Cotton Farming March 2024

When you choose Deltapine® brand cotton, you’re choosing seed that’s already been grown and evaluated in your region. It happens courtesy of our New Product Evaluators — growers who identify varieties to maximize yield potential and fiber quality in the most important location of all: your operation.

6 GCC’S TRUSTEE AWARDS

Honoring individuals who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of the Georgia cotton industry.

13 2024 FARM INCOMES

Pro t margins will be tight, but experts expect the industry to be buoyed by its economic strength.

15 WHERE DOES WATER WIND UP?

Few people realize water is a required component in almost everything we need throughout the day.

20 GINNERS MARKETPLACE

the official publication of the ginning industry

Catch up on details about the 2024 TCGA Gin Show. Southeast Cotton Ginner of the Year announced.

Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension specialist in agricultural law, discusses the pros, cons and alternatives to transferring property prior to death. “It is important for people to think carefully about the tools that offer the most benefits and the least downsides when making and executing their estate plan,” she said. “Work with a licensed attorney to help make the best decisions for you and your family.”

ON THE COVER: Young girl walking through a South Carolina cotton field.

Cover photo by Margaret619/Dreamstime.

The Importance Of A Sense Of Place

A“sense of place” has been the subject of many definitions and examples designed to explain the concept that almost everyone has felt at one time or another.

Two of my favorites are: “A sense of place is used to describe the distinctiveness or unique character of particular localities or regions,” and “A sense of place is the emotions someone attaches to an area based on their experiences,” according to the International Encyclopedia of Human Geography and National Geographic, respectively.

To me, a sense of place often exists in memories preserved in your mind’s eye. It reminds me of a conversation I had with a cotton farmer while trying to get directions to his place to conduct an interview and photo shoot for an article I was working on. This was before you could “drop a pin” on your iPhone and GPS systems weren’t as accurate as they are today.

I felt like I was mentally following his instructions pretty well as I jotted down all the highway numbers and side road names he gave me. Then he threw me a curve ball: “Before you get to the road that goes out to our shop, take a left where the barn used to be.” He could visualize it and knew exactly what he was talking about, but I didn’t have a clue. I had no sense of place for that area, but he did.

In addition to roads and regions, you can have a sense of place with a cotton field that may be tied to some of the other senses besides sight. When you’re out there in March just after sunrise and the dew is still on the ground, you can smell the soil waiting for the planter to start rolling and feel the breeze that ushers in the day. If you’ve spent a lot of time on a farm, you probably have a distinctive sense of place based on experiences like this.

Take it a step further and actually feel the soil, especially in a field where the ground hasn’t been disturbed much over the years. The earth is silty, full of organic matter and home to a plethora of earthworms. Experiencing this sense of place and the ecosystem that thrives there contributes to positive self-worth and the realization that you helped create this sustainable environment.

And as farmers manage the land in a sustainable manner, they protect and preserve their personal sense of place, which makes it all worth it.

If you have comments, please send them to:

Cotton’s Agenda

Gary Adams

Charting Cotton’s Course

U.S. cotton’s economic outlook is being shaped by factors ranging from strong export competition to uncertainty in the global economy.

How is 2024 starting?

■ With lower commodity prices and high input costs, growers will face difficult economic decisions in 2024.

Current cotton-to-corn and cotton-to-soybean price ratios are more favorable this year, but these prices may not be high enough to cover all production expenses. Given the financial pressures across the industry, the importance of a strong safety net cannot be overstated.

What about 2024 production/offtake and prices?

NCC economists provided a 2024 detailed economic outlook for the organization’s annual meeting delegates in mid-February.

■ The NCC acreage survey pegs 2024 U.S. cotton acreage to be 9.8 million acres, 3.7 percent less than 2023. It is important to remember that the survey was conducted from mid-December through mid-January. Since that time, cotton prices have strengthened while corn and soybean have declined. As a result, final acreage could come in above the NCC survey.

Using ten-year average abandonment rates along with a few state-level adjustments to account for current moisture conditions, Cotton Belt harvested area totals 8.1 million acres for 2024 with a U.S. abandonment rate of 17.9 percent. Based on the five-year average yield for the Southeast and the Midsouth and the 10-year average yield for the Southwest and the West generates a cotton crop of 14.6 million bales (14.0 million upland and 538,000 extra-long staple).

Regarding offtake, the NCC is projecting U.S. mills

consume 1.85 million bales in the 2024 crop year as compared to 1.75 million bales in 2023. U.S. textile manufacturing remains under pressure from weaker Western Hemisphere trade due to concerns about the impacts of increased U.S. textile imports under de minimis provisions. Between August and December 2023, eight U.S. textile manufacturing facilities shutdown operation.

For the 2024 marketing year, world consumption is projected to increase by 2.6 percent to 115.3 million bales. The projected increase in world consumption along with a larger U.S. supply results in a larger U.S. export projection as compared to 2023. U.S. ending stocks are projected to increase slightly to 2.9 million bales in 2024. Although the U.S. is projected to retain its position as the top exporter, Brazil is just slightly behind the U.S. in export sales. The U.S. will continue to face very strong export competition from Brazil. Considering the current export patterns of both countries, Brazil is on track to become the largest cotton exporter in the very near future.

NCC economists see world production increasing to 115.1 million bales in 2024 due to an increase in harvested acreage. Overall, the outlook for world cotton demand for the 2024 marketing year takes on a more positive tone as the economic outlook has improved in the past month. With expanded consumption in key importing countries, world trade is projected to increase to 43.4 million bales. For the 2024 marketing year, higher world production, consumption, and trade result in a slight decline in ending stocks to 83.5 million bales. Regardless of market developments, the NCC will continue to vigorously pursue effective farm policies/programs and trade agreements while opposing unworkable regulations to bolster U.S. cotton industry members’ competitiveness in the global marketplace.

The NCC’s 2024 Cotton Economic Outlook at http://www.cotton.org/econ/reports/annual-outlook.cfm offers more details on the global and cotton economies.

Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America.

Georgia Cotton Commission’s 2024 Trustees’ Award Winners

The Georgia Cotton Commission’s Trustees’ Awards were presented at the 2024 Georgia Cotton Commission annual meeting Jan. 31 in Tifton. The Trustees’ Awards are awarded to individuals who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of the cotton industry in Georgia. Producers, research and Extension specialists and other cotton industry associates of high character and integrity who have given exceptional service to the cotton industry are eligible to receive this award.

The award was named after the Georgia Colonial Trustees who set out to create an agricultural colony to expedite agriculture productivity, which led to a 10 acre “Trustee Garden” to display “modern” farming techniques. The Trustee Garden was established in 1734 in Savannah, Georgia. Many crops were experimented with that first year, but cotton was the crop that thrived and has been planted in Georgia every year since. Previous winners of the Trustees’ Awards include Louie Perry and Mike Lucas.

Award Winners Named

The recipients of this year’s Trustees’ Awards are Bob McLendon, Ronnie Lee and Chuck Coley.

Bob McLendon started farming in Calhoun County in 1974 and currently produces cotton, peanuts and corn outside of Leary. McLendon earned as associate degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and is a 1963 graduate of the University of Georgia.  He and his wife, Barbara, raised four daughters and have nine grandchildren.

Throughout his career, McLendon has been and remains extremely active with numerous agricultural organizations. He has served as chairman of the National Cotton Council, president of Southern Cotton Growers and the Calhoun County Farm Bureau, and a board member of his local Farm Service Agency committee, Cotton Incorporated and countless other industry organizations. He has been president of Edison Gin Co-op and Sunshine Warehouse of Arlington, as well as many other agribusinesses that compliment his farming operation. He has served on the ABAC and Darton College Foundations and remains very active in the local community. McLendon was named Sunbelt Farmer of the Year in 1999, ABAC Master Farmer in 1994, and is a recipient of the Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award and the Southern Cotton Growers Producer Recognition Award.

Ronnie Lee and his family operate Lee Farms in Bronwood. They raise cotton, corn, peanuts, small grains, hay, pecans and cattle in Terrell, Lee, Sumter and Webster Counties. Lee also is involved in multiple agribusinesses – including a cotton gin, McCleskey Cotton Company; an aerial application business; a trucking company; and a gin saw and machine shop operation. His three sons – Ron, Neil and Chandler are all active within multiple parts of the operation.

Agriculture Accolades

Lee has a long tenure of service to agriculture — having served as Chairman of the National Cotton Council; president

of Southern Cotton Growers; and a former board member of Cotton Incorporated, the National Peanut Buying Points Association, and the American Peanut Shellers Association. He has served as a member of the Georgia FSA State Committee under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

He has received many accolades during this time, including the Cotton Achievement Award, the High Cotton Award, the Southern Cotton Growers Cotton Producer Recognition Award, local Soil Conservationist of the year and others. Lee, an alumni of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, lives in Terrell County with his wife, Sheila.

Chuck Coley began managing his family farm at 23 when his father, Sonny Coley, passed. He now owns and operates Coley Farms, which grows cotton and peanuts, and Coley Gin & Fertilizer, a cotton gin and peanut buying point, in Dooly County. Coley is also a dedicated servant leader in the cotton industry, having served as Chairman of the National Cotton Council, American Cotton Producers, and the Cotton Foundation; president of the National Cotton Ginners Association, Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, and Southern Peanut Warehouse Association.

Coley, who has degrees in Agronomy and Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia, is a past winner of the Cotton Achievement Award and the Horace Harden National Ginner of the Year. He and his wife, Deby, have two adult children and three grandchildren.

The Georgia Cotton Commission is a producer-funded organization located in Perry, Georgia. The commission began in 1965. Georgia cotton producers pay an assessment enabling the commission to invest in programs of research, promotion and education on behalf of all cotton producers of Georgia. For more information about the GCC, please call 478-988-4235 or visit www.georgiacottoncommission.org.

The 2024 Trustees’ Awards were presented at the Georgia Cotton Commission annual meeting. From left are Taylor Sills (GCC executive director), Ronnie Lee, Chuck Coley, Bob McLendon and Bart Davis (GCC chairman).

Estate Planning

Pros, Cons And Alternatives To Transferring Property

BY TIFFANY DOWELL LASHMET TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE

Editor’s Note: This article by Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, was first published on the Texas Agriculture Law Blog and is based on Texas law. To check the law and topic interpretation in other states, please consult with your tax professional and your attorney.

Ifrequently field questions where a landowner is trying to decide whether it would be better to transfer his or her property to the next generation (or their identified heir) while the landowner is still living or wait until the landowner has passed away. I always try to outline the pros, cons and highlight two other options here in Texas that may allow a landowner to receive the pros and avoid the cons of a transfer prior to death.

Pros To Consider

There are certainly advantages to deeding property prior to

one’s death, rather than waiting for that property to pass by will.

First, it is done and the landowner no longer has to worry about it!  It can also allow the landowner the enjoyment of watching the next generation take over and begin operating the family farm or ranch that the next generation now owns.

Second, it allows the land to pass without going through the probate process.  Even though the probate process here in Texas is not nearly as complex as some other states, it is a process that can take time, effort and money to complete.

Third, this is a way to get land out of the landowner’s name. This may be important for a number of reasons, including qualifying for Medicaid and avoiding Medicaid Estate Recovery Program. It would ensure that the asset involved would not be part of the landowner’s taxable estate when calculating potential federal estate tax liability. It would also decrease certain expenses for the landowner, such as property taxes since the land would no longer be in his or her name.

Deeding property prior to one’s death allows the landowner the enjoyment of watching the next generation take over and begin operating the family farm or ranch.

Cons To Consider

There are also downsides to deeding property to another person while the landowner is still living.

First, once the property is deeded, the landowner has no more control, and the deed is irrevocable.  This means if the landowner gets angry at the heir, he or she cannot take back the transfer. Similarly, if the heir decides that he or she wants to do something with the property that the landowner disapproves of — like selling the land, for example — the landowner has no say over that decision because the land is owned by the heir.

Second, there are tax implications of making this type of lifetime transfer. If property is deeded during a person’s lifetime, that may have gift tax consequences and may also affect the landowner’s lifetime exemption with regard to estate taxes. It is critical that a landowner consult with a tax professional before making a decision to gift during his or her lifetime. To learn more about estate and gift taxes, go to https://aglaw.libsyn.com/episode-79-kitt-tovar-estate-gift-inheritance-tax for a podcast I did with Kitt Tovar on these topics.

Third, another potential negative tax consequence of this type of lifetime transfer occurs as it relates to capital gains taxes. Generally, if property is passed by will at a person’s death, the heir receives a step up in basis for capital gains tax purposes, thus likely decreasing the capital gains taxes that would be owed if the property is sold. If property is transferred prior to death, the heir will not receive this step up in basis. To

learn more about capital gains taxes, go to https://aglaw.libsyn.com/episode-71-pat-dillon-capital-gains-taxes-agriculture for an interview I did with Pat Dillon on this topic.

Fourth, this type of transfer could cause several issues related to Medicaid.  It could trigger the Medicaid Transfer Penalty. When a person seeks to apply for Medicaid benefits, one question that they will have to answer is whether they have transferred property for less than fair market value within the last 5 years.  If they have, then they may be ineligible to qualify for Medicaid for a certain time period. Additionally, the value of the property transferred within that five-year period would be counted towards the value of the person’s assets for purposes of determining whether they qualify for Medicaid. For more information on elder law issues like these, go to https://aglaw.libsyn.com/episode-65-kristen-porter-elder-law for an interview I did with Texas-based attorney, Kristen Porter.

Fifth, since the land would be in the name of the heir, it could potentially be subject to any creditors or judgement against the heir.

Alternatives To Consider

In Texas, there are two alternative transfer methods that offer many of the benefits and avoid many of the disadvantages of lifetime transfers.  As with anything in the law, there is no “one size fits all,” so I recommend consulting an attorney to determine if one of these options might be right for you.

These are the Transfer on Death Deed and the Enhanced Life Estate Deed (also known as the Lady Bird Deed). Although they differ

About The Author

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist specializing in Agricultural Law with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

Tiffany grew up on a family farm and ranch in eastern New Mexico, received her Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (Farm and Ranch Management) at Oklahoma State University, and her law degree at the University of New Mexico.

Tiffany worked in private practice at a firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for four years before coming to Texas A&M in the summer of 2013. Tiffany may be contacted via email at tdowell@tamu.edu or by phone at 806.677.5668.

Additional Resources

■ To learn more about estate and gift taxes, go to https:// aglaw.libsyn.com/episode-79kitt-tovar-estate-gift-inheritance-tax

■ To learn more about capital gains taxes, go to https://aglaw. libsyn.com/episode-71-pat-dillon-capital-gains-taxes-agriculture

■ For more information on elder law issues, go to https://aglaw. libsyn.com/episode-65-kristenporter-elder-law

It is critical that a landowner consult with a tax professional before making a decision to gift during his or her lifetime.

in details, these two deeds are very similar in operation. Both allow the landowner to designate who his or her property will be transferred to and deeds are completed and filed during the landowner’s lifetime. For a Transfer on Death Deed, the transfer does not actually occur until the death of the grantor. For a Lady Bird Deed, the grantor would retain a life estate in the property and transfer the remainder interest to the identified heirs, but would retain a number of “enhanced rights,” including the right to revoke the Lady Bird Deed and the right to sell or encumber the property without consent from the heirs.

To learn more about these deeds and the minor differences between them, listen to the podcast episode #73 I did on this very topic with Garrett Couts and be sure to read my prior blog posts discussing Transfer on Death Deeds and Lady Bird Deeds.

Both these types of deeds offer the benefits of a lifetime transfer in that the land will not be subject to the probate process and it is out of the landowner’s name for purposes of Medicaid.

They also avoid many of the downsides of lifetime transfers.

These deeds are revocable — meaning that if the landowner decides that he or she wants to “take back” the transfer, he or she can do so up until death. For example, if a Transfer on Death or Lady Bird Deed is drafted and filed giving the farm to Child A, but later the parents decide they want to give one part of the farm to Child A and another to Child B, they can simply revoke the previously recorded deed or file a new, modified deed to make that change. Similarly, if the parents initially did a Transfer on Death Deed or Lady Bird Deed to a child, but then decided to sell the property rather than leave it to the child, they have the right to do so.

Second, these deeds do not trigger any gift tax liability. Likewise, these deeds will allow the recipient to obtain the stepped up basis for capital gains taxes.

It is important for people to think carefully about the tools that offer the most benefits and the least downsides when making and executing their estate plan.

Third, these deeds were designed to avoid issues related to Medicaid, so they have the benefit of getting the property out of the owner’s name to allow qualification for Medicaid. These deeds are not considered a transfer to which the Medicaid Transfer Penalty applies. Additionally, since they are not technically part of the grantor’s probate estate, the assets deeded by a Transfer on Death or Lady Bird Deed are not subject to the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program.

Lastly, these transfers will likely protect the property from the heirs’ creditors. For a Transfer on Death Deed, since the transfer technically does not occur until after the death of the grantor, the asset is not subject to claims of the heir since the heir does not technically own the property until the death. For a Lady Bird Deed, were there to be an issue with an heir’s creditor seeking to claim the property, the deed could simply be revoked by the grantor during the grantor’s lifetime.

Concluding Remarks

With estate planning, there are pros and cons to almost every tool. It is important for people to think carefully about the tools that offer the most benefits and the least downsides when making and executing their estate plan. I highly recommend working with an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction to help make the best decision for you and your family.

CHRIS BOSWELL/DREAMSTIME

TRAIT STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES NOTICE TO FARMERS

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. 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 XtendFlex® Cotton. 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 XtendFlex® Cotton. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your representative for the registration status in your state. Products with XtendFlex® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. 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 Flex® ThryvOn™ and XtendFlex® are trademarks of Bayer Group. Liberty® and LibertyLink® Logo are registered trademarks of BASF Corporation. Agrisure Viptera® is a registered trademark of 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.

TCGA Expands Its Member Services Representative Staff

Editor’s Note: Julia New has joined the staff at the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association. Below, she tells everyone about her background and her current position at TCGA:

As most of you may know, there is a fairly new face here at the TCGA office. If we haven’t already met, my name is Julia New, and I have the honor of being TCGA’s newest Member Services Representative. After my internship with TCGA, I knew I wanted to work full time in cotton, and I am beyond excited that my first step into the industry is with this association.

I am a recent graduate of Texas A&M University with a major in agribusiness and a minor in agricultural systems management. As a sixthgeneration Texan, I was raised with an appreciation for agriculture and a passion for protecting the farmer. Although I grew up in the city, I made every effort in FFA to fully immerse myself in the industry.

I was raised in Houston by my parents, Allison and Gregory. Their recent endeavors include working on our new property in Snook, while my older brother, Bennet, is coaching football at Austin College. In my free time, I have a photography business that keeps me busy most weekends. I also enjoy painting and designing to be creative in any way I can, which should explain why some pages on the website have been revamped recently.

my phone number is 512-615-1101. I am very excited to be a resource for our members and look forward to getting to know you all.

Brown Named 2024 Cotton Reseacher Of The Year

Steve M. Brown, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System cotton agronomist, was named 2024 Cotton Researcher of the Year at the 27th Annual Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference in Arkansas.

Brown is a 1978 Auburn University graduate who earned his Ph.D. in agronomy and weed science from Texas A&M University in 1986. After serving in various industry and Extension roles, Brown returned to Auburn in 2019 as the Extension cotton agronomist.

His role at Auburn is critical to the evaluation of cotton seed quality, seeding rates, planting patterns and other cotton-related issues. Brown oversees numerous on-farm trials and spends much of his time assisting producers in their fields.

Brown said it is an honor to be nominated for such an award.

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.

Other than redesigning the website, my first few orders of business have included working on the TCGA Gin Show site and helping prepare the flyers and other material for this exciting event. The rest of my position is dedicated to helping TCGA do a better job of communicating with our members and increasing efficiency with communication. This includes automating internal processes as well as creating more efficient ways for our members to utilize their resources within our website.

I am looking forward to seeing you all soon in Lubbock for the TCGA Gin Show! Until then, if you have any questions or would just like to introduce yourself, my email is julia@tcga.org and

“While I’ve been involved in some novel research projects, including some that were actually conceived and initiated by others, I’ve enjoyed exploring ways to improve production efficiency on the farm,” Brown said. “Even more, I’ve relished my role as an Extension scientist whose job it was to take research-based information and apply it to issues and questions generated in the field, farm, shop, ag dealership and gin.”

Alabama Extension Director Mike Phillips said Brown has had a long, productive career devoted to cotton production and managing the crop — including marketing once it’s ginned.

“Dr. Brown has provided outstanding leadership in advancing the knowledge of cotton and is highly respected by many — nationally and internationally,” Phillips said. “Most importantly, he has always had the incredible ability to communicate at the level of his audience, a personal characteristic and gift possessed by that of an outstanding agricultural educator.”

Julia New

Steve M. Brown

Loan Rates, Commodity Prices And ’24 Farm Incomes

BY ROBERT NATHAN GREGORY MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

Producers should anticipate tighter profit margins in 2024 as agricultural commodity prices decrease and financing costs climb. However, experts expect the industry to be buoyed by its economic strength, which has grown 6% since 2021.

This was one of several takeaways offered by Nathan Kauffman, senior vice president of Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Omaha Branch, during his keynote presentation at the 2024 Mississippi Agricultural Outlook Conference. He is the Kansas City Fed’s principal agricultural economy expert.

“You saw agricultural prices increase sharply in 2020 and through 2021 and 2022. 2022 turned out to be an exceptional year in farm income,” Kauffman said. “You might see some places that describe this as a pretty significant decline in 2023, but it’s coming off an exceptional level.

“It wasn’t just (COVID-19 relief program) government payments in 2020 and 2021,” he added. “It was outright profits that were because commodity prices were accelerating more rapidly than costs.”

Specialists in economics and agriculture from the Mississippi State University Extension Service and MSU Department of Agricultural Economics shared updates and forecasts in the state’s agricultural industry for 2024 during the conference at the Bost Conference Center at MSU.

Farmland Value

Kauffman said the financial picture for agriculture nationally still looks strong despite expense increases across the board, from interest rates to feed and fertilizer.

“We are looking at the potential for slower economic growth, not just in the United States, but globally,” he said. “I think 2025 and further on will reflect something similar, with the European Union, China, Japan, Mexico and all major trading partners also looking at slower growth.”

Kevin Kim, assistant professor of agricultural economics at MSU and host of the event, forecasted a modest increase in Mississippi farmland value for 2024 driven by high demand, low supply and possibly reduced interest rates charged from lenders.

“Many investors are looking into the southern region because the increase in the farmland value was not as great as the Midwest region, so they are seeing more opportunities,” Kim said. “In the past three years, farmland values jumped 30% to 40% in Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. During that same period, cropland in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi only increased 10%.”

Economic Updates

The conference also featured updates from MSU Extension on the outlook of row crops, livestock, crop production cost estimates and labor for 2024. Highlights from the presentations included:

Row crops — MSU Extension row crop economist Will Maples covered the updated reference prices in the Farm Billbased Price Loss Coverage program. PLC payments are issued to participating growers when market year commodity price averages fall below the PLC reference price for corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton. The reference price for corn rose from $3.70 per bushel in 2023 to just over $4, and the price for soybeans rose from $8.40 to $9.26. Prices for wheat and cotton remained at $5.50 per bushel and 37 cents per pound, respectively.

Livestock — MSU Extension livestock economist Josh Maples discussed U.S. meat and poultry consumption and prices and their impacts on producers and consumers in Mississippi. He noted the improving price environment for cattle producers as cattle supplies have tightened in recent years.

Crop production costs — MSU Extension agricultural economist Brian Mills presented production cost estimates in 2024 for cotton, corn and soybeans. These budgets are developed by a multidisciplinary team at MSU based on common production practices and cost survey data from agricultural suppliers. The report projected corn producers would need to receive just over $5 per bushel to break even, based on a yield of 220 bushels per acre. The breakeven price for cotton growers will be around 87 cents per pound, Mills said.

Labor — MSU Extension agricultural economist Elizabeth Canales discussed the growing number of certified positions across Mississippi in the H-2A program, which allows growers with domestic worker shortages to fill gaps with workers from other countries. The number of those positions in the state rose nearly 10% each year from 2,762 in 2013 to 6,875 a decade later.

Robert

Nathan Gregory is a writer with MSU Extension Service Agricultural Communications.

Nathan Kauffman was the keynote speaker for the 2024 Mississippi Agricultural Outlook Conference.

Impregnating Fertilizers With Herbicide

In Mid-South cotton, Palmer amaranth and grasses are major concerns when it comes to weed control. Cotton Incorporated is utilizing core funding, as well as Tennessee and Arkansas State Support Program funding, to develop weed control strategies that will benefit Mid-South cotton producers.

One method that is gaining traction in the Mid-South is impregnating fertilizers with herbicide for in-season weed control. Impregnating fertilizer is the act of coating granular fertilizer with an herbicide pesticide with the goal to manage targeted weeds. This practice is nothing new to the cotton industry but has recently found new life in the Mid-South as a practical and efficient weed control method. In this article, we are going to cover a few herbicides that work well within this practice and explore the effectiveness researchers have seen for this weed control practice.

Drs. Larry Steckel, Tennessee Extension weed specialist, and Tom Barber, Arkansas Extension weed specialist, are both looking for ways to control Palmer amaranth and other Mid-South grasses. Their research is exploring impregnating fertilizers rather than using conventional overthe-top spraying or post-directed methods, thus freeing up sprayers for other applications, potentially cutting out a trip across the fields, decreasing crop injury and possibly opening-up new herbicide options for cotton in the future.

BY GRANT SAUM

New Herbicide Options

Barber has been evaluating impregnated fertilizers for years and said, “I recommend this application method, especially on the acres that struggle so much with pigweed control. Pyroxasulfone needs to be on those acres one way or the other to manage the multi-herbicide resistant pigweed populations.”

Additionally, Barber and other weed specialists across the Cotton Belt have researched numerous herbicides without a current label in cotton for both weed control and crop injury. Although no new modes of action are currently available, this impregnation application could lead to new herbicide options in cotton in the future.

Steckel has also been researching Pyroxasulfone products (Zidua and Anthem Flex) for several years and has had very good results. He evaluated apply-

ing Pyroxasulfone via impregnated fertilizer at 1-2 leaf, 5-7 leaf, as well as the labeled post direct spray at 5-7 leaf with each of these treatments at two different rates, 3.25 fl oz/a + 250 lb/a and 6.5 fl oz/a + 250 lb/a. His overall conclusion was that applying Pyroxasulfone via impregnated fertilizer provides residual control of Palmer amaranth with minimal injury to cotton. He concluded that application at the 1-2 leaf stage or the 5-7 leaf stage are the best options moving forward for increased control of Palmer amaranth.

Best Practices To Follow

Although the Pyroxasulfoneimpregnated fertilizer does provide some additional flexibility for applying an effective residual herbicide, Steckel points out several practices need to be followed to ensure a uniform application and effective weed control. First, per the label, a minimum amount of 200 lbs/a is required and a maximum of 700 lbs/a. Steckel observed the 500 lbs/a fertilizer performed better than the 250 lbs/a due to better distribution of the Pyroxasulfone.

Second, the uniformity of the application is critical. Factors that can detrimentally impact the uniform application are wind speed and wind direction, especially wind perpendicular to the row direction. Additionally, the granular spreaders need to be properly calibrated for application rate and uniform distribution.

Cotton Incorporated’s Director of Agricultural and Environmental Research, Dr. Gaylon Morgan, stated “Cotton Incorporated’s core and state support funding in weed management research and outreach is critical to ensuring balanced and unbiased evaluation of products and application methods. The practice of impregnating fertilizers with herbicides, while proven effective in other regions of the Cotton Belt, is now proving to be a viable strategy for weed control in the Mid-South,” said Morgan.

For more on Cotton Incorporated’s efforts in weed management strategies, visit cottoncultivated.cottoninc.com.

Grant Saum is The Cotton Board’s MidSouth Regional Communication Manager. Email him at gsaum@cottonboard.org.

UNION CITY, TENNESSEE

Arkansas’ Tom Barber recommends the impregnated fertilizer application method, especially on acres struggling with pigweed control.

Where Does Water Wind Up?

BY MIKE WADE

Water, the essence of life, is an indispensable resource intricately woven into the fabric of our daily existence. From the food on our plates to the gadgets in our hands, water silently plays a pivotal role in the creation of almost everything we encounter.

In a world where water scarcity is a looming concern, it is essential to explore the profound impact of water in the production of goods and services that shape our lives as well as the food we feed our families.

Criticism often falls on agriculture for its water use. Consumers in California face limits of 55 gallons per person, per day in allowable indoor water use. It isn’t surprising that they might react negatively when confronted with the fact that more than 800 gallons of water is needed to grow the food one person consumes in one day.

Farm Water And Consumers

However, food is something we literally cannot live without. In addition, it’s crucial to recognize that the end user of farm water is not farmers but consumers. Whether you’re shopping for the items in a chicken fajita recipe, a bunch of broccoli or a carton of ice cream, you’re carrying water home from the farm.

Take a moment to consider a cup of coffee, a staple in many people’s mornings. The water footprint of a single cup of coffee is estimated to be around 37 gallons. Spaghetti sauce with ground beef, garlic, oregano, onion and basil adds up to about 365 gallons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. A serving of rice and beans requires around 65 gallons of water to produce, and the fruit in a fruit medley needs 71 gallons of water. From a statewide perspective, the total amount of water in the food consumed by California’s roughly 40 million people exceeds the amount of water devoted to the state’s irrigated agriculture industry.

A little over 25 million acre-feet of water is consumptively used to grow food on the state’s 7.8 million irrigated acres. The water required to feed the state’s population adds up to more than 30 million acre-feet. This means if there were no imports or exports, the amount of food grown in the state would be insufficient to meet the needs of all the people who live here.

If state and federal regulations continue on their current path, even less water will be available for farmers to use to grow food, increasing our reliance on imported products. That’s why efforts to capture more water during wet years and banking it for the dry years is so important.

The Water Footprint

What few people realize is that water is a required component in almost everything we need to get through the day. Our lives are filled with products that demand significant water inputs, and sometimes the water footprint is less apparent.

Here are a few examples:

 The manufacturing process of a mobile phone involves various water-intensive stages, from mining rare minerals to

assembling electronic components, all of which total almost 3,200 gallons of water per phone.

 The production of electric vehicles and the ongoing need to charge them entails substantial water use, from mining lithium for batteries to manufacturing the vehicle components. Auto manufacturing requires 13,700 gallons of water to almost 22,000 gallons of water for each vehicle produced.

 The vast digital landscape we navigate daily is hosted in data centers that necessitate significant amounts of water for cooling systems and infrastructure maintenance. Every 200 gigabytes of internet access consume 40 gallons of water, or about one-fifth of a gallon per gigabyte.

 It takes twice as much water to produce a plastic water bottle as the volume of water inside the bottle, and every gallon of gasoline requires up to 2.5 gallons of water to refine it.

 Producing a pair of leather shoes requires more than 2,100 gallons of water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests that public awareness and understanding are vital to navigating the intricate web of water usage. Misunderstandings about the water footprint of everyday products can lead to misplaced concerns and hinder progress toward sustainable water management.

Water is the silent hero and unsung companion in our daily lives, touching every facet of our existence. California is already a global leader in agricultural water-use efficiency. To foster a more sustainable future, consumers, industries and policymakers must collaborate to enhance water efficiency and raise awareness about our unseen water use.

By educating the public on the diverse ways water influences our lives, we can help put into perspective the water farmers use to grow the food we all need every day.

Mike Wade is executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition. He may be contacted at mwade@farmwater.org. Article courtesy of California Farm Bureau Federation.

Preparing For Potential Challenges

ALABAMA Steve M. Brown

Our suggested topic for March is “Preparing for Potential Challenges.” Without question, in every production year, “CHALLENGES” arise. Obvious sources include weather, pests, labor, equipment, finances, personal matters, etc. Two words come to mind relative to dealing with challenges: ADJUSTMENTS and MARGIN.

My wife and I are sports fans. She goes to games, while I watch at home on the TV where I can give advice to and holler at players, coaches, officials and even commentators. In many competitions, ADJUSTMENTS win the day.

As in sports, a farmer starts with a game plan for a crop based on experience, past successes and mistakes. But no two seasons are identical, and what you should have done last year is not exactly what is best at the same point this season, especially as things change. “Things” invariably happen. Assess the challenge or threat, think about it, maybe get some (good) advice and ADJUST. Alter the plan to meet the unexpected. Change inputs and management to meet changing conditions unique to this season.

A second suggestion is to build MARGIN into your operation. My daddy would approach a project and avow, “This will only take 30 minutes.” Actually, he said “thuty minutes” in his Hurtsboro accent. Two hours later…

“Things” happen. Yes, they do. Filling a 12-hour day with 15 hours’ worth of work doesn’t work. Even scheduling every 12-hour day with 12 hours of hard work doesn’t work. “Things” happen. Stuff breaks. It rains. People can’t show up. It takes longer to do this and that; it takes more time to go here and there. Interruptions deter us from the best-laid plans and tight schedules. So build into plans some cushion or MARGIN and time to repair and regroup, time to allow for and address the unforeseen. Recognizing the need and implementing MARGIN in what we do relieves some of the stress and pressure of doing it.

I recognize these are corny words and platitudes… and for cotton people, no less! I confess I’m preaching to myself and maybe my grown sons. cottonbrown@auburn.edu

GEORGIA Camp Hand

When we get the email to begin working on these columns, there is always a suggested topic. This month’s is “Preparing for Potential Challenges.” When I saw this, my first thought was where do I even begin? Of course, a major challenge right now is cotton price, but I can’t control the world market unfortunately (if I could I probably wouldn’t be working at the University of Georgia).

My wife and I are fairly fresh parents. Our little boy is 14 months old, and in his short life, I have learned a couple of things. First, what works for him today may not work tomorrow, and second, the importance of being flexible. It reminds me a lot of growing a cotton crop. What worked last season may not work this season, and we have to be flexible. Over the past few years in Georgia, we have had a variety that has been outperforming everyone else, and not by a little. But in 2023, that variety fell to the middle of the pack. This is a prime example that what works in one year (or a few), may not work every time and illustrates the importance of not putting all your eggs in one basket.

As for remaining flexible, I can’t predict the challenges we will face in the 2024 crop. Who could have predicted that 2023 would be the worst

year for tarnished plant bugs in Georgia, likely ever? Who could’ve predicted that statewide in 2023, we would likely have the best stands we have gotten in a long time, only to have them robbed from us by deer? There are certain things we can control and certain things we can’t. Control the things you can, and remain flexible for the rest.

So, how do we prepare for the challenges we will face in 2024? Know that what worked last season may not work this season and remain flexible to correct the challenges that we do face. As always, if you ever need anything don’t hesitate to reach out. Your local UGA county Extension agents and specialists are here to help! camphand@uga.edu

MISSOURI Bradley Wilson

In Southeast Missouri, environmental conditions or weather events can always be a potential challenge in the early stages of cotton development, mainly emergence through second to fourth leaf. Impacts from these conditions usually result in sandblasted cotton in fields where seedlings are not protected by some form of cover. This is something many producers in our area typically prepare for by planting a cover crop in row middles and terminating just prior to planting.

In cases where stand loss is observed, producers need to be ready to decide on replants or spot planting in impacted fields. Some data we have collected at the university is showing that plant stands below 17,000 plants per acre will generally trigger a replant situation.

Weed pressure may also be a potential challenge in the early part of the growing season, so starting clean with a burndown and preemergence herbicide following planting can reduce competition for growth during early development.

It is not uncommon to have cooler temperatures that sporadically move in for short periods of time following the planting window impacting early season growth. In this case, it is important to remain vigilant to insect pressure (thrip) as cotton growth will be slowed under these conditions. This was not the case in 2023; however, these conditions were observed in 2022. Producers in the Bootheel know every year can be different, and they need to be able to adapt to weather challenges that can impact them in the early development stages of cotton. brwilson@missouri.edu

MISSISSIPPI Brian Pieralisi

As I write this Jan. 26, it’s hard to believe we are talking about planting the 2024 cotton crop. We just came off a week of snow and ice followed by about six inches of rain. I heard a local news anchor jokingly ask the meteorologist, “who ticked Mother Nature off in Mississippi?” All jokes aside, we desperately needed moisture to help charge our soil profile.

The latest drought monitor does show some relief from the drought; however, portions of central and southwestern Mississippi are still in a drought, and it will take quite a bit more rainfall to flip the needle on this one. I am hopefully optimistic that we will be in the black in terms of moisture by May planting season.

Cotton prices have bumped slightly in favor of mid $0.80s, which is a positive factor to hopefully incentivize growers to plant more cotton. With input prices high and market prices below where most growers pencil in a profit, it is likely that Mississippi acres will remain relatively flat in the 400,000-acre range. I have visited with fellow cotton specialists in other

Specialists Speaking

states as well as local growers, and slightly reducing both seeding rates and nitrogen rates is a way to reduce costs on the front end. is also creates a scenario that could ultimately in uence other management practices such as PGR and insecticide applications, or possibly increase defoliation e cacy.

It is all about devising a plan that works for your operation and a management strategy that you have full con dence that it will work. I hope 2024 is a great year for all stakeholders in the cotton industry! Best of luck! bkp4@ msstate.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper

It appears we will, at a minimum, begin the year with higher interest rates than we would like. As you are building your budget for 2024, I would again encourage you to think critically about nitrogen rate, seeding rate and all value-added products. Over the past couple of years, the market has seen a range of new products that promise, if applied, to allow you to reduce certain inputs. Unfortunately, I believe several of these products are capitalizing on the fact that we may be able to reduce some inputs without seeing a decrease in yield.

When investigating a new product, run strips across the eld the same width or slightly wider than your picker. Label these strips and follow them through harvest. If you have a yield monitor, you should be able to clearly see these strips on the yield map; while it is best to wrap these strips separately and weigh to deter-

mine seed cotton yield per acre, most products worth applying will generate a strong visual on the eld yield map. Most importantly, if you decide to also reduce certain inputs where you apply the new product, also include an additional check plot, which consists of the reduced inputs without the new product.  is will really provide insight into the new product’s return on investment.

Finally, keep in mind we can mine nutrients like phosphorus and potassium from the soil with the chance of not initially seeing yield penalties, but ‘mining’ is not sustainable. In an outstanding presentation at the Cotton and Rice Conference a few weeks ago, an excellent grower shared test data where he stopped applying K on a 1,500+ pound eld. Although year one of no K also resulted in 1,500 pound cotton, yields had declined to just over 500 pounds by year two. traper@utk.edu

VIRGINIA Hunter Frame

As we move closer to cotton planting in May, producers need to be aware of cotton seed quality and variety performance. Weather during the month of May can be unpredictable with cool temperatures and a poor germination environment in Virginia.

In 2023, May was one of the coolest on record, and very few growing degree days were accumulated. Producers need to select cotton varieties with high yield potential across environments by evaluating data across years and sites.

STEVE M. BROWN

Specialists Speaking

Once varieties have been selected, producers need to inquire about cool and warm germination data for each lot of seed that was purchased. Cool germination is a key characteristic that needs to be evaluated as this will give some indication on how the variety/lot will perform if conditions turn unfavorable during planting season.

Under adverse emergence conditions, cotton that has emerged can be extremely vulnerable to thrips, so scouting is key for timely thrips control to minimize stress on seedling cotton. Hopefully, May is closer to “normal” in 2024 and we stay on schedule for growth in Virginia. whframe@vt.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Guy Collins

Getting the crop off to a good start is one of the earliest goals we always want to achieve in any given cotton season. This starts in March by being timely with burndown, tillage and/or repairs to fields, fertility, etc.

Successful planting and stand establishment is largely contingent upon weather during our planting season, but there are a couple of things we can do that may increase the odds of successful planting.

One of these things is making sure that high-quality seed is planted. Cotton seed quality is important, of course, but we must also understand that seed quality varies from year to year, over time during the course of the spring (depending on how it is stored) and varies from lot# to lot#.

In some years, the quality of seed is what it is, and we must live with what is available. In most cases, we can easily do just that, since there is often a range of quality, where some lots need to be planted in nearly ideal conditions whereas some others (large seed with very high cool germ, for example) can possibly be planted during short spells of “marginal” or “adequate” planting conditions. Frequently monitoring conditions on your farm using the Cotton Planting Conditions Calculator (https:// products.climate.ncsu.edu/ag/cotton-planting/) can help navigate growers through the planting season.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Cotton Seed Quality Testing Program continues to bring value to North Carolina cotton producers, and we thank them for their efforts in this program. The first step in ensuring that you know the quality of seed you are planting is to have it tested by NCDA & CS. Their inspectors and seed lab work very hard to test in as many seed lots as possible that they can find or know about, but don’t assume that they are aware of all seed lots that enter NC.

In some cases, growers may need to submit their own service samples for evaluation. Details regarding this process will be included in our newsletters found on cotton.ces.ncsu.edu, but growers should monitor the NCDA & CS Cotton Seed Quality Database (https://apps.ncagr.gov/ AgRSysPortalV2/user/login?returnUrl=%2Fseed%2Fcotton-test-results) to see if NCDA has already tested your particular seed lots. guy_collins@ncsu.edu

TEXAS Ben McKnight

As I write this Feb. 1, drought conditions have eased in many areas of Texas following rainfall over the fall and winter months. Additional precipitation across the state leading up to planting would help to further recharge the soil profile with additional moisture and help get the 2024 crop off to a strong start. The current drought monitor map indicates that around 43% of Texas is either abnormally dry or in some form of drought conditions, and most of these areas still impacted by dry conditions lie outside of regions with heavy cotton production. At this time in 2023, approximately 80% of Texas was experiencing dry conditions.

By the time you read this in early March, I anticipate cotton plantings in the Lower Rio Grande Valley to be in full swing. Mid-March typically

is about the time growers in the Coastal Bend are finalizing preparations or have already begun getting the cotton crop in the ground with favorable weather conditions.

As producers begin to put together a plan for getting the crop in the ground for 2024, I’d like to share a few reminders on ideal planting conditions for cotton. Environmental conditions including soil temperatures at planting and the time until seedling emergence are strongly correlated. If marginal conditions are in store for the week following planting, waiting until more favorable temperatures arrive can ensure young cotton gets off to a good start with timely emergence and seedling establishment.

Warm and cool germination values can often give us a clue as to what type of seed vigor we can expect. I encourage growers to start their planting activities by planting seed with the highest vigor as indicated by warm and cool germination tests first, and hold off planting seed with lower warm and cool germination values until more favorable conditions are present. bmcknight@tamu.edu

TEXAS Ken Legé

Growers across West Texas were more than ready to turn the calendar from 2023 to 2024 in hopes that the new year would bring moisture and better cotton crops. While the area typically does not receive a lot of rain during the winter, our rainfall amounts match the longterm average, which is also reflected in the majority of the area with no drought status in the U.S. Drought Monitor. The much-anticipated El Nino weather pattern apparently did not develop as strongly and perhaps may not last as long as we had all hoped.

We will need more rainfall to fill the profile before planting. I suspect if I polled West Texas growers today, we would see lower-intended cotton planting acres compared to 2023; however, the reality is that the southern High Plains has few options for crops beyond cotton, and if we experience a good “planting rain” in mid-May, we will see cotton planting return to at least 2023 levels, if not a little more… again, highly dependent on rainfall at planting time.

Field work has begun for the 2024 season, with many fields being listed and prepared for the upcoming season. The occasional rainfall the area has had has reasonably supported cover crop growth that will help protect the cotton crop from blowing sand.

Weed control programs are beginning to come up in conversations with growers. To have successful weed control for the entire season, the majority of your herbicide program cost should be spent prior to planting and should be based on residual chemistry. If we continue to receive moisture, this will not only help those PRE herbicides activate, it will also elevate the moods and optimism of the entire industry.

We have seen quite a bit of interest from growers surrounding wide row configurations, be it 80” or 60” or even various patterns of skip row. The major factor, of course, is cost savings on seed; however, many factors have to be considered, including how to control weeds in a 60”-80” space, whether a cover crop is necessary in that space to minimize evaporative water loss, and if there are differences in fiber quality between solid 30” or 40” rows versus these wide-row configurations. Texas A&M AgriLife is actively working on the agronomics as well as the economical aspects of wide-row cotton.

The next item on a grower’s to-do list should be variety selection. This is a great time to gather information at county Extension meetings, as well as meetings that retailers and seed companies conduct. Use every opportunity to gather data from your area and in as many agronomic scenarios as possible to make an informed decision as to what varieties to plant. This is also a great time to talk to your neighbors about which herbicide technology they plan to use, as this may alter on what set of varieties you should focus. ken.lege@ag.tamu.edu

Pick The Best To Control The Pests

Bob Griffin

Griffin Ag-Consulting Jonesboro, Arkansas

In high school, I started out as a cotton scout for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and continued scouting for two summers while in college at the U of A. At that point, I changed my major to plant protection pest management with a concentration in entomology, plant pathology and agronomy. After graduating, I started testing new insecticides at what is now the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station in Marianna. In 1987, I started my own business — Griffin Ag-Consulting.

Last year was wet, then dry, and we had extreme temperatures. It got really hot. The cotton looked good, the fruit was there, but we didn’t know what the crop was going to do. As it turned out, we had a good year. As far as insect pressure, we had some thrips and spider mites, but worms were not a concern. Tarnished plant bug was our major pest although the pressure wasn’t too bad.

Thrips And Tarnished Plant Bug Control

To control thrips, Intrepid Edge® is the best insecticide we have, and it works effectively. The insecticides we used in the past are not effective anymore. About 90% of the time, we treat once and are done, especially if we have good growing conditions. If the weather turns off cold and wet, and the cotton sits there for a month before it takes off growing, thrips will wear it out. In this case, an application of Intrepid Edge insecticide works really well.

After the cotton has been squaring for a week or two, we scout for tarnished plant bug with sweep nets through the first week of bloom because we have adults then. After the cotton starts blooming, we switch over to shake sheets because the immatures are easier to see. If we have an influx of adults, we’ll go back to sweep nets. With sweep nets, if we have more than eight adults or immatures per 100 sweeps, that is treatment level. If we find three plant bugs per five feet with a shake sheet, that’s our treatment level.

When I see plant bugs at treatment level, I’ll start using Transform® WG insecticide at 2 ounces per acre. I want to save it for when I need a heavy hitter. After 10 days, we come back with our second application of Transform WG insecticide. Nothing else has the residual activity Transform WG insecticide does. I use it every year on every acre.

The best practice is to always use the most effective product at the correct rate. Be timely and don't cut corners. The most expensive treatment is the one that doesn't work.

• Bachelor of Science degree in plant protection pest management, University of Arkansas.

• Started Griffin Ag-Consulting in 1987.

• Consults on cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat.

• Member, Arkansas Agricultural Consultants Association. Past president, twice.

• Member, Agronomy Society of America. Past chairman, Certified Crop Adviser program.

• Wife Cheryl. Three daughters: Kellye, Morgan and Sarah. Five grandchildren: Noah, Olivia, Gabe, Barrett and Marleigh.

• Member and deacon of Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro.

• Enjoys grandkids, jigsaw puzzles and playing spades.

Recap: Pick The Best To Control The Pests

1. To control thrips, Intrepid Edge® is the best insecticide we have, and it works effectively.

2. With sweep nets, if we have more than eight tarnished plant bug adults or immatures per 100 sweeps, that is treatment level. If we find three plant bugs per five feet with a shake sheet, that’s our treatment level.

3. I’ll start using Transform® WG insecticide at 2 ounces per acre when I need a heavy hitter.

4. After 10 days, we come back with our second application of Transform WG insecticide and are basically done.

5. Nothing has the residual activity that Transform WG does.

Ginners Marketplace

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

It’s Showtime In Texas!

The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association is preparing to host its 116th annual meeting and cotton trade show, which has a new name and logo. The new name is TCGA Gin Show – The Cotton Belt Gin Connection. The event is scheduled for April 4-5 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.

It is the only annual trade show where the main focus is cotton ginning. To be a cotton ginning-focused show for the Cotton Belt, TCGA stepped up its e ort to reach ginners across the nation. For example, the association recently mailed a postcard highlighting information about the show to all gins across the Cotton Belt.

Spread The Word

To help promote the show, call and email your friends in the cotton industry. Many people have shared a recent article that appeared in Cotton Farming magazine on social media. Read the Q & A article between Cotton Farming magazine’s Carroll Smith and TCGA’s Aaron Nelsen by visiting https://rb.gy/p751fr. The article highlights the tweaks and changes TCGA is making to improve the show experience. TCGA encourages you to share information about the show on social media.

The TCGA Gin Show’s theme for 2024 is “Linking Ginners Across the Cotton Belt.” The hope is the new name and logo will become synonymous with the show for years to come. TCGA wants its show to be a platform that links ginners across the Cotton Belt, which the annual theme embraces. The TCGA Gin Show o ers a tremendous opportunity for ginners to come together to find solutions to their common problems.

See You In Lubbock

Now is the time to begin making arrangements for your Lubbock trip. TCGA hopes you will support its exhibitors who invest valuable time, resources and energy to make the show a success. Hopefully, the exhibitors can provide some answers to questions you have about the coming year. They cannot make it rain, but they can help you better prepare for another crop year. The Texas Gin Show continues to be a valuable resource as it brings so many in the cotton industry together. Please take advantage of the event and encourage others to attend.

All meeting and trade show information is available on TCGA’s website — tcga.org/trade-show/. You can access event information, including hotel availability and a pre-registration form. There are also registration forms for both the golf and

domino tournaments and a chronological list of events and activities that will take place the week of the show.

The hotel reservation page is for making reservations online. Because the hotel blocks fill quickly, you are encouraged to make reservations early. The Overton Hotel and Conference Center — a short drive from the Lubbock Civic Center — will again serve as the host hotel. The trade show pre-registration

form can be emailed or faxed to TCGA. By pre-registering, your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive.

Be sure to visit tcga.org/trade-show/ and encourage your board members, employees, friends and family to attend the show as well. For questions, please call 512-476-8388.

TCGA provided this article.

Meet The 2023 Southeast Cotton Ginner Of The Year

The Southeast Cotton Ginner of the Year grew up on a family farm in small town South Carolina. The family has very deep roots in the area. In fact, the land where he grew up is still part of their family operation and was part of an original Kings Grant in 1737. He grew up looking over the top of a tractor steering wheel and always knew he’d be coming back to the farm.

Following college and the national guard, the 2023 recipient did exactly that — came back to the farm for good. He eventually became a partner in the farm and gin and started a consulting business as well. The consulting business is known for its progressiveness and consistency. He has earned praises from Extension and other consultants far and wide and was named the 2020 Cotton Consultant of the Year.

But farming and consulting are just a couple of his activities. The one that seems to take so much of his time and passion is the gin. His father and uncle also owned a gin, and the recipient was brought in as a partner. Like the farm, the gin has deep roots going back to the early 1900s. The family bought the gin in the late 70s. Eventually, the Southeast award winner

was made general manager.

Drake Perrow, the 2023 Southeast Cotton Ginner of the Year, is joined by his family at the presentation ceremony.

From left are Charlotte Law, Drake, Linda Perrow and John Perrow.

He was elected by his peers as a director to the Ginners Association in the late 90s and has served in leadership roles ever since. He served as National Ginners Board member, National Cotton Council delegate, National Cotton Council board member, and president of Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association. Closer to home, he also serves on the South Carolina Boll Weevil Foundation Board, Southeastern Boll Weevil Foundation Board, past president of Calhoun County Farm Bureau and trustee of their church.

The recipient and his wife, Linda, have two children. John does most of the farming, and Charlotte lives in Beaufort, South Carolina. His two grandchildren, Henry and Kate, refer to him simply as “D.” The 2023 Southeast Cotton Ginner of the year is Drake Perrow.

Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association contributed this article.

My Turn

Agriculture — Industry Of Opportunity

The road to agriculture has been relatively short for me in that I did not grow up on a farm, nor did I have any row-crop production experience prior to college.

During my childhood, I was blessed to be able to help my father and grandfather work in gardens where I learned the necessity of agriculture to produce food and fiber crops. Throughout my younger years growing up in rural North Carolina, cotton was just another crop grown in Wayne County.

Agriculture was always a part of my grandfather’s family in Mississippi, so my brother and I were exposed to different parts of the industry at a young age. In addition to helping farmers bale hay, my brother worked at the local feed mill after school and during the summers.

My grandfather worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and my father was involved in the agriculture industry working for the Division of Plant Industry, with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In my father’s early career, he monitored cotton and sweet potato boll weevil traps along with his other duties.

State University in 2016, I developed a passion to continue my education in agronomy and, specifically, cotton production.

A tremendous opportunity came for me to enter the cotton Extension graduate program at Mississippi State University under the advisement of Dr. Darrin Dodds. While studying in Mississippi, my cotton experience grew exponentially due to his robust program and leadership.

At the time, myself along with four other graduate students worked together on numerous projects related to cotton production in Mississippi. This experience provided me with valuable knowledge across many disciplines of cotton production in the Mid-South.

In 2018, after receiving my Master’s degree from Mississippi State University, my journey continued westward as I pursued a Ph.D. program in the Extension cotton program at Oklahoma State University under Dr. Seth Byrd. Dr. Byrd was from North Carolina and a former graduate of NC State University, so it was a great opportunity for me to learn from someone who had similar roots.

“An interest in and appreciation for agriculture built up inside me.”

My time in Oklahoma gave me a vastly different perspective on cotton production as that environment and management practices were completely different from my previous experiences.

My interest in the cotton industry was initially piqued by my great uncle who consulted cotton and soybean acres in the Delta and hill regions of Mississippi. Due to my family’s leadership and my experience in FFA, an interest in and appreciation for agriculture built up inside of me.

My introduction to cotton really was established during my undergraduate studies at North Carolina State University.

During that period as a student in 2014, I began working for Dr. Keith Edmisten, the NCSU Extension cotton specialist. As I learned more about cotton in that stage of my education, my desire to work in cotton production began to take shape.

After I received my crop science degree from NC

In January 2022, I was fortunate to be selected as Extension cotton specialist at the University of Missouri. One of the duties I most enjoy as the Missouri cotton Extension specialist is being able to work with some of the best growers and industry partners in the country.

My sincere appreciation and thanks are never ending for those who provided me an opportunity to help the cotton industry and supported me along the journey.

While my career is in its early stages, I look forward to serving the cotton industry for many years to come. The production of food and fiber is essential to our daily lives in this world.

— Bradley Wilson Portageville, Missouri brwilson@missouri.edu

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.

Bradley Wilson

WAKE UP WITH US!

Season five of The Cotton Board’s Cotton & Coffee Zoom series is underway. This series asks the cotton community to wake up with The Cotton Board and, in the time it takes to drink a morning cup of coffee, get an update from the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. This is a great way to see how the assessment dollars collected by The Cotton Board are being spent to increase the demand for and profitability of cotton. Each virtual Zoom session includes a 30-minute presentation and concludes with time for discussion and questions. Preregistration is required, so please visit cottonboard.org/cotton-coffee for upcoming Cotton & Coffee session dates and topics, and to register.

COTTONBOARD.ORG/COTTON-COFFEE

THE LEVEL OF PRECISION YOU’VE COME TO EXPECT FROM US IS NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUR SPRAYER.

Take charge of your spraying accuracy through independent control of rate and pressure with SymphonyNozzle™ and a Gen 3 20|20® monitor. Together they reduce over-application with swath control and level out inconsistent application on turns. Take your sprayer a step further and add ReClaim™, our recirculation system.

WE BELIEVE IN BETTER SPRAYERS WITH BETTER CONTROL.