultural leadership, education and communications that will provide research-based expertise to students in agricultural and natural resources, Extension, teaching and learning, leadership, youth development and communications. In addition to attracting new students, the new degree will provide our existing students with an opportunity to earn a doctoral degree while addressing the workforce needs for Tennessee.”
Interested students will soon be able to apply through the UT Graduate School. For more information on the program, visit the ALEC website.
CCOY
Cotton Consultant of the Year
2016 CCOY AWARD RECIPIENT established 1981
Tim Roberts
“My partner, Billy Beegle, and I have been with many of our farmers for 30 years. Some seasons are more challenging than others, but the job is never boring. It’s intense. We learn something new all the time.
“Consultants are great when it comes to sharing information and their own experiences. Many times, it’s just the moral support that helps.
“When I heard I had been selected as the 2016 Cotton Consultant of the Year, I began to reminisce about the fields I have checked, the farmers I’ve scouted for, everything Billy and I have been through growing our business and the amazing varieties and crop protection products we have. We are all very fortunate.”
Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by
Ginners Marketplace
Cottonseed Fire Protocol
This information outlines important guidelines and precautions for fire prevention and response in cottonseed storage facilities. Here is a breakdown of the key points:
Common Causes Of Fire
■ Sparks from gin machinery, especially gin stands, are a primary cause of fires.
■ Installing spark inhibitors or arrest systems at the gin can significantly reduce the risk of fire being blown into the cottonseed bulk house.
■ Other potential causes include operation and maintenance of front-end loader equipment, improper electrical wiring or placement of loading equipment.
■ Front-end loader operations: no slamming or dragging the loader bucket on the floor.
■ No open flames: A general hot works protocol must be implemented.
Flashover Situations
■ Flashovers can occur when excess lint buildup in the cottonseed bulk house catches fire and quickly spreads.
■ After a flashover, check for possible hot spots that may develop.
Detection And Response To Hot Spots
■ Check outside walls for settled fire and use temperature monitoring systems or portable heat detection to locate hot spots.
■ If a hot spot is found, use water sparingly to cool it.
■ Notify the insurance company immediately.
Specialist Assistance
■ We will dispatch a cotton seed specialist to handle the situation, reducing the loss of quantity and quality.
■ Until specialists arrive, use the least water required to control the fire.
What Not To Do
■ Do not spray the entire pile or let the fire department do so, as it may cause chemical reactions and deterioration of cotton seed quality.
■ Do not use chemical foams, as they can destroy any
salvage opportunities.
■ Only allow employees to walk or crawl on the cottonseed pile with proper safety measures.
Know What To Do
■ Notify the insurance company immediately.
■ Have a plan and meet with the local fire department before the season.
■ Cut o the flow of seed from the gin.
■ Turn o aeration fans; do not use them to remove smoke.
■ Clean the bulk cotton seed house at the end of the season to reduce flashover risk and damage.
■ Monitor seed temperatures daily during ginning and weekly after ginning when the cottonseed pile reaches the ideal temperature range.
This information is provided by the National Cotton Ginners’ Association.
FDA Registration Due This Year
The Food and Drug Administration reminds Human and Animal Food Facilities to register or renew their registrations. This registration has been around for quite a few years.
The renewal is required on all even numbered years. It requires facilities engaged in manufacturing/processing, packing or holding food for consumption by humans or animals in the United States to register with the FDA. Cotton gins must register as a holder of animal feed ingredients since they handle cottonseed and gin by-products (gin trash).
The registration and renewal periods are open between
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Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. If a facility’s registration is not renewed by Dec. 31, 2024, it will expire. There is no fee associated with registration/renewal. You must submit the renewal information electronically through your FDA Industry Systems account. The following link is for an FDA Registration of Food Facilities Users Guide: rb.gy/4rqb7j.
Your registration must include a Unique Facility Identifier recognized by FDA. Each company must have a specific UFI for each registered facility. You cannot use the general headquarters’s address for all location submittals if they are at di erent addresses. Currently, the FDA recognizes the Data Universal Numbering System number as the only acceptable UFI. The DUNS number is assigned and managed by Dun & Bradstreet and can be obtained or verified by visiting D&B’s website.
Food facility registration requirements were initiated with the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 and amended by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011.
If you have any questions, contact TCGA for assistance. You can also email FDA at FURLS@fda.gov.
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After being on Cotton Incorporated’s Board of Directors for many years, I am approaching the end of my service. I spent many of my years at CI as a member of the Agricultural and Environmental Research committee, and it has been a pleasure interacting with our outstanding ag research personnel and seeing firsthand the vital work they do every day on behalf of U.S. cotton growers.
The goal of their many research projects has been and continues to be a simple but not easy task. They must understand and then help solve the many problems cotton growers face in their farming operations.
By coordinating with research and Extension scientists across the Cotton Belt to solve these problems, there is a greater opportunity to maximize quality cotton production in an economically sustainable manner. I want to highlight a few of the deliverables CI funding has driven during my tenure on the Board.
We all know cotton produces both seed and lint, so there are opportunities to increase the value of both. CI research conducted years ago led to new uses for cottonseed in animal rations and thus increased the value of cottonseed. Another success for cottonseed research was the development of Ultra Low Gossypol cotton, which enabled substantial economic benefits for higher-value feed use and human consumption.
growers have reaped the benefits of CI-sponsored research that identified resistance to both root-knot and reniform nematodes. This forward-thinking research was implemented more than 20 years ago, a deliverable that saves producers in my area up to $100 per acre in nematicide expenses while maintaining yields.
Similarly to the nematode threat, new and ongoing CI-funded research will explore FOV-4 pathogen-resistant Upland cotton varieties. This development could allow regions where this pathogen is present to produce Upland varieties again and protect against the spread of this devasting disease.
Another effort that I was able to see firsthand during my time serving on CI was at the HudsonAlpha Institute in Huntsville, Alabama, where, through CI funding, researchers have mapped the Cotton Genome and are finishing the PanGenome map of several elite varieties to greatly assist cotton geneticists development of varieties to increase profitability and deliver improved milling qualities for cotton’s end-users.
I look forward to a visit to the Cotton Winter Nursery in Costa Rica next year, which allows breeders to quicken the delivery of varieties to producers through a counter-cyclical increase and evaluation. CI’s expertise and funding are essential to continuing the work of this vital facility.
“CI continues to invest in novel and innovative research.”
On another front, CI research projects covering improved ginning, data usage, robotics and drones will enhance producers’ knowledge for better decision-making and productivity at the gin level and aim to improve gin turnout and reduce plastic contamination.
This successful research breakthrough created a tremendous humanitarian opportunity. Still, sadly, no major seed company picked this trait up due to the inability to realize an increase in profits in addition to their technology platform. More recent projects are exploring the potential human health benefits of cottonseed oil consumption, another result that could dramatically move the needle for cottonseed prices.
Now, let’s move on to lint. For many years, CI’s ag research team has led the effort to evaluate commercial varieties objectively in official variety trials across the Cotton Belt. These variety trials take place in a wide range of environments so that performance stability is thoroughly evaluated under numerous weather, disease and insect pressures – giving cotton producers unbiased information.
CI research on emerging pests is never-ending and allows the most significant threat issues to be effectively addressed in a timely manner. For example, in the past decade, cotton
CI continues to invest in novel and innovative research, exploring insecticide and herbicide resistance, deer damage to cotton, drought tolerance, nitrogen efficiency, seed quality, alternative harvest methods, improved software, herbicide safeners and countless other projects to address problems faced by cotton producers today.
These examples illustrate how your Cotton Board investment — stewarded by Cotton Incorporated — enables impactful research by our dedicated scientists across the Cotton Belt. Their efforts bring a meaningful benefit back to the producer above the small investment per bale.
I am very thankful for my time serving on CI’s Board and have been so proud to work with CI’s ag research team, including Ryan Kurtz, Don Jones, Evy Jaconis, Ed Barnes, Kaitlyn Bissonette, Gaylon Morgan and Sally Taylor as well as former researchers Kater Hake, Tom Wedegartner and the late Bob Nichols.
— Jerry Davis Northwest Florida cotton producer
Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling unusual “farm tales” or timely stories from across the Cotton Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting story to tell, send a short summary to csmith@onegrower.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
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