Cotton Farming April 2022 by One Grower Publishing

Cotton Farming ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

APRIL 2022

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A B E A U T I F U L LY O R C H E S T R A T E D H A N D - O F F

Passing The Scouting Tools To A New Generation

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Vol. 66 No. 4

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

APRIL 2022

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FE ATURES

SPRING GOBBLER SEASON Mississippi State University Extension instructor offers tips on where to get a taste of some of the finest turkey hunting anywhere in the Southeast.

GINNERS MARKETPLACE

the official publication of the ginning industry The National Cotton Ginners Association announces new leadership positions. It also names the National Ginner of the Year and the Charles C. Owen Distinguished Service Award winners.

WEB EXCLUSIVE

8 Passing The Sweep Net

Enjoy the latest issue of Cotton Tales–The Hometown Publication for Members and Friends of the Texas Cotton Gin Museum. The historic landmark is in the heart of Burton, Texas, located on the same site where it was built more than 100 years ago halfway between Houston and Austin on Hwy 290. The museum is open for tours from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Go to www. cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

Drs. Ron Smith (above left) and Gus Lorenz are technically retired from university Extension now. However, they both believe they are leaving their respective states of Alabama and Arkansas in good hands. Smith is handing over not only his scouting tools but also his many years of expertise to Dr. Scott Graham (above right). Lorenz is passing his legacy to Dr. Ben Thrash. “These new guys are burning with desire,” Lorenz said.

DIGITAL OFFERINGS Keep up with the latest from Cotton Farming by signing up for the monthly E-News at www.cottonfarming.com. Look for the Cotton Farming E-News sign-up box in the upper right corner of the home page. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cottonfarming Twitter: @CottonFarming.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 12 Industry News 5 Cotton’s Agenda 14 Specialists Speaking 6 Research & Promotion 22 My Turn

SUPPLEMENT ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

APRIL 2022

LSU AgCenter hires soybean agronomist

Research update

Look for Soybean South following page 12 in the Mid-South and Southeast editions of Cotton Farming.

Planting date, maturity group impact NC soybean yield

ON THE COVER: Top: Nick Bateman, Drs. Gus Lorenz and Ben Thrash. Center: Extension entomology crew, University of Arkansas. Bottom photo: Drs. Ron Smith and Scott Graham.

Clemson releases MyIPM for Row Crops app

To have industry news and content delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for the monthly e-newsletter at www.soybeansouth.com.

COTTON FARMING (ISSN 0746-8385) is published monthly January through December by One Grower Publishing LLC, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tennessee, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Omeda Communications, Customer Service Department, P.O. Box 1388, Northbrook, IL 60065-1388 (Phone: 847-559-7578) (Fax: 847-564-9453). Annual subscriptions are $40. International rates are $55 in Canada/Mexico, $90 in all other countries for air-speeded delivery. Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.

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APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

Editor’s Note

Cotton Farming

Carroll Smith

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor-In-Chief Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com Southeast Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com

‘The Seed Is Where It’s At!’

n the spring, my grandmother, Bea, loved to plant flowers in her garden. As a young child, I remember the smell of fresh dirt and the warmth of the sun as she patiently shook the little seeds out of their mail-order packets and set them on their journey. Bea would start some of the seeds in little pots on a big table on her sun porch. When the time was right, she direct-sowed the others into the soil. Her ultimate goal was to create a beautiful landscape to enjoy in the summertime. My grandmother also arranged cut flowers in vases to show off at Garden Club meetings or turn into the subjects of lovely watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings. When I was a little older, my dad took me to the field with him at planting time. It reminded me of being in Bea’s garden, but on a larger scale. He, too, was setting into motion the beginning of his rural summer landscape, designed not only to be appealing to the eye but also to provide a living for the family. Once again, small seeds were the catalyst to make it happen. These memories were triggered as I read through this month’s Specialists Speaking comments. They all paid homage to the seed. And not just any seed but good quality seed. Cotton farmers have to do their homework to make sure what they are putting in the ground will come up as a robust plant capable of withstanding Mother Nature’s whims and yielding a bountiful crop in the fall. As Alabama cotton specialist Steve M. Brown said, “Contrasted with 30 years ago, today’s seed are amazingly advanced with their lint-producing genetics and pest management technologies built-in or sprayed-on. Of course, today’s seed also command a considerably higher price. Seed companies comprise an ever-important management and budgeting consideration, confirming, ‘The seed is where it’s at!’” To make the most of this investment, the university specialists remind farmers about the importance of checking the warm and cool germination results of the cottonseed. North Carolina cotton specialist Keith Edmisten said, “We are entering the third year of North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ cotton seed testing program. You can find the link to the testing program on our cotton portal (cotton.ces.ncsu.edu) under the Calculators and Decision Aids tab. You need to register to use the site, and then you will be able to check the warm and cool germination results by entering the lot number for the seed. The program has shown that most of the seed entering the state is good quality. But there is some seed with lower cool germination values. You need to be aware of this to have the best chance of achieving a desirable stand.” Yes, “the seed is where it’s at” when setting the stage for hauling as many pounds of lint as possible to the gin this fall. Getting good quality seed into the ground at the right soil temperature, rate and depth is the means to that end. Don’t miss out!

Carroll If you have comments, please send them to: Cotton Farming Magazine, 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN 38138.

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

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

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Copyright 2022 © ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

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Cotton’s Agenda Gary Adams

Continuing To Compete The National Cotton Council is helping the U.S. cotton industry confront challenges and seize opportunities so its members can thrive in the global marketplace.

What are key industry challenges for 2022?

■ Supply chain disruptions, labor availability and sharply higher production costs are being felt by all segments of the U.S. cotton industry. We continue to support actions to help address congestion at West Coast ports and other supply chain logistics affecting both exports and the availability and cost of crop protection inputs. Industry discussions and preparations, which will include the appointment of a NCC Farm Policy Task Force, are beginning for what is expected to be a 2023 farm bill. We anticipate a challenging environment from a budget perspective, and there will be dozens of new Congressional Members to educate on industry issues and priorities following this year’s mid-term elections.

our commodity’s global reputation, including as a timely mover of quality U.S. cotton to customers worldwide. That also involves closely monitoring lint contamination incidents — most of them involving plastic contamination — as reported by our textile customers. I urge our members to make a priority of training their farm and gin employees to watch for such potential contamination sources as module wrap and PET bale strapping. To help, the NCC will be promoting a new standard developed for round module wrap and encouraging producers and gins to use only those wraps that meet the standard. Other ongoing challenges are the 1) monitoring of the Biden Administration’s review of several regulations and 2) preservation of key technologies and crop protection products for weed, insect and disease control. This includes dicamba, Enlist Duo and glyphosate. Offensive and defensive legal actions are ongoing.

Any significant opportunities?

The NCC continues to support actions that address supply chain disruptions, including congestion at West Coast ports. Ensuring trade agreements benefit our industry’s economic well-being will be critical. That includes protecting textile trade policy, including the yarn forward rule of origin in the Central America Free Trade Agreement while seeking policy incentives to help spur greater U.S. investments in the region. Overall trade relations with China will be monitored closely to preserve that important market going forward. The NCC continues to be proactive on elevating

■ I believe U.S. cotton’s marketability is improving through the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, now in its third year of assuring the textile supply chain that U.S. cotton is sustainable. Widespread participation by producers in this voluntary initiative also will serve as a catalyst to drive the continuous improvements necessary to help our industry achieve the 10-year goals for key environmental indicators. The NCC is looking at ways to streamline enrollment in the Trust Protocol and we need all U.S. cotton producers to get onboard and formally document the best management practices that most of them have been doing since the 1970s. The ultimate benefit is that manufacturers, major brands and retailers will accept that U.S. cotton is responsibly produced and that we are working continuously to shrink our environmental footprint.

As U.S. cotton’s central organization deals with these and other matters that may require compromise by industry members to achieve consensus, I am confident that the NCC’s impressive track record of sound issues management and consistent unity will prevail.

Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America. TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

RESEARCH & PROMOTION

Cotton Module Traceability Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) For Enhanced Cotton Module Traceability And Logistics

otton, as an agricultural commodity, has long been a leader in the space of traceability. Every year, cotton producers pay the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service $2.30 per bale to have the fiber quality of those bales measured and made available in a database. At the Southern Cotton Ginners Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this year, Cotton Incorporated’s Dr. Ed Barnes gave a presentation to help pull together why this traceable data has such a tremendous value potential. John Deere introduced its new, round module-building cotton harvester more than 10 years ago. Now round modules make up most of the cotton processed by gins in many regions of the United States. With that level of adoption, Barnes believes the time has come to take advantage of a key feature of those round modules — RFID tags.

mass balance to link modules and bales. “A numbering standard is one small piece of the puzzle to bring all this together for the industry,” Barnes said. Analyzing Yield Variability

BY STACEY GORMAN WARREN, ARKANSAS

Escape The Paper Ticket

tion with the USDA-ARS gin lab in Lubbock to allow the option to use only the RFID tag to track the cotton from the field throughout the ginning process without adding other tags or spray paint. Additionally, ownership information is only entered once. “RFID tags and data automation are beginning to allow growers to break their reliance on paper tickets to track cotton from the field to the gin,” Barnes said.

Every round module created by the John Deere harvester contains four RFID tags and an added external tag that uniquely identifies the module.

This project has involved the generation of many software tools that have been developed in an open-source environment. They are freely available to gins as well as commercial software companies supporting the ginning industry. There is also an Android app in the Google Play store that can be used to scan the code on round modules using the device’s camera by pairing it with a Bluetooth RFID scanner. An open-source software has been evaluated at Tanner & Co. Gin in Louisiana. The test system included an antenna at the weighbridge, where modules entered the gin, that scanned the RFID tag’s serial number. There were also scanners at the module feeder and bale press. One computer recorded the serial numbers going into the module feeder and the PBI numbers coming out at the bale press. After the season, the gin operator aligned the starting and ending modules using a

Every round module created by that harvester contains four RFID tags and an added external tag that uniquely identifies the module with data such as GPS coordinates from where it was made, moisture content, weight and harvest area. Over the past five years, Cotton Incorporated has funded a demonstra-

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

Open-Source Software

Another benefit that comes from linking the RFID tag to the bales’ IDs is the possible creation of “quality maps” of the field. For example, North Carolina State University engineers found variations in micronaire were closely tied to yield variability within the same field. During the 2020 season, University of Georgia engineers found fields where only part of the bales received a seed coat fragment call, and other bales from the same field did not. There is hope that by examining management practices and variations in things like soil type and elevation, new insights will be gained into what a producer can do to get the highest quality cotton possible. Barnes concluded his presentation by recognizing the major strides made in RFID data management systems in the past two years, but also acknowledged some challenges to overcome before we see wide-spread adoption of this emerging technology. “We have to have grower buy-in to capture the most value out of RFID technology,” Barnes said. “There will have to be changes to the ginning process. Many producers are still using conventional modules, and there are significant technology support issues we’ll have to overcome.” For more information on RFID module management, see the web page https://www.cottoninc.com/cotton-pro duction/ag-resources/harvest-systems/ rfid-tracking/. Contact ebarnes@cottoninc.com if you would like more information on the gin data project with Statistical Analysis Systems that is continuing in 2022. Stacey Gorman is the Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org. COTTONFARMING.COM

Cotton Consultant’s Corner

Capture Every Pound Of Lint To Stay Ahead Joel Moor

Moor Ag Services LLC Greenwood, Mississippi I am a sixth-generation farmer whose family has been growing cotton on our home place in Leflore County, Mississippi, since the 1850s. We always take our photos on a cotton module, and as a young boy in the Delta, I spent countless hours “carpet farming” with my best friend and a fleet of toy tractors. Tucker Miller was our family’s consultant, and I started working for him in the summer during my junior year at Delta State. After I picked up some growers of my own and began farming with my uncle, I started Moor Ag Services LLC in 2017. I have never experienced anything like the 2021 season. Early on, we got 14-20 inches of rain on our farm in a one- to two-day period. Eighty acres of the cotton went completely underwater for two days, and the yield was down 300-400 pounds from our average. Last year, insect pressure was average to a little higher than average where the landscape changed and cotton was next to corn.

Control Tarnished Plant Bug To Protect Yield In cotton, we typically deal with thrips first. Once the crop gets past the thrips stage and goes to pinhead square, we start sweeping for tarnished plant bug and checking square retention. I sweep 50 times in different locations in the field. When the cotton gets too big for a sweep net, I switch to a drop cloth and search for nymphs. As the cotton continues to mature, I walk the fields to inspect squares and look for dirty blooms. Signs of plant bug damage include black and abscised squares. If left uncontrolled, this pest can be devastating to a cotton crop. Transform® WG insecticide is a big part of my plant bug control plan. I tankmix Transform and Diamond or Diamond, acephate and Transform. I like to pair Diamond with Transform, especially if we have aphids present in the field. Transform is all we have to combat aphids, and it controls the plant bugs as well. With prices going up and the supply chain issues we are facing, we have to scout, make timely applications and use products that won’t get washed off in the rain. We also may save some money by using a high clearance sprayer. We don’t need any waste this year or any extra trips across the field. We have to capture every pound of lint we can and may have to get a little creative. My advice going into the 2022 season is to stick to the budget as best you can and keep your pencil sharp. This year will be tough because there are so many unknowns. But we will get through it.

• Bachelor's degree in business, Delta State University. • Master's degree in entomology, Mississippi State University. • Started Moor Ag Services LLC in 2017. • Consults on cotton, corn and soybeans in Bolivar, Leflore, Sunflower and Washington counties. • Farms cotton, corn and soybeans with his uncle, John Moor, in Leflore County. • Member, Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association. • Member, Greenwood Farmers' Club. • Wife Rachel. Two dogs: Quinn and Stella (pictured above). • Enjoys deer and duck hunting and cooking on the grill.

Recap: Capture Every Pound Of Lint In 2022

▼

1. Once the crop gets past the thrips stage and goes to pinhead square, we start sweeping for tarnished plant bug and checking square retention. 2. When the cotton gets too big for a sweep net, I switch to a drop cloth and search for nymphs. As the cotton continues to mature, I walk the fields to inspect squares and look for dirty blooms. 3. Transform® WG insecticide is a big part of my plant bug control plan. I tankmix Transform and Diamond or Diamond, acephate and Transform. 4. I like to pair Diamond with Transform, especially if we have aphids present in the field.

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TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALABAMA FARMERS FEDERATION

COVER STORY

A symbolic passing of the sweep net ushers in a new generation of aspiring entomologists. Auburn University Extension entomologist Dr. Ron Smith (left) hands his legacy to protege Dr. Scott Graham, Auburn University Extension entomologist.

A BE AU TI FU LLY ORC H E STR ATED HAN D - OFF

Entomologists Pass The Sweep Net To A New Generation BY BRENDA CAROL

irca late 1980s — “The Boll Weevil Eradication Program was one of the most significant developments in cotton production over the past 50 years. It was terribly unpopular at first, but I don’t know what our industry would look like today if we hadn’t buckled down and endured that temporary pain.” — Ron Smith, PhD, professor emeritus, Extension entomologist, Auburn University Circa mid 1990s — “I would say watching the transitions in products and the ability of an insect to adapt to whatever is thrown at it has been one of the most interesting and challenging aspects of my career. Don’t ever think you’ve won the battle. It’s just a matter of time.” — Gus Lorenz, PhD, Extension entomologist, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

Drs. Gus Lorenz and Ron Smith are technically retired from university Extension now. However, it’s impossible to roll through a four-way stop on a country road in Arkansas or Alabama and not see the footprints in the mud, dirt and the ongoing legacy of their careers. Lorenz retired in December 2021, while Smith “officially” retired in 2003, but has stayed on with Auburn University in supportive positions. Both are highly territorial — at least when it comes to something like football. However, bring up a boll weevil, budworm, plant bug or any other type of cotton invader and you’ve got a united front. “I would say across the entire Cotton Belt, as entomologists, we work very closely together,” Smith said. “We’re like the ‘band of COTTONFARMING.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF GUS LORENZ

Fast Forward To April 2022

Enjoying a break from the sweep net, Dr. Gus Lorenz, Extension entomologist, University of Arkansas (center) embraces the next generation. Nick Bateman (left), assistant professor and crop entomologist, University of Arkansas Extension and Dr. Ben Thrash, Extension entomologist, University of Arkansas. brothers’ when it comes to fighting issues that we face every single season. And it’s constantly evolving, so that collaboration from one state to another or even areas within a state are extremely important.” The collaboration also extends across generations of perspective and the symbolic handing over of the sweep net to a younger set of equally enthusiastic entomologists. Smith has collaborated closely with Dr. Scott Graham, assistant professor and Extension specialist, entomology and plant pathology, Auburn University, who now fills (or said he tries to fill) Smith’s shoes. For Lorenz, it’s Dr. Ben Thrash, assistant professor and Extension entomologist, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, who’s taken over his spot. Pest Management Milestones

The collaboration among Smith, Lorenz and their successors is evident when both retired entomologists talk about the most challenging pest issues they have faced over their careers. As with any lessons learned, it begins with unforgettable pests and events that tested and molded two distinguished careers. The three that top the list are boll weevil eradication, the advent of pyrethroid chemistry and the incorporation of GMO traits into cotton varieties for pest control. Whether those events are listed chronologically or not, the most challenging one for both Smith and Lorenz was the Boll Weevil Eradication Program. TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

Boll Weevils, Budworms And More

“There were a lot of unhappy growers when the Boll Weevil Eradication Program was first proposed,” Lorenz said. “That was a time in my career when it wasn’t pleasant to go to grower meetings. A lot of growers were under the assumption that boll weevils weren’t hurting their yields that much. We knew that wasn’t true because we had the research to prove it. I felt very strongly about the program. It was rigorous to say the least, but it all worked out.” Smith agreed. “That was the most difficult issue I ever faced as an entomologist,” he said. “The eventual success of that program put us in a whole new ballgame — hopefully forever into the future. “I believe that was the most permanent of the three most notable changes in my career,” Smith said. “We still don’t see any signs of boll weevil coming back into this area. They’re still fighting boll weevil down in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. But as long as we can keep them from spreading northward again into the Cotton Belt, I think that one will hold up as the most game-changing accomplishment in cotton production in this area.” Pyrethroid Chemistry

Another notable game changer was the advent of pyrethroids. “When the pyrethroid chemistry was developed in the late 1970s, it was such an advancement,” Smith said. “We didn’t have anything except methyl parathion or phosphates to work with, which led to resistance of tobacco budworm and often

“It’s almost impossible to put into words what Ron Smith means to me,” said Scott Graham, Auburn University Extension entomologist. “I always joke that I wish his mind was a hard drive so we could download it and keep every single byte of information for current and future reference. “Ron’s decades of work have given so many people — not just me — a very solid foundation to maintain the work we are doing. And I know that dedication will help all of us prepare for whatever pest problems emerge in the future.” Ben Thrash, University of Arkansas Extension entomologist, said, “I learned a lot about insect and crop management over the years working with Gus. “A really important thing he drove into me was ‘you have to go where the bugs are’, meaning I can’t just work on research stations. “It is really nice to be able to work on research stations. It’s convenient to have all your equipment there, not have to haul it, and be able to rely on the station personnel for things like weed control. But you don’t always have the bugs you need there. “It’s important to keep in contact and have good relationships with growers and consultants so you can find the bugs you need for your research.” Perhaps the symbolic sweep net still has dual custody. “I’m extremely comfortable with the expertise and the professionalism of the ones coming up through the Extension system,” said U of A Extension entomologist Gus Lorenz. “I don’t have any concerns about their approach. I can sleep at night knowing the growers are in good hands and the hard work continues. “These new guys are burning with desire,” he added. “At one point, I started wondering who’s the trainee and who’s the trainer? “They’re not dismissive of the past, but they’re not afraid to take a different approach either. It’s interesting to watch these guys. I think they’re going to be extra special.” As for Ron Smith, AU Extension entomologist, “We were lucky to get Scott Graham in Alabama, and I feel the same way about others like Ben Thrash,” he said. “I could include a lot of other current names in other states on that list. “You can look a lot further than Alabama and Arkansas to see the qualified, enthusiastic, forward-thinking entomologists we have coming up through the system,” Smith said. “I sincerely hope industry, academia and everyone remotely related to food and fiber production understands and supports what this means to the future of our industry. “We didn’t get this far by resting on our laurels.” APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

The Boll Weevil Eradication Program started in September of 1987 across the southern portion of Alabama. By the summer of 1995, no economic losses to boll weevil were recorded in Alabama for the first time in more than 80 years. flared secondary pests. We were losing ground fast. The pyrethroids bought us about a decade to manage tobacco budworm and secondary pests. Of course, even that eventually lost out to resistance as well. “However, at the time, it helped with boll weevil control, because application intervals could be extended from five to seven days. Pyrethroids were highly effective on almost all cotton insects and gave us some much-needed relief for a few years.” At that point, Lorenz was a young cotton scout in southeast Arkansas. “That’s when the first applications of Pounce and Ambush were going out,” he said. “I remember walking the fields the next morning after we had sprayed a pyrethroid. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. I described it as an ‘ecological desert’. There was not a living insect. And I remember wondering what I was going to do for the rest of my career. There wouldn’t be anything left to do. Or so I thought at the time.” As with all “magic bullets,” the blanket relief offered from pyrethroids began to wane and was most problematic in the budworm/bollworm complex — the very problem it was created to solve. That’s when another major development hit the scene. GMO Cotton Traits For Insects

The introduction of genetically modified traits into cotton varieties was yet another game changer, according to both Lorenz and Smith. “When we started working with GMO varieties like Bollgard and WideStrike, it was suddenly a new world,” Smith said. “We finally had another, very effective tool we could use.” It was a new technology that radically changed pest management strategy, according to Lorenz. “When the Bollgard Bt technology came in, it was a lifesaver for us,” he said. “It helped us keep other problems in check because we had a new weapon to fight the budworm/bollworm complex. “We were one of the first to get that seed, but it wasn’t until June, so it was very late getting planted. It came up, was growing and looking good. It was pre-bloom. But it was one of those years when the worms were really bad. “On a Thursday and Friday, we got this huge moth flight — one of the biggest egg lays I’ve ever seen in my career. I said to myself, ‘They’re fixing to eat this cotton down to the ground.’ “We came back in on a Monday and started walking the fields. We couldn’t find one living worm — I mean not one single living worm. I was flabbergasted. That’s when I knew the industry really had something.” The Bollgard technology took the industry by storm, according to Smith. “The first year it was available in 1996, 77% of the cotton acreage in Alabama was planted to Bollgard varieties,” he said. “That’s almost incomprehensible, but worms had been such a horrendous problem. In Extension, we were very sup-

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

portive of the technology, so I think that helped drive the acceptance and transition.” Wins And Losses

Along with the wins, there are also inevitable losses — or at least interruptions — throughout the course of a career. “In addition to pointing out three of the best developments that ever happened in my career, I’ll give you the worst,” Smith said. “That’s when we lost Temik aldicarb for five years. It completely disrupted our early season approach to integrated pest management. Luckily, it’s back now as AgLogic aldicarb.” Lorenz agreed with that assessment as well. “Temik aldicarb was probably applied on 80% to 90% of our cotton acreage in Arkansas,” he said. “When we lost that one for a few years, it gave thrips and other early season pests a lot of time and space to interfere with and slow down critical early season plant growth.” It’s not the first, nor will it be the last chemistry to face stiff regulatory challenges — undoubtedly another issue that the new generation of entomologists will deal with. Plant Bugs: The New Nemesis

The bug complex, particularly plant bugs and stink bugs, have emerged in recent years as perhaps the most problematic pest in cotton — at least in Arkansas and Alabama. “Back when pyrethroids first came out, everything was super sensitive to it,” Lorenz said. “However, there is always a problem with relying on a single, highly effective compound to solve a problem. That strategy doesn’t work. If time and experience have taught us anything, it’s that if you completely remove something from the picture, there’s always going to be something that takes its place. “It’s only a matter of time,” he said. “Plant bugs have gone from a minor secondary pest in cotton to one of our most problematic issues. Today, if you want to make a plant bug mad, spray a pyrethroid on it, and it will figure out how to hurt you.” Although both are grouped together as the “bug complex,” the situation in Alabama is a little different. “Our biggest problem is the stink bug,” Smith said. “We also have plant bugs, but the stink bug comes in about 30 days later and damages the entire boll. It’s an incredible challenge.” Again, integrated pest management is playing a major role in developing strategies to control plant bugs and stink bugs. “You can’t beat them down with just one approach,” Smith said. If A Sweep Net Could Talk

The sweep net has seen a lot of long days, muddy rows and represents a wealth of knowledge. Passing it over to a new generation has been both symbolic and rewarding for Smith and Lorenz. “I thought transitioning into retirement would be difficult for me,” Lorenz said. “It really hasn’t been that way at all. I miss working day-to-day with the people who were so close to me for so many years, but they’re not exactly gone. They still call. And I still answer the phone.” In Alabama, Ron Smith hasn’t managed to completely remove himself from the Auburn campus, the football games or the marching band. “I have an office even though I’m technically retired,” he said. “They even put me back on the payroll part time for the current year. I just can’t seem to get away from something I’ve loved so much all my life. Brenda Carol is a freelance writer based in San Luis Obispo, California. She may be reached at brenda@carolcommunications.com. COTTONFARMING.COM

Spring Gobbler Season BY ANDREW LANE SMITH

s the weather finally began to change and periods of high pressure set in across the Southeast, Mississippi’s spring turkey season took off. During this time, many critters are beginning to change their day-to-day behavior, including turkey hunters. For those of us who gamble with the longevity of our personal relationships, sanity and much-needed sleep to chase the Eastern wild turkey, this is the most exciting time of the year. However, for new turkey hunters or those who are new to hunting Mississippi’s public land, the process of locating areas to hunt can be overwhelming. To make it less intimidating, consider these opportunities throughout Mississippi to get a taste of some of the finest turkey hunting anywhere in the Southeast that began March 15. Residents in the southeast portion of our state can rely on DeSoto National Forest for opportunities at an early season strutter. Birds in this part of the state tend to begin breeding a little nearer to the front end of our season’s 48-day duration partly due to the earlier arrival of warmer weather and the spring green-up. This semi-coastal national forest provides about 500,000 acres of open-canopy pine forest habitat (primarily longleaf pine). But hunting can be difficult, as this geographic area maintains some of the highest hunter pressure in the state. In southwestern Mississippi, Homochitto National Forest covers about 190,000 acres. It provides a good mix of upland pine-hickory habitat and bottomland hardwoods. Homochitto has some of the greatest contiguous turkey habitat available anywhere in the state. But it has historically experienced a lot of nonresident hunter pressure due to its close proximity to Louisiana. In northwestern Mississippi are Holly Springs (about 150,000 acres) and Tombigbee National Forests (about 67,000 acres). Both public resources provide great upland oak-hickory-pine forests for turkey hunters, as well as plenty of interspersed bottomland hardwoods. These areas have consistently produced some of the highest bird numbers in the state. TWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

CCOY Cotton Consultant of the Year established 1981

Event Honors Consultants

Delta And Central Mississippi

In the Delta, hunters may enjoy some of the flattest, most fertile land in the world. Delta National Forest (60,000 acres) provides copious amounts of bottomland hardwoods surrounded by agriculture and river corridors. However, turkey populations in the Mississippi Delta are not as abundant and dense due to the volume of open landscapes and lack of nesting cover, which often results in lower nest success and numbers of mature toms. All that said, sustainable turkey populations do exist in these areas. In central Mississippi, the Bienville National Forest provides almost 180,000 acres of excellent turkey habitat and may be the right ticket for you to get your hunting fix. Note that Bienville Wildlife Management Area is open only to applicants who were fortunate enough to draw a permit during the first two weeks of the season. Knowing when, where and how to access different areas of a national forest is one of the most limiting factors when hunters are ready to face the odds. Taking a day or two in advance to visit an area, scout the landscape and familiarize yourself with the area and its requirements can make all the difference. During this special spring season, plan your next outdoor activity, while making safety, comradery and fair chase your top priorities. Andrew Lane Smith is Extension instructor, Mississippi State University.

The Cotton Consultant of the Year reception was held at the Peabody Hotel, March 5, in Memphis, Tennessee. This prestigious annual award is sponsored by Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine. James Todd of Plainview, Texas, was recognized as the 2021 CCOY, and Drake Perrow of Cameron, South Carolina, was recognized as the 2020 CCOY. Jeff Mink, Syngenta Agronomic Services Manager, pictured above, congratulated both recipients and expressed his pleasure as a sponsor of the award that has been in place for more than 40 years. Friends and family of Todd and Perrow attended the reception to honor the consultants. Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

Industry News Ted Schneider To Lead National Cotton Council Ted Schneider, a Lake Providence, Louisiana, producer, was elected National Cotton Council chairman for 2022 during the organization’s annual meeting in Houston, Texas. Shawn Holladay, a Lubbock producer, was elected to the position of vice chairman for 2022. Since 1984, Schneider has been the owner/operator of a Lake Providence-based 3,600-acre diversified farming operation in northeast Louisiana and southeast Arkansas. Dedicated to sustainable, responsible agriTed cultural production, Schneider his primary crops are cotton, corn, soybeans, rice, wheat and grain sorghum. Schneider earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. He and his wife, Renee, have three children. Elected as an NCC vice president was Sammy Wright, a Tifton, Georgia, cottonseed processor. Re-elected as NCC vice presidents were: Jordan Lea, a Greenville, South Carolina, merchant; Robin Perkins, a Sanford, North Carolina, textile manufacturer; Kirk Gilkey, a Corcoran, California, ginner; Jay Cowart, an Altus, Oklahoma, warehouser; and Kevin Brinkley, marketing cooperative executive, Lubbock, Texas. Elected as secretary-treasurer is Mark McKean, a producer from Riverdale, California. Re-elected as NCC staff officers were: Gary Adams, president and chief executive officer; Marjory Walker, vice president, Operations; Jody Campiche, vice president, Economics and Policy Analysis; Reece Langley, vice president, Washington Operations; John Gibson, vice president, Member Services; Don Parker, vice president, Technical Services; Tas Smith, vice president, Producer Affairs; and Harrison Ashley, vice president, Ginner Services.

Cotton Service Award Honors Arizonan Ron Rayner Ron Rayner, a third-generation Arizona cotton producer, received the 2021 Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award. He was recognized during the National Cotton Council’s 2022 annual meeting

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

held in Houston, Texas. The award, named for the late California industry leader and past NCC President Harry S. Baker, is presented annually to a deserving individual who has provided extraordinary service, leadership and dedication to the U.S. cotton industry. In presenting the award, outgoing NCC Chairman Kent Fountain said Rayner has long been an industry leader and very active in the Council, serving in numerous Council leadership positions, including as a director, treasurer and as its 1999 president. Rayner, who is a partner in A Tumbling T Ranches with his two brothers and two nephews, produces cotton, alfalfa and grains on about 6,000 acres. The partners own another 3,200 acres of farmland in California of which they lease a portion to other producers. Ron also is a former president of Farmer’s Gin, Inc., in Buckeye. Rayner has been very involved in industry affairs. He currently serves as vice chairman of the Council’s Operations Committee and as an advisor to the Council’s Board of Directors. A past Council Producer Information Exchange participant, Rayner always made his farm available for Councilcoordinated activities such as a tour for the news media to showcase Cotton Foundation research projects and cutting-edge technology and production. He has received numerous awards including Cotton Farming magazine’s “Cotton Farmer of the Year” in 1989, Arizona Farm Bureau’s Farmer of the Year in 1998 and was honored as a Farm Press Publications’ 2018 High Cotton Award recipient.

Good Cotton Stands Critical During Texas Drought As dry conditions continue to grip much of Texas’ Cotton Belt, there are factors producers can control that will improve the chances of establishing a good cotton stand, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. On an episode of the AgriLife Online Crop Production Podcast, Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo, and Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Vernon, joined other AgriLife Extension experts to discuss cotton production. Both noted that drought conditions will make crop

establishment a challenge. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Texas’ Cotton Belt, which includes much of the Panhandle, Rolling Plains and South Plains, is experiencing severe to extreme drought, with large swaths of the regions entering exceptional drought status as of March 10. Drought conditions make establishing cotton stands a challenge, even in irrigated fields. Bell and Kimura said weather is out of producers’ control, but that by improving cotton seeds’ chance of germination and establishment they can improve yield potential at harvest. Cotton is more drought hardy than other crops like corn and sorghum, especially after a good stand is established, Bell said. This makes establishing good stands critical when conditions are not ideal for planting. “Mistakes at planting can haunt you all season,” she said. “Cotton is a plant that can adapt, but we are looking for a good, uniform stand at the start.”

Arkansan Elected American Cotton Producers Chair Ray Nathan Reed, a Marianna, Arkansas, cotton producer, was elected chairman of the American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council for 2022, during the NCC’s recent 2022 Annual Meeting. He has served as an ACP vice chairman and on multiple ACP committees. He also is a past NCC director and has served on various NCC committees and task forces. He currently serves on the NCC’s Farm Policy Task Force and its Farm Program and Economic Policy Committee. Elected as ACP vice chairmen were: Adam Hatley, Mesa, Arizona; Jon Whatley, Odem, Texas; and Matt Coley, Vienna, Georgia. Elected as ACP producer directors were David Dunlow, Gaston, North Carolina, representing the Southeast; Patrick Johnson, Tunica, Mississippi, representing the Mid-South; COTTONFARMING.COM

Industry News

Cotton Consultants Honored At Special Awards Reception The Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) reception was held at the Peabody Hotel, March 5, in Memphis, Tennessee. This prestigious annual award is sponsored by Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine. James Todd of Plainview, Texas, was recognized as the 2021 CCOY, and Drake Perrow of Cameron, South Carolina, and Gary Martin, Firebaugh, California, representing the West. Doyle Schniers of San Angelo, Texas, was re-elected as a director representing the Southwest. Nathan Reed will serve as the ACP’s at-large director.

Mid-South Agricultural And Environmental Law Conference Set For June 10 Pesticide use, foreign ownership of farmland and the 2023 Farm Bill are among the hot topics on the agenda for the ninth annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference on June 10 in Memphis, Tennessee. The conference is hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center and will be held in-person at the Cecil C. Humphreys University of Memphis School of Law. A livestreamed option will also be available. The event kicks off on June 9 with a barbecue reception and networking event at the Rendezvous. The next day, attendees will hear from a variety of different experts in the agricultural and environTWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

was recognized as the 2020 CCOY. From left are past winners Grady Coburn (1986 CCOY), Mark Nemec (2010 CCOY), Tucker Miller (2004 CCOY), Jack Royal (2006 CCOY), James Todd, Drake Perrow, Ray Young (1996 CCOY), Eddy Cates (2019 CCOY), Tim Roberts (2016 CCOY) and Mark Scott (2018 CCOY).

mental law field. “After two years of being virtual, we couldn’t be more excited to be returning to our in-person format,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “This year, our ninth annual event includes some of the biggest issues facing the Mid-South, including the future of dicamba and other crop protection products, as well as a look at the upcoming Farm Bill,” he said. “We will also have Judge Stephen Vaden of the United States Court of International Trade kick off the program as our keynote speaker.” Topics and speakers include:  Ke y n o t e S p e a k e r — Ju d g e Stephen Vaden, United States Court of International Trade and former USDA General Counsel.  Mid-South Ag Lending and Market Outlook: Recent Trends — Greg Cole, president and CEO of AgHeritage Farm Credit, Arkansas.  Up d ate f rom t h e Potom a c : 2023 Farm Bill and Related Issues —

Hunt Shipman, principal and director, Cornerstone Government Affairs, Washington, D.C.  The Future of Dicamba, Enlist Duo, and Other Crop Protection Products — Alexandra Dunn, partner, at Baker Botts L.L.P., former assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.  Estate Planning and Taxation: Latest Updates, Pitfalls and Pointers — Lucas M. Haley, The Limbaugh Firm, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  Ethics: Attorney Wellness and Diversity in the Legal Profession — Sherie Edwards, President, Tennessee Bar Association; Vice President of Corporate and Legal for State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Co.  Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land in the Mid-South: Legal and Legislative Update — Harrison Pittman, director, National Agricultural Law Center. Continuing education will be available. Learn more and register for the conference at https://bit.ly/3rSvzAd. APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

Specialists Speaking

Quality Seed Plays An Important Role ALABAMA Steve M. Brown

In the summer of 1973, my parents purchased me a new car. It cost just over $2,300 and was equipped with a manual “three-on-the-tree” transmission, heater and AM radio. It was the first year of new EPA emissions regulations, so it had no “pickup,” as my daddy called it, and poor fuel economy. Fast forward. Last year I purchased my wife a new Honda Civic. It delivers 38 mpg with ample power and has a sunroof, fancy audio system, electric seats (also heated) and windows, self-dimming lights, driver assist systems, which shake you if you drift and brake if you get too close to another vehicle, a computer screen with capabilities beyond me and other bells and whistles. All that for about $25,000, which is more than 10 times the price of my 1973 Chevy Nova. Trends in cottonseed are similar. Contrasted with 30 years ago, today’s seed are amazingly advanced with their lint-producing genetics and pest management technologies built-in or sprayed-on. Of course, today’s seed also command a considerably higher price. Seed comprise an ever-important management and budgetary consideration, confirming, “The seed is where it’s at!” Price and consequence compel careful scrutiny of seed quality. Remember, seed are a biological product subject to effects in the field and gin, as well as through delinting, treating, packaging and shipping. Seed carry a premium price, and while a bag or lot of seed will never be 100% perfect, you should get a very good product. At the least, you should know warm and cool germ data and seed size. Knowing what you have helps you plan and plant accordingly. Obviously, given lots with varying vigor, those with better cool/warm germs should provide superior stands under more challenging conditions. Our recent Cotton Incorporated-sponsored Extension Cotton Specialists Beltwide Seed Quality project indicated that cool germs of 70% or better typically coincide with good warm germination numbers... and good stands. Know what you have. Request the data! cottonbrown@auburn.edu

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson

Striving for earliness is an objective for most cotton farmers. However, planting early does not ensure earliness. While our planting progress the last couple of years has shifted back slightly with half our crop going in the ground the last half of May, record or near-record yields have been achieved. Our optimum planting window in southeast Arkansas historically includes dates ranging from April 20 to April 30. Locations at and north of I-40 see their optimum window shifting back as late as May 9. Establishing a healthy and uniform stand of cotton is the first step toward a successful season. Advances in planting equipment, improved cultural practice techniques and technological improvements in seed quality and chemical protectants have enhanced the potential to obtain a healthy and uniform stand of seedling cotton. Optimum conditions for planting include a mid-morning, 68-degree Fahrenheit soil temperature at our desired planting depth for three consecutive days and a favorable five-day forecast. Good results are often seen with 25 or more heat units (DD60s) being accumulated during the five-day period after planting. It is important to start with the best quality seed to increase the chances of getting a good, uniform stand if conditions are less than optimum. Remember that as seed size decreases the importance of having good soil temperatures increases.

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

There are many signals or signs that people use to indicate the right time to plant. Getting off to a good, quick start will pay dividends season long. brobertson@uada.edu

ARIZONA Randy Norton

With the 2022 planting season upon us, decisions now need to be made regarding initiation of this year‘s crop. Deciding upon the best time to plant involves evaluating multiple factors in order to have the best chances of establishing a healthy, young cotton crop. Two major factors to be considered are seed quality and planting bed conditions. Every lot of commercial seed sold will have been tested for seed quality by conducting a warm and cool germination test. The results of these tests can be obtained from the individual seed companies. Ideally, warm germination test values should be above 90% and cool germination test values above 60%. If values are less than these, you may want to consider planting that seed under nothing but the best conditions for germination to give it the best chance of developing into a healthy seedling. Seedbed condition is also a major factor to consider when planting. Seed-to-soil contact is critical for having efficient germination and rapid emergence. The process of seed germination begins by the seed absorbing water from the surrounding soil. This process happens best when there is good seed-to-soil contact. An additional critical factor that is largely out of our control is that of soil temperature. Ideally, soil temperatures should be above 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit at 8 a.m. to provide a good environment for seed germination and seedling emergence. Cooler soil temperatures will slow down the process of germination and emergence, making the seedling much more susceptible to disease, which can lead to reduced emergence and poor stands. Adequate soil temperatures and a good three-day forecast free of cold temperatures and rain, are ideal conditions for establishing cotton in the deserts of Arizona. For information regarding other cotton related topics, go to our website at extension.arizona.edu/crops-soils. rnorton@cals.arizona.edu

FLORIDA David Wright

When the weather is good, farmers may want to jump the gun and plant early. Severe cold weather may come and reduce cotton stands. It is very important to watch weather reports and reduce risks of establishing stands. While heavy rainfall is not always predictable and can pack seed beds resulting in poor stands, use of good-quality seed can help ensure good stands. With the prices of inputs increasing more than in a normal year, farmers are still figuring out management to reduce input costs while maintaining yields. We have many farmers that plant in sandy soils, use irrigation and may use about 175 lbs./A of nitrogen. Many non-irrigated growers may use 90-110 lbs./A of N. We have 20 years of research showing that planting cotton after winter grazing can decrease the need for irrigation and N (about 30-100 lbs./A less N), resulting in yield increases of 150-300+ lbs./A. At current costs of $1 per pound for N along other inputs, we need to learn to grow cotton more cheaply without losing yield. More and more farmers are partnering with cattlemen for the benefit to COTTONFARMING.COM

“Cotton Farming magazine is genuine and to the point. As a cotton farmer, I can relate to that. It is my magazine. When I read an article about another farmer, I feel like I am sitting on the tailgate with him listening to what he is doing in his operation.” PATRICK TURNAGE, fourth-generation cotton farmer in Pemiscot County, Missouri

Cotton Farming

Specialists Speaking LOUISIANA Matt Foster

Florida cotton specialist David Wright said the figure above shows cotton yield after nitrogen rates and after winter grazing. everyone. A non-irrigated farmer, for example, from this past year shows cotton grown after winter grazing, and our group mapped electrical conductivity (EC) for management zones. The darker zones had better soil and the lighter zones were sandier. Cotton yields were about 1,500 lbs./A using 30 lbs./A N (starter fertilizer alone) in darker zones vs. the grower rate of 95 lbs./A N, which tended to be lower yield. The lighter zones needed more than the 30 lbs./A N starter, but 60 lbs./A gave top yields. Try a field with infrastructure for both enterprises (livestock grazing/row crops). Growing cotton behind winter grazing has been consistent in increasing yield and using less N. wright@ufl.edu

GEORGIA Camp Hand

As I write this March 14, it is a beautiful, crisp morning here in Tifton. Over the last approximately eight weeks, the cotton team and I at the University of Georgia have thoroughly enjoyed getting back on the road and seeing you all in person at winter production meetings. For those who weren’t able to attend meetings in person, be on the lookout — I will be posting videos of each Extension specialist’s talk on the UGA Cotton Team Website. As I traveled the state this winter doing production meetings, one common question was, “What about reduced seeding rates?” Fantastic question. There has been a lot of buzz across the state on reduced seeding rates, and I think in some cases we can reduce our seeding rates. But there are a few things we need to take into consideration. Historically, maximum yield potential has still been attainable with a final plant stand of one plant per foot uniformly spaced. Does that mean we should just plant one seed per foot? Does every seed you plant emerge and contribute significantly to yield? As a good friend likes to remind me, “Anybody can plant cotton, but not everybody can get a stand.” Many factors contribute to stand establishment and a lot of those are out of our control (i.e. environmental). Seed quality can also affect stand establishment. Even if our growers do everything right in terms of planting, if even one of these two factors doesn’t go our way, it can result in inadequate stands. And in a year like this one, where diesel prices are through the roof and margins are razor thin, we need to minimize the number of trips we take over a field. When I was asked this question at production meetings, my answer was something like this: “Maximum yield potential is attainable at a final plant stand of one plant per foot uniformly spaced. So, plant the amount of seed you are confident will result in at least 1 plant per foot uniformly spaced.” That number will change from person to person because seeding rate isn’t one size fits all. Choose a seeding rate that works for you on your farm with your variety. After all, no one knows what works on your place better than you. As always, your local UGA county Extension agent and specialists are here to help! Reach out if you have any questions. camphand@uga.edu

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

With cotton planting knocking at our door, now is a good time to start preparing for thrip management. Thrips are a major early season pest of seedling cotton in Louisiana and throughout the Cotton Belt. Tobacco thrips are the most common species on cotton in Louisiana. Research has shown that severe thrip infestations can reduce yield by 200-300 pounds of lint per acre. Cotton is most susceptible to thrip injury between emergence and the fourth true leaf stage due to the slow development of the terminal bud. Cotton seedlings injured from thrips may exhibit tattered/crinkled leaves that curl upward and fail to properly expand. Injury from sandblasting and pre-emergence herbicides can oftentimes mimic thrip injury. Management options include insecticide seed treatments, in-furrow applications and foliar sprays; however, insecticide seed treatments are the most popular. Currently, acephate and neonicotinoids are the only two seed treatment options. The two most common neonicotinoids are imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, and they are offered alone or in combination with nematicides. LSU AgCenter entomologists do not recommend the use of thiamethoxam alone to manage thrips in cotton due to development of resistance by tobacco thrips. At planting, in-furrow insecticide options include imidacloprid, acephate or AgLogic (aldicarb). Foliar rescue sprays may be necessary under certain conditions, but they should not be the only tool used to manage thrips. The decision to use a foliar insecticide for thrips control should be based on scouting. The presence of immature thrips indicates the insecticide seed treatment has broken down and reproduction is occurring. Foliar insecticide options include acephate, Bidrin, Radiant, dimethoate or Intrepid Edge. Implementing a good thrip management plan will help ensure a healthy stand. mfoster@agcenter.lsu.edu

MISSISSIPPI Brian Pieralisi

Last season proved to be almost impossible to plant during the optimal window. Most Mississippi growers attempt to plant from May 1st to May 10, with some taking advantage of late April opportunities and wrap everything up by May 15. Recently, the trend has been to capitalize on two-day opportunities as they arise and finish much later than we like to claim. Obviously, the recent trend is far from what we remember as normal, causing seedling stressors to influence healthy stands well into May or June. In late April, cool wet soil temperatures will stress seedling cotton plants. Under these conditions, it’s a good idea to avoid planting before a predicted rain event, especially as soil temperatures are just reaching 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In 2021, cool saturated soils were predominate for most of May, which put most growers in a position to plant as soon as the seed trench would close behind the planter. As with most crops, earlier planted cotton tends to out yield later planted cotton in most years. Under the current weather trend, we are often met with adverse planting conditions. My grandfather was adamant about drainage in a cotton field, which has always stayed with me. A few things to consider with drainage: proper water furrow placement, repair compromised culverts and maintain unobstructed canals. Attention to drainage could help aerate soils and avoid a failed stand in some situations. Also, as planting conditions change throughout the season, pay close attention to seed depth. Field conditions change daily and a close eye to proper seed placement/soil contact can help establish a healthy vigorous stand. Finally, pay attention to the germination percent on the seed lot. Base the planter settings on a seeding rate after consideration of germination percentage. This will increase the odds of a successful stand due to an adequate amount of healthy seedlings. bkp4@msstate.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten

Planting season is right around the corner, and growers are buying seed. We are entering the third year of North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ cotton seed testing program. You can find the link to the testing program on our cotton portal (cotton.ces. ncsu.edu) under the Calculators and Decision Aids tab. You need to register to use the site, and then you will be able to check the warm and cool germination results by entering the lot number for the seed. The program has shown that most of the seed entering the state is good quality. But there is some seed with lower cool germination values. You need to be aware of this to have the best chance of achieving a desirable stand. Our planting conditions calculator is under the same tab listed above. In many years, we don’t get a lot of days during the planting window with optimum conditions. There are several things you can do to increase the odds of getting an acceptable stand when you feel you need to plant under less than desirable conditions. Some of the most important things to consider are planting depth and using the seed you have with the highest cool germ. It is often tempting to increase planting depth when moisture is questionable, but this can result in poor stands even in decent planting conditions. This is especially important on many of our Coastal Plain soils that tend to crust. We have been able to get good stand with lower cool germ (30-60) if we plant in optimum conditions but often see poor stands when the same seed is planted in less than desirable conditions. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu

North Carolina State University planting conditions calculator can be found at the cotton portal (cotton.ces.ncsu.edu) under the Calculators and Decision Aids tab.

OKLAHOMA Seth Byrd

As I write this in early March, dry conditions continue across western Oklahoma. The little moisture that has been received has largely been of the frozen variety and may have done more harm than good to some of the struggling cover crops cotton producers rely on to mitigate wind erosion and other threats. While it only takes a few significant rain events to improve our situation, it has been many months since some areas received such an event. Further, a planting rain or two will still be required in May and June to get the crop in the ground and established. If we assume that a rain will eventually come, there are other factors to consider when attempting to achieve optimal stand establishment. Seed quality and germination scores have been a prominent topic over the last two to three years. Using germination scores to mitigate environmental challenges is certainly an excellent strategy to address stand establishment issues. The common logic is to use varieties (or seed lots) with higher germiTWITTER: @COTTONFARMING

nation scores in more challenging conditions — such as earlier planting into cooler conditions — while waiting to plant selections with lower germination scores until conditions improve. The goal is to achieve maximum stand establishment across the farm. Excellent warm germ values are generally considered to be from the low-mid 90s and higher, while those closer to 80 may be a better fit in more favorable conditions. Seed size is another factor that often reflects early season vigor and thus, establishment success. Larger-seeded varieties tend to have higher seed oil content, which can fuel the early season growth. Germination scores, and to a lesser extent seed size, were reflective of establishment success according to data collected from our 2021 on-farm variety trials. However, stand establishment did not necessarily reflect variety performance, specifically lint yield. If you’re trying to address stand establishment in 2022 through variety selection, be sure to first select varieties based on their overall performance. Then compare the various varieties or seed lots you have on hand to properly place these options to optimize potential stand establishment success. Insect pests are another factor to consider. While we typically think of thrips as the biggest early season insect pest in Oklahoma, last year wire worms devasted stands in several fields across the state. If you encountered wire worm issues last year, including a seed treatment with an insecticide — as opposed to the base, fungicide-only treatment popular for dryland production — will address this issue. seth.byrd@okstate.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper

Seed quality has received a tremendous amount of attention in the past few years, and rightly so. Seed quality is very important, and as an industry, we must continue to make decisions that result in the highest possible quality seed in each bag. Still, we should not forget that even the best seed can require a replant if the environmental conditions before, during and after planting are poor. In Tennessee, we often race through tight planting windows characterized by cooler (and lately, wetter) than ideal conditions. In the no-till or minimum-till system, we cannot do much to change soil moisture or temperature. We can, however, make sure we are properly placing seed at the right depth and maximizing seed-to-soil contact. Conditions should be monitored almost continuously in these challenging windows to check depth and make sure the furrow is closing. If planting right before a cold snap, or if you start having difficulty closing the furrow, either stop planting or assume that each additional acre planted after that point will likely have to be replanted, regardless of seed quality. For more information on planting conditions and forecast, check out the NC State Cotton Planting Conditions Calculator or follow the news. utcrops.com blog. traper@utk.edu

TEXAS Ben McKnight

Cool late-February and early March temperatures have delayed cotton plantings in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend. As I write this in early March, very few fields have been planted in these areas, and some growers are still getting their grain crops in the ground. As temperatures begin to warm, planting activities will be in full swing in South Texas. Approximately 95% of the entire state is in some form of drought, with the exception being the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Moderate to severe drought conditions prevail in much of the Coastal Bend and Upper Gulf Coast, and some areas of the Blacklands are under extreme drought conditions. Simply put, much of South, East and Central Texas need rainfall prior to getting a good plant stand established in non-irrigated production systems. APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

LAURA MCKENZIE/TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE

Specialists Speaking

Irrigation pivots are running in many parts of Texas in an attempt to provide some pre-plant moisture to soil following a winter dry spell. Consider the quality of your cotton seed as we get closer to planting, especially if producers are backing off planting rates. Obtain both warm and cool germination percentages from the seed company or distributor. Seed treatments will often result in a positive return on investment when it comes to getting a healthy stand established. When insect and nematode pressure is expected, insecticide and nematicide seed treatments and in-furrow nematicide applications can bring value to an overall pest management program. Cotton varieties with resistance to nematodes have been commercially available for a few years and growers should consider utilizing this technology in areas with heavy nematode pressure. I encourage growers to visit with seed company representatives about which varieties are available and suitable for their region. One final note is to keep in mind that soil temperature greater than 60 degrees Fahrenheit at a 4-inch depth will enhance cotton emergence. Soil temperatures below 60 degrees F can result in chilling injury, delay emergence and result in weak or dead seedlings. Keep an eye on the fiveday weather forecast ahead of planting to ensure we are planting at the right time to give cotton seedlings a favorable environment for getting a healthy start. bmcknight@tamu.edu

TEXAS Murilo Maeda

As we approach planting season in West Texas, we remain hopeful that drought conditions currently seen across much of the state will soon improve. As I write this, the March 8 National Drought Mitigation Center Drought Monitor indicates that severe to exceptional drought currently grips much of the Texas High Plains. This is a large area generally north of the I-20 corridor that borders the New Mexico state line to the west and the caprock escarpment to the east and is often home to more than 4 million cotton acres. The last meaningful rainfall we saw around here was August-September last year. Field operations are currently slow due to environment limitations; however, we know the outlook can change fairly quickly. Concerns around input cost and availability across the nation may impact your plans. More than ever, choosing the right variety to fit your acres, as well as keeping in mind realistic yield goals and adjusting inputs accordingly can be beneficial. Our Texas High Plains large-plot variety trial can serve as a guide, and results are available at https://bit.ly/3tSRSFk. I encourage you to request warm/cool germination information from

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

your seed retailer as you purchase seed. Remember these are lot specific, and what you see printed on the tag that comes with your seed may not precisely reflect what you have in the bag. While moisture will be the overriding factor, after choosing your varieties, having knowledge of your seed quality can help you determine when to plant depending on local conditions. I will follow up on this in the May issue of Cotton Farming as we get closer to “go time.” Remember the common uptick in heavy equipment moving this time of year. Take it slow and stay safe out there. As always, feel free to reach out to us if there is anything we can help with. mmaeda@ag.tamu.edu

VIRGINIA Hunter Frame

As we move into April, Virginia producers have most likely applied burndown herbicides for cotton ahead of planting in May. For those producers who are managing high biomass cover crops and wanting to know when to terminate, a general rule of thumb is to let the legume species progress to full bloom in order to maximize nitrogen fixation and accumulation in the biomass. With small grain cover crops, setting goals for the cover crop is key. For example, if you want to have a thick residue cover for weed management, then you will want the small grain to become fully elongated and maximize height and biomass. Remember that with small grains, everyday the plant is becoming taller, it is increasing the carbon content, and thus, there will be a nitrogen penalty from the residue having high C:N ratios. High C:N ratios means that microorganisms will compete with crops for available N in order to decompose the cover crop biomass, taking N away from your cash crop. In addition to cover crop management and termination, all producers need to have a plan in place for their nutrient management programs. Given current events in the world and demand for available fertilizers, producers need to know what options are available to ensure you can secure the proper nutrients and quantities for your farm. This may mean that ammonium polyphosphate solutions (i.e. 10-34-0 and 11-37-0) aren’t available so DAP, MAP or triple superphosphate will have to be a substitute. Give yourself options and discuss them with your retailers. Remember, variety selection and a sound fertility program are the foundation for building yield. Yes, fertilizer prices are high, but mining soil reserves this year could result in having to replace them in 2023. Fertilizer prices are not likely to drop much in current outlooks, and cotton prices in 2022 are still profitable. This may not be the case in 2023. whframe@vt.edu COTTONFARMING.COM

Ginners Marketplace COTTON

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

George LaCour To Lead National Cotton Ginners Association The Memphis-based National Cotton Ginners Association named its officers for 2022 during the annual meeting in Houston, Texas. The NCGA’s 2022 officers are: president — George LaCour Jr., Morganza, Louisiana; first vice president — Gene Seale, Pima, Arizona; second vice president — Richard Lindsey, George Centre, Alabama; and third vice president — LaCour Jr. Larry Black, Roscoe, Texas. Curtis Stewart, Spade, Texas, who served as NCGA president in 2020 and 2021, will serve as NCGA chairman. Harrison Ashley, Cordova, Tennessee, is NCGA’s executive vice president. More About LaCour’s Background LaCour is a founding board member and current vice president of Tri-Parish Gin in Lettsworth, Louisiana, a producer-owned ginning and whole-seed marketing operation. He also is general manager of the farming partnership GNG Farms in Morganza, where he oversees production on 5,000 acres in Pointe Coupee Parish. A National Cotton Council Cotton Leadership Program grad-

uate, LaCour also is a graduate of the Louisiana State Agricultural Leadership Program and the Texas A&M Executive Program for Agricultural Producers. A past president of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association, LaCour was that organization’s Ginner of the Year in 2016. He has served in multiple NCGA and NCC leadership positions. Among them, he has been an NCC director and a director of NCC’s export promotion arm, Cotton Council International. LaCour was Cotton Board chairman in 2017.

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National Cotton Ginners Association Names Award Winners Chris Breedlove, a veteran Texas ginner who has provided outstanding service and leadership to the U.S. cotton industry, is the 2021 Horace Hayden National Cotton Ginner of the Year. He was recognized at the 2022 National Cotton Ginners Association’s annual meeting in Houston, Texas. The annual NCGA award is presented to a ginner in recognition of able, efficient and faithful service to the ginning industry

Lummus Ag Technology wants to express its appreciation to our many loyal customers for their continued support and business. With the challenges we face in our industry, we are continually working to evolve and adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs. Lummus offers a wide range of products and services, all geared to help your operation be efficient and profitable. Regardless of the project scope, contact Lummus to discuss your goals and needs to ensure your success. Just a short list of items we offer:  Gin Dor-Les® and E.E. Dor-Les® Press upgrades 16” diameter Bottom Ram Conversion Hydraulic Tramper/Pusher Conversion Premier™ III Series Hydraulic Pumping Units Press Rebuilds (strain rods, boxes, sills, etc.)  Quality OEM Repair Parts  Unmatched Technical Service

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 All-new complete Gin Plants  Ginning Machinery (individual machines, stand-alone systems, presses, etc.)  Press Consoles and Main Control Consoles  Burner and Moisture Unit Gas Train/Controls upgrades  Air Monitoring and Fire Detection Kits  DGC 2020 Gin and Feeder Controls

The future is bright! Cotton prices have optimism at levels we haven’t seen in a while. A renewed commitment to customer service has Lummus excited for the future – join us as we move forward!

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

APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

Chris Breedlove, Willacy Co-op Gin, was named the 2021 Horace Hayden National Cotton Ginner of the Year. and continuing those principles exemplified and practiced by Horace Hayden, a former NCGA executive secretary. General manager and CEO of Willacy Co-op Gin in Raymondville, Texas, Breedlove has provided dedicated service to the industry during his career through participation in multiple organizations. He served as NCGA’s president in 2008, is a past president of Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association and current treasurer of the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Trust. A National Cotton Council Cotton Leadership Program graduate, he is a NCC director representing the ginner sector. The West Texas native graduated from Texas A&M University in 1980 with an agricultural engineering degree before joining Anderson Clayton & Co.’s oilseed processing division in Phoenix. He soon was moved to Abilene where he oversaw eight of the company’s cotton gins. Breedlove was hired later to oversee the cotton gin and elevator at Sebastian Cotton & Grain. During that time, he earned his MBA degree from Texas A&M. In 2002, he was named general manager of Olton Co-op Gin and several years later named to his present post at Willacy Co-op Gin.

ing Innovations Award for his invention. Through the years, Stover has designed and built many lines of cotton equipment. They include the Stover Gin Mover, Stover Field Mover, 6 Bale Module Trailer, Stover Cotton Train that hauls 10 round modules, the Stover Moving Floor Module Feeder, Stover Chain Bed Module Feeder, Stover Module Builder and the Stover Big Red Cotton Cart. DSA recipient Russell Sutton, a Snyder, Texas, native and Texas Tech University graduate, has been involved with ginning his entire life as his family owned and operated a cotton gin. He has worked for many of the nation’s gin equipment manufacturers, which has taken him all over the nation’s Cotton Belt and throughout the world. Having begun his career with Horn Gin Machinery, Sutton worked for Consolidated HGM and then Consolidated Gin Co. before joining Lummus Corp. where he recently assumed the position of vice president of Business Development and is based in Lubbock. Sutton’s nominators cited his unmatched willingness to provide resources through technical knowledge and dedication to ensuring the ginning sector’s viable future. This includes his commitment to looking for and developing talented ginning industry members.

Cotton’s Calendar  April 20: PCCA Board, Delegate Body & Marketing Pool Committee Meetings, Lubbock, Texas  April 27-28: American Cotton Producers Meeting, Hyatt Regency DFW Airport, Dallas, Texas 

May 18: PCCA Board of Directors Meeting, Lubbock, Texas

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May 18-19: Calcot Board of Directors Meeting, San Antonio, Texas

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May 19: PCCA Rolling Plains/OK/KS Area Meetings

May 23-25: 2022 National Cottonseed Products Annual Meeting, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Miramar Beach, Florida 

 June 2-7: Cotton Growers Warehouse Association Annual Convention, Hyatt Centric Park City, 3551 N Escala Ct, Park City, Utah  June 8-11: Cotton Warehouse Association of America Annual Convention, Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort , Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

June 15: PCCA Board, Delegate Body & Marketing Pool Committee Meetings, Lubbock, Texas

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Charles C. Owen Distinguished Service Award The NCGA also recognized both Jimmy Stover and Russell Sutton as recipients of the NCGA’s 2021-22 Charles C. Owen Distinguished Service Award. The award honors those who have provided a career of distinguished service to the U.S. ginning industry. Stover, president of Stover Equipment Co. in Corpus Christi, Texas, is a 1963 Oklahoma State University graduate. He was a cotton and wheat producer and cattle rancher in Oklahoma prior to building cotton module equipment. He was instrumental in the organization and building of Tri County Gin in Chattanooga, Oklahoma, where he served on its board for many years. In 1989, Stover built the Stover Module Retriever, his first module retriever bed to which he made additional modifications to reduce the potential of seed cotton contaminants reaching the gin. He later designed and built the Stover Unwrapper GIS, which removed plastic wrap from round modules at the gin. After the first one sold in 2007, Stover made improvements turning it into an electric machine. That proved to be a huge benefit to the cotton industry as it allowed the gin employee to remove the plastic wrap as the module was rotating to make sure plastic contamination did not get into the gin’s disperser cylinders. In 2008, he won the ASABE AE50 Outstand-

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

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June 16: Calcot Board of Directors Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona

June 22-24: ACSA’s Annual Convention, The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, Truckee, California

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 June 29-30: 2022 Arizona Cotton Ginners Annual Meeting, Little America Hotel, Flagstaff, Arizona  July 17-20: Southern Southeastern Mid-Year Board Meetings, Sheraton Bay Point, Panama City Beach, Florida 

July 21: Calcot Board of Directors Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona

Aug. 2-4: American Cotton Producers-Cotton Foundation Summer Meeting, Little Rock Marriott, 3 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock, Arkansas 

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APRIL 2022 | COTTON FARMING

My Turn Being Thankful: Let Me Count The Ways

hy am I thank- assortment of high-quality crops. ful my husband Our consultant and his crews checked cotton from was an inde- north to central Louisiana, which means he grew to pendent crop love and respect countless excellent keepers of God’s consultant? Let me count the soil. During these years of consulting, we were blessed ways: to know hundreds of young people who needed sumWho would have believed mer employment. How else could we have met these back in 1948 that a man in outstanding young people? Caddo Parish, Louisiana, Many of the students received college credit from named Dan Logan would Louisiana universities for the summer work. It would decide a farmer needs to be difficult to count the ones we were fortunate to Dorothy know what is in his field know who have been very successful in their chosen Young before he puts a product out careers. Many are now great consultants. Others are in to kill it? Who would believe a variety of professions, even heart transplant doctors, two agriculture students from Louisiana Tech would etc.! be hired to walk these fields and find out what was I am thankful this consulting husband helped with present? the eradication of the boll weevil. He helped open And guess what? One of those lucky ag students has the door for broadening consulting to not only bug been my husband for 69 years! checking but variety selection, when to plant, how to He joined the Naval Aviation Program after gradu- prepare land for irrigation, when to irrigate, crop feration and flew anti-submarine planes from an aircraft tilization and all factors concerning crop production. carrier for four years. After discharge, this lucky stuI also am thankful our children have been a big dent moved to Franklin part of this journey. The Parish, Louisiana. At that “Thanks be to God for the journey sons started checking cottime, Franklin Parish was ton and crops at an early as a crop consultant’s wife.” the biggest cotton field age and all through high in the state. That Navy school and college. We aviator started knocking on doors of local farmers live in a very small town. No laundry mats or eating offering to find out what was in their fields and what joints available. The girls helped cook for the students it would take to correct the problems. He was amazed we housed, hoe our cotton fields and do laundry for the that farmers would hire him but thankful for the boys. This was a great influence on their work ethic. opportunity to have a job and be helping farmers at Here’s another reason to be thankful: We have met the same time. wonderful people from all over the country who have The following fall this new scout enrolled at shared their love for helping farmers produce betLouisiana State University and majored in entomolo- ter crops. We have enjoyed travel in the winter or gy and studied under top notch professors to find out off-growing season. Thanks be to God for the journey all about bugs and what they do to crops. His masters’ as a crop consultant’s wife. thesis was to prove the resistance of boll weevils to Guess I better tell you my bestest crop consultant chlorinated hydrocarbons. He collected weevils from that I have been talking about is Ray Young from fields all over the state. He treated about 11,000 wee- Wisner, Louisiana. Come see us. We’d love to feed you vils and kept records of what killed what. He was for- country cooking and talk about crop consulting and tunate to get help from fellow students, and their work raising crops on this wonderful land God has entrustproved weevil resistance to certain insecticides. ed to us. So blessed are we that this started a new field of work that has helped thousands of farmers. So thank— Dorothy Young ful that many young men and women have entered Wisner, Louisiana the field of consulting and helped farmers raise a huge dorothyrayyoung@centurylink.net

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

COTTON FARMING | APRIL 2022

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Cotton Farming April 2022

Articles inside

Research & Promotion

Specialists Speaking

My Turn

Industry News

Cotton’s Agenda