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Industry News
Craig Rohrbach Named TCGA Ginner Of The Year
Craig Rohrbach’s friends and family gathered at the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association Awards Dinner to celebrate him being named the TCGA Ginner of the Year.
Front row, from left: Rachel Anaya, Chuy Anaya, Chris Breedlove, Darcy Rohrbach, Riley Rohrbach, Craig Rohrbach, Connie Taylor, Bryan Taylor, Terri Sorley, Robin Howard, Denise Christian, Katherine Bezner and Tracy Devault.
Back row, from left: Luke Rohrbach, Coleman Young, Scott Meeks, Colton Bison, Annie Williams, Ryan Williams, Ken Sorley, Mark Howard, Vick Christian and Kendall Devault.
Rohrbach has been the general manager at Parmer County Cotton Growers in Farwell, Texas, since 2006.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced that grower participation for the 2021/22 crop doubled since the program’s pilot last year. The Trust Protocol’s mission is to bring quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the key sustainability metrics of U.S. cotton production.
The initiative’s vision is to set a new standard in sustainable cotton production where full transparency is a reality and continuous improvement to reduce our environmental footprint is the central goal.
The program’s core values include a commitment to U.S. cotton’s legacy of authenticity, innovation and excellence, environmental stewardship, caring of people, and personal and corporate integrity.
“During our second year we doubled the number of U.S. cotton growers in the program with an estimated 1.1 million cotton acres enrolled,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
“Our grower members are global leaders when it comes to sustainable cotton production, and as supply chain membership continues to grow, producers are encouraged to join the initiative to help ensure there is enough cotton in the system to meet demand.”
Virtually all the top 100 global brands and retailers have created lists of sustainable raw materials and publicly committed that 100% of their sourcing will come from these lists over the next 5-10 years. The Trust Protocol was designed to meet and exceed the rigorous criteria for these lists.
To learn more or begin enrollment, growers can visit TrustUSCotton.org or reach out to the Grower Help Desk at growers@trustuscotton.org. Additionally, producers who enroll in the program and complete their data entry will be eligible for a redistribution of program revenue.
The Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 600 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members since its launch in 2020. This includes J.Crew, Madewell, Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap Inc., as well as global apparel manufacturer Gildan.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future, and part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives. The program has also been recognized and published in the ITC Standards Map.
Stoneville Ginner School Registration Continues
Ginners, gin managers and superintendents are encouraged to register for the last of three Ginner Schools — the Stoneville Ginners School being held at the USDA Agricultural Research Service ginning laboratory in Stoneville, Mississippi, June 8-9. There is no on-site registration, and credit cards can be used for online registration at www.cotton.org/ncga/gin school/index.cfm where course descriptions/more information are available. Course levels I, II and III and continuing education courses will be offered. Levels I, II and III programming feature practical information on all aspects of ginning. Topics range from gin safety and maintenance to drying/moisture restoration systems and seed cotton/cottonseed handling systems.
The continuing education courses will include topics such as the use and practical application of variable frequency drives, gin upgrades and increasing capacities, air pollution controls, labor issues and H2-A, press rebuilds to increase press capacities, and stabilizing catastrophic injuries.
Cotton Sustainability Field Day To Be Held June 22 At Judd Hill
Make your plans for June 22 to attend the Cotton Sustainability Field Day at the Judd Hill Foundation Farm in Trumann, Arkansas. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Judd Hill Farm Tours begin at 9 a.m.
Highlighting the importance for marketing U.S. cotton by documenting sustainability practices will be discussed at 11 a.m. Presentations will be made by The Soil Health Institute, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and Staplcotn Cotton. Lunch will be provided.
Enrollment opportunities for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol begin at 1 p.m.
To register for the field day, go to https://bit.ly/3PP5IDd.
Operation Weed Eradication
Controlling Cotton Weeds With A Zero-Tolerance Approach.
BY CASSIDY NEMEC
ASSISTANT EDITOR
As a member of Operation Weed Eradication (OWE), BASF is partnering with many in the agricultural industry to help bring solutions to persistent weeds found in row crops.
OWE’s website states “Led by BASF, Operation Weed Eradication, a US-based initiative, is supported by a coalition of industry leaders and weed scientists with one goal: providing our farmers the relevant tools, insights and information to help battle resistant pigweed on farm.”
Palmar amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) and kochia (Kochia scoparia L.) are two of the main weeds posing a threat in cotton, according to Adam Hixson, BASF technical service representative.
“Just one plant producing its seed can spread across that field in exponential growth in the coming years. It’s extremely resistant to numerous herbicides and numerous modes of action, so taking those last few weeds out is very important to long-lasting, complete weed control,” Hixson said.
He said it is good to pay attention to soil temperatures so as to know germination timing. When that is known, residuals can be better timed. “It’s important to get it before it comes up,” he said.
Last Weed Standing
In addition, Hixson explained the importance of getting every last weed before getting to a point where they begin to spread. “When we think about weed control, we need to think about that last weed standing in the field.”
The Operation Weed Eradication website discussed this as part of the “eradication diligence” component of OWE. “An eradication mindset means going the extra mile to take out the last weed standing before it produces seed.”
In addition to eradication diligence, OWE looks at chemical control and traits (covering proper application, adding in appropriate residuals and finding “multiple, effective sites of action to prevent resistance”), as well as cultural and mechanical practices that help to disrupt seed germination. These practices include: Implementing narrow rows for canopy development. Planting cover crops to assist in suppressing weed growth. Tillage and cultivation to uproot emerged weeds. Crop rotation to allow multiple herbicides and practices to be put into play for weeds.
Role Of Residuals
Hixson emphasized to start the year with strong residuals at planting to keep up with key timing for weed control.
“What I like to recommend is one of those typical cotton residual herbicides at planting combined with some sort of postemergence herbicide. I like to use paraquat at planting… once you get in season, say three to four weeks after planting, you really need to start thinking about your next application that would be some sort of post herbicide combined with a residual herbicide… for us it’s either Liberty or Engenia, plus Outlook.,” he said.
Don’t Ignore Field Perimeters
Hixson noted the importance of controlling weeds around the fields in addition to the fields themselves as seed can be rapidly spread while entering and leaving fields.
“If you’re able to control the area around your fields, spray it with something very simple, some sort of burndown… sometimes growers think about the weeds in their fields and not the weeds outside of their fields and how they can potentially drag them [seeds] in as they’re moving equipment to their fields.”
BASF launched OWE in 2019 and continues to work in helping growers eliminate weeds on their farms.
“I think it’s a good mindset to have, and I think it’s important that we are surrounding ourselves with both industry partners and university weed science professors that are really on board with our message.”
ADAM HIXSON
Palmer amaranth — the king of weeds — can produce huge amounts of seed per plant. “It’s extremely resistant to numerous herbicides and numerous modes of action, so taking those last few weeds out is very important to long-lasting, complete weed control,” said Adam Hixson, BASF technical service representative.
More information on Operation Weed Control can be found at www.operationweederadication.com
New Product Evaluator Program: Season 15
Bollgard 3 Cotton Being Evaluated For The Class Of ’23.
The Deltapine seed brand’s New Product Evaluator (NPE) program kicks off its 15th season in 2022, celebrating a milestone of helping raise yield potential and improving production across the Cotton Belt. During this momentous year, the 13 Class of ’23 cotton variety candidates under evaluation will include an especially diverse lineup of maturities and pest trait platforms.
“The cotton variety candidates being evaluated this season showcase the diversity of elite germplasm and strength of the Deltapine cotton breeding and development program, which allows us to test this many products across a wide range of germplasm backgrounds, biotech trait platforms, maturity and native trait combinations,” said Eric Best, Deltapine cotton product manager. “Each of these variety candidates has the potential to be in a Deltapine bag for planting in 2023.”
Evaluating New Candidates
Deltapine NPE growers across the Cotton Belt will have the opportunity to evaluate four Bollgard 3 ThryvOn Cotton with XtendFlex Technology cotton variety candidates in stewarded field trials. These four candidates range from early maturity to mid-full maturity and have potential to increase the Deltapine Bollgard 3 ThryvOn Cotton with XtendFlex Technology product offering. Pending regulatory approvals, ThryvOn Technology will be the industry’s first biotech trait to provide protection against tarnished plant bugs and thrips species.
In West Texas, the Deltapine Texas cotton breeding program investments are paying off as candidates with regionally adapted genetics are advanced into the NPE program. The southwestern NPE growers will evaluate two Bollgard 3 XtendFlex and two XtendFlex cotton variety candidates showing outstanding performance potential in this region.
For the Mid-South and Southeast, there are five Bollgard 3 XtendFlex variety candidates to evaluate this season, including two lines with root-knot nematode resistance. The five candidates range from early maturity to mid-full maturity and will have high yield potential similar to the past two classes of Deltapine brand commercial cotton varieties.
Program Advancements
“Nothing advances in this program unless it offers an improvement or something extra over current Deltapine products in the market, and each new cotton variety is evaluated and approved for performance by the Deltapine NPE growers,” Best said.
Since 2008, the Deltapine NPE program has become an industry standard for involving cotton growers in pre- commercial cotton variety evaluation and commercialization.
Milestones of the program since 2008 include: Launch of DP 1044 B2RF in 2010 – the best-selling cotton variety in Texas for four years. Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton varieties launched in 2015. DP 1646 B2XF launched in 2016, which quickly became the top-planted variety in the United States.
Bollgard 3 XtendFlex cotton varieties launched in 2018. Class of ’20 and ’21 cotton varieties raise the bar on Bollgard 3 XtendFlex performance potential. Deltapine Bollgard 3 ThryvOn Cotton with XtendFlex Technology cotton varieties advanced in 2021.
NPE Grower Reviews
NPE growers involved in the program have trust and confidence in new Deltapine products. Here is what NPE growers had to say going into year 15:
Coley Bailey in Mississippi said, “The NPE program has allowed me to adopt new varieties quicker and plant more acres to them because I have the confidence they can perform, and the variety performance is getting better when you look at where we were in yield potential in 2008 compared to today.”
Jason Rackler in West Texas said, “The NPE program allows growers to work with Deltapine to identify the various challenges we face on our West Texas dryland and irrigated acres. As a result of this partnership, Deltapine continues to focus on delivering variety candidates that fit our diverse region. We look forward to continuing this partnership the next 15 years.”
Neil Lee in Georgia said, “Local growers stop by NPE plots and the gin to ask about the varieties because they are confident in the real-farm information being collected on these new varieties.”
More than 200 NPE growers across all regions of the Cotton Belt will plant and evaluate large-scale plots of Deltapine Class of ’23 variety candidates this season, growing and managing them through harvest. Their feedback will help determine the Class of ’23 cotton varieties, which will be announced in December. For more about the Deltapine NPE program, visit Deltapine.com/NPE.
Eric Best, Deltapine cotton product manager, evaluates a New Product Evaluator plot in Georgia.
Deltapine contributed this information.
The Pilot Is The Hero
BY JULIE MURPHREE
Coming from a family of pilots, I was again struck by the power of aviation when I read that a single aircraft flown by a pilot can spray thousands of acres in a day. Still, some might say, “So what?” Our farmers and ranchers don’t think “so what” when they’re faced with wet soil conditions, remote locations, rolling terrain or dense plant foliage while battling a powerful and rapidly moving pest infestation. For Arizona, it’s also about large tracts of land.
I landed on this topic thanks to Arizona Department of Agriculture’s Jack Peterson, associate director of the Environmental and Plant Services Division. “Aerial application professionals [pilots] are often underappreciated — all they do to prepare, to be licensed, the concerns they face, the technology they use and so much more.”
Serving the agriculture and forestry sectors for 100 years, America’s aerial application industry of piloted aircraft is still the truest means of getting it done big, fast and right. Large and often remote areas can be treated quickly, far faster than any other form of application, especially when pest infestations are quickly destroying the crops.
More Bang For The Buck
“Abnormally wet weather conditions … make aerial application an indispensable tool for ensuring high yields,” said Andrew Moore, CEO of the National Agricultural Aviation Association, in an article regarding aerial application and challenging conditions. He went on to explain that while unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, also known as drones) technology is improving, even large UAVs used for agriculture are slow. So far, the typical UAV sprays on average seven to 10 acres an hour. During a 10-hour day of applications, this equates to only 70 to 100 acres treated per UAV. Of note, aircraft used for aerial application hold between 100 and 800 gallons of product. UAVs don’t have payloads approaching anything this size, nor can they achieve speeds even close to the 90 to 150 mph speeds piloted ag aircraft travel across a field during an application.
“The USDA estimates the average farm size in the United States is 444 acres, and the most important principle in combatting a pest is to eradicate it immediately before it spreads,” Moore said. “A single manned aircraft can spray upwards of 2,000 acres a day. This is one of the benefits of manned aerial application that is unmatched by current UAV technology.”
Perhaps Moore’s bias shines through because he represents aviation that has a pilot in the cockpit. But when large acreage becomes part of the equation, Arizona’s farms are even bigger than the USDA’s 400-acre average.
Did You Know?
Technology continues to advance the phrase, “more with less.” Both the National Agricultural Aviation Association and USDA point out that since aerial application can result in greater crop harvest yields, less land is being used for agricultural production, preserving wetlands and ecosystems important to carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat.
According to the NAAA, aerial application is conducted in all 50 states by licensed pilots, treating an average of 130 million acres of cropland each year — basically 28% to 30% of all croplands in the country. Not only do pilots have to hold the traditional pilot’s license, but they also must be an ag operator under FAA oversight.
Additionally, they must renew their license in crop protection from the pesticide regulatory agency in the state, most commonly the state’s department of agriculture. These rigorous standards ensure protection for the pilot, for agriculture and for the security of our food system.
Plus, manned aerial application isn’t just for agriculture. Nearly 100% of forest protection applications are made by the agricultural aviation industry. In addition to agricultural aviation, the industry provides firefighting and public health application services to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Findings from the latest NAAA survey (2019) reveal the industry has grown. In the previous survey (2012), NAAA reported approximately 1,350 ag aviation businesses in the United States. The results of the 2019 survey report approximately 1,560 ag aviation businesses today are operational, a 15.5% increase.
“Knowing all that these applicators must contend with and know, the outdated term of endearment no longer fits. They are not ‘crop dusters,’ they are professional aerial applicators,” said Arizona Department of Agriculture’s Peterson.
Ultimately, while technology in traditional and non-traditional aerial application improves, wet soil conditions, remote locations, rolling terrain and dense plant foliage — along with hundreds of acres requiring treatment — continue to drive the use of a trained and licensed pilot in a cockpit. Plus, plant-nutrient application and even cover crop seed spreading drive the use of manned aircraft, again most often because of vast areas to cover.
Arizona Farm Bureau features a video on this topic at https:// bit.ly/3JgcSw0.
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AVIATION ASSOCIATION
Today’s manned aircraft used in agriculture applications come equipped with built-in crash protection.
Julie Murphree is the Arizona Farm Bureau outreach director. This article originally appeared in the January issue of Arizona Agriculture.
