Cotton Farming June 2023

It’s not just what we do, it’s who we are.

With our team’s collective 200+ years tied to agricultural production, we believe in what we do.

We make it our mission to provide profitable production strategies to our farmers with information to improve their bottom lines.

Our seasoned editors cover every stage of production — from land preparation, to seed selection, to crop protection through harvest.

From Field To Gin

Brian Fyfe, pictured above, has been the business manager for Heaton Farms — a Delta legacy near Clarksdale, Mississippi, — for 20 years. The crop mix includes 7,000 acres of mostly irrigated cotton, 3,000 acres of beans, 2,500 acres of corn and 1,000 acres of wheat. Fyfe also handles Cliff Heaton’s other interests, including a pecan operation and Bobo Moseley Gin Co. in Lyon, Mississippi.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

ON THE COVER: Brian Fyfe is the business manager for Heaton Farms near Clarksdale, Mississippi. Cover photo by Drew Harris.

www.cottonfarming.com

FEATURES

6 ‘WHEN TO WATER’ APP, SENSORS

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and IBM are working to develop low-cost sensors and a smartphone app for making decisions about when to water crops.

12 IMPLEMENTING NEW TRAITS

South Carolina cotton farmer Jason Waltz, Clemson University and Deltapine conducted a study of nematode-resistant varieties versus Telone-applied elds.

16 2023 FARM BILL HEARING

A recent hearing reviewed farmers’ needs for the upcoming Farm Bill. Among the witnesses was Shawn Holladay, Dawson County, Texas, producer.

20 GINNERS MARKETPLACE

the official publication of the ginning industry Dusty Findley, CEO of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, provides tips for keeping safety front of mind during repair season.

2023 CCOY NOMINATIONS OPEN

To nominate a deserving candidate for the 2023 Cotton Consultant of the Year Award, co-sponsored by Cotton Farming and Syngenta, fill out the form on page 15 or online at cottonfarming.com/ ccoy. Deadline for nominations is Aug. 15.

WEB EXCLUSIVE

As cotton planting is wrapping up, the next step for farmers should be thinking about how to protect their crop from troublesome weeds and other yield-robbing pests. Adam Hixson, BASF technical service representative for Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, discusses how growers can set their cotton fields up for success from planting through harvest. Go to www.cottonfarming.com for this Web Exclusive report.

Editor’s Note

Carroll Smith

Early Risers, Late Nighters

During the heat of the production season, early risers and late nighters aptly describes the nature of a crop consultant. Their day typically begins before sunup as they head out to the field to start work at first light. A cell phone, laptop, notebooks, sweep nets and drop cloths adorn their rolling office. After arriving home that night, they spend a lot of time reviewing notes, sending reports to their farmers and preparing to go again in the morning.

Over the years, the crop consultant’s role has evolved. In the early days, they were known as the “bug man” for the farming operation. They checked the fields for insect pests and made recommendations to control them. Today, consultants typically offer many more services, including variety selection, weed control, fertilizer recommendations, irrigation timing and defoliation applications at harvest time. Many also have expanded their business to check other crops besides the “main crop,” depending on the circumstances.

Recently, consultants also were approved to assist farmers with enrolling in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. According to the program, “a crop consultant can be authorized to enter information and ensure accuracy on a grower’s behalf.” The timing for this designation is significant since enrollment for the 2023 crop year is open now through Sept. 1.

A few years ago, the industry spotlight lit up the consultant segment when a new, comprehensive Cotton Consultants Conference was scheduled to precede the Beltwide meeting. It’s still on the agenda today, is open to all scheduled attendees and covers a multitude of timely topics.

And now, it’s that time of year when we solicit nominations for the Cotton Consultant of the Year Award. To recognize the dedication and hard work of cotton consultants who put it all on the line for their farmers, Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine have sponsored the CCOY award for more than four decades.

If you have a consultant who exhibits outstanding customer relations and embodies leadership and innovation, please go to cottonfarming.com/ccoy and nominate him or her online. You also can fill out the nomination form on page 15 and scan/email it to me at csmith@onegrower.com. Another option is to drop it in the mail to my physical address.

There are a lot of deserving cotton consultants out there, and I bet one of them is on your farm. Don’t miss this chance to recognize the person who always has your best interests and bottom line at heart!

Carroll

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

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David Burns – North Carolina

David Lynch – South Carolina

Bob McLendon – Georgia

Larkin Martin – Alabama

Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

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Cotton’s Agenda

Gary Adams

Smart Start

The National Cotton Council is urging its producer members to enroll their 2023 cotton crop in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol during the signup window that ends on September 1, 2023.

How beneficial is enrolling during this revamped signup window?

■ As enrollment now will be open for four months (May-August) this season, producers are encouraged to begin their data entry as soon as possible. The enrollment period was updated to enable producers’ participation in the Climate Smart Cotton Program. That USDA pilot initiative is providing technical/financial assistance to up to 1,650 U.S. cotton producers with acres available for climate smart practice changes. Those interested in participating should watch for Trust Protocol communications.

Protocol on their initial electronic warehouse receipt right after ginning – enabling the cotton to be visible sooner for brands and retailers looking to source Trust Protocol fiber.

This season’s actual enrollment process will remain the same. To complete enrollment and data entry for the 2023 crop year ahead of the September 1 deadline, producers can visit www. TrustUSCotton.org. For enrollment assistance, contact info@trustuscotton.org. All data entered in the Trust Protocol is secure and confidential, only being used in aggregate form. Crop consultants may be authorized to enter information on the producer’s behalf.

In 2024, the Trust Protocol will further refine the producer enrollment window to begin this coming January and end prior to planting on May 1.

Why is Trust Protocol producer participation important?

■ This voluntary, science-based sustainability program is setting a new standard for delivering value to all stakeholders across the cotton supply chain from farms to finished products. It is the only system that provides quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurement and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics –land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency.

Producers enrolling their cotton crop during this updated timeframe can realize other benefits. They not only gain insights that can help them improve their overall sustainability efforts while using best management practices but be able to complete data entry prior to harvest. Specifically, this enrollment timeframe allows a Trust Protocol member’s cotton bales to be verified as Trust

The program is overseen by a Board representing U.S. cotton producers/other industry segments as well as brands/retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts.

It is very encouraging that the Trust Protocol now has welcomed more than 700 producers and more than 1,200 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members, including Levi Strauss & Co., Old Navy, Gap, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., and J.Crew.

Gary Adams serves as president/chief executive officer of the National Cotton Council of America and as president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

Cotton producers are encouraged to enroll this season’s crop into the Trust Protocol well ahead of the September 1, 2023 deadline.

Collaboration Streamlines

‘When To Water’ App And Sensors

Liquid Prep App Aims To Provide Accurate Data, Global Cost-Effectiveness

In a joint effort, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and IBM are working to develop low-cost sensors and a smartphone app, aimed to provide farmers a new tool for making real-time decisions about when to water crops.

The IBM-developed app, Liquid Prep, relies in part on probe sensors to detect soil moisture levels and collect data. Streamlining of the technology now lies partially in the hands of researchers at the Texas A&M AgriLife Blackland Research and Extension Center at Temple.

The researchers are testing to validate the efficacy of the IBM-developed sensors. Eventually, they will recruit Texas farmers to test the technology in realworld environments.

Liquid Prep

The effort to develop Liquid Prep is part of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator program. This global, pro-bono social impact program leverages the company’s technology and expertise against environmental challenges like climate change, extreme weather and pollution, IBM researchers said.

The Liquid Prep app will be built to combine weather data from IBM, crop-specific information from the AgriLife Research scientists at Temple and real-time soil moisture data from the new sensors. The app will use the combined data to provide farmers with insights to help decide when and how much to water crops, accounting for a range of specific crops.

“The goal for these sensors is that one day they will serve as the most cost-effective solution for irrigation recommendations available to producers in Texas and, eventually, across the globe,” said Raghavan Srinivasan, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M AgriLife center at Temple. Srinivasan is also a professor and Regents Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology and the director for the Spatial Science Laboratory in the Department of

Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

“Texas A&M AgriLife’s technical expertise and extensive network in the agriculture industry has led to many technology innovations and opportunities to impact agricultural communities,” said Michael Jacobs, IBM sustainability and social innovation leader. “The collaboration between this team and IBM data science and machine-learning experts aims to help make key data useful for smallholder farmers.”

Integrating Data Technologies

The researchers are strengthening Liquid Prep by integrating Texas A&M AgriLife’s Soil and Water Assessment Tool and IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite Geospatial Analytics. Their goal is to combine these data systems to simplify development and deployment of machine-learning models for sustainable agriculture.

SWAT provides high-resolution, field-scale forecasts and analysis of soil, water and agriculture metrics. IBM EIS Geospatial Analytics provides satellite data and weather information. Machinelearning models will process their com-

bined data into decision-making insights for farmers.

SWAT-EIS integration would help provide insights on three drought types: meteorological, agricultural and hydrological. A system for understanding the varied attributes of all three types would provide a more complete understanding of drought effects on crops — a boost to stronger agricultural productivity and water management.

Sensor Performance

The process of realizing a global cost-effective tool is in the early stages, said Gurjinder Baath, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and leader of the sensor validation process in Temple.

The first step toward adoption of Liquid Prep is to ensure that the technology is sound and accurate, Baath said. His team’s work involves collecting data from the new sensors and parsing it against results from more involved laboratory testing of soil samples. The team also tests the IBM sensor results

Continued on page 11

Jaiveer Brar, graduate student, left, and Sayantan Sarkar, postdoctoral researcher, test soil moisture sensors and a smartphone app at the Texas A&M AgriLife Blackland Research and Extension Center at Temple.

Cotton Consultant’sCorner

To Be Profitable, Stay On Top Of Insects

Corey Cotton Cotton Ag Services Albany, Georgia

When I was 13 years old, my dad — who also is a consultant — started taking me to the field to scout cotton, which was his biggest crop. Later on, I got a degree in ag science and environmental systems from the University of Georgia. Upon returning from college, I continued working for my dad and then joined Southern Ag Consulting for about a year and a half. In 2018, I started my own consulting business — Cotton Ag Services — in southwest Georgia.

Thrips pressure was pretty heavy last year, which pushed back maturity two to three weeks on some of the cotton where we had substantial damage. We were spraying acephate insecticide twice in spots trying to knock them down, but acephate is not doing the job it used to. We are considering trying Radiant® SC insecticide this year because spinetoram does such a great job on thrips and has good residual, too.

Tarnished plant bug and stink bugs were bad in pockets. Early dry weather kept plant bug numbers down, but as we got more rain in late June and early July, the numbers started picking up on some of our later planted cotton. If we have a lot of wet weather, tarnished plant bug shows up. We will go with Transform® WG insecticide at 1.5 fl oz/acre up to 2.0 fl oz/acre so we can get that residual.

If it’s dry weather and we have a field where we are seeing some plant bugs and early aphids, we’ll put out Transform. This slows down the aphid populations on young cotton where we don’t want to get a lot of yield-robbing damage. Transform is an incredible aphid material and is cost-e ective, too. If you are not seeing the aphid-killing fungus coming in, you can’t wait. You’ve got to spray. That’s where Transform really stands out.

When we get into the second or third week of bloom, we worry more about stink bugs. If they are out there, we are treating them. Stink bugs are a big deal for us.

Protect The Money Bolls

As far as this season, if we start seeing wet weather when the plants begin squaring, we will hit the go button on plant bugs. I definitely will be looking for nymphs in the terminals of the plant. It’s important to manage plant bugs through early squaring because that’s where the money bolls will be. Most of the weight is going to come from the bottom five fruiting branches.

Even with prices the way they are, there is still a chance — with timely management — to make a cotton crop and turn a profit here in the Southeast.

• B.S. degree in Ag Science and Environmental Systems, University of Georgia.

• Started Cotton Ag Services in 2018 and consults in southwest Georgia.

• The main row crops on which he consults are cotton, corn, peanuts, and soybeans. Also consults on some pecan trees and 200 acres of cold, hardy citrus.

• Member, Georgia Citrus Association.

• Member, St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Albany, Georgia.

• Married to Frances “Francie” Cotton. One son: Henry Cotton, 1.

• Enjoys conducting citrus trials and looking after 25 acres of pecans on his farm in Terrell County.

Recap: To Be Profitable, Stay On Top Of Insects

1. Thrips pressure was pretty heavy last year, which pushed back maturity on some of the cotton. We are considering trying Radiant® SC insecticide this year because spinetoram does such a great job on thrips and has good residual, too.

2. If we have a lot of wet weather, tarnished plant bug shows up. We will go with Transform® WG insecticide at 1.5 fl oz/ acre up to 2.0 fl oz/acre so we can get that residual.

3. Transform is an incredible aphid material and is coste ective, too. If you are not seeing the aphid-killing fungus coming in, you can’t wait. You’ve got to spray. That’s where Transform really stands out.

Francie, Corey and Henry Cotton

From Field To Gin Cultivating A Delta Legacy

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR

Brian Fyfe is a fourth-generation farmer born and raised around Clarksdale, Mississippi. In 1926, his great grandfather, Thomas Granville Wilsford, bought some property near Moon Lake that had operated as a 700-acre rose farm owned by the U.S. Nursery Co. for almost 20 years. Today, it is known as Roseacres. Wilsford also had five daughters who all married farm family men in the Clarksdale area. By the 1920s and ’30s, Wilsford farmed 20,000 acres of cotton with mules and had a gin in Lula, Mississippi.

After Fyfe graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in accounting, he worked for a short time at a bank in Memphis and married his high school sweetheart, Maria. Today, they have two daughters — Elizabeth Grace and Brooks. Upon returning to Coahoma County, he was employed by Helena Chemical Co.

“It’s while I was at Helena that I learned a lot about chemicals, seed and fertilizer,” Fyfe said. “I stayed there for five years until my dad’s first cousin, Cliff Heaton of Heaton Farms, came knocking on my door. He farms about 14,000 acres and has a family ginning business — Bobo-Moseley Gin Co. — in Lyon, Mississippi.

“As the business manager for Heaton Farms for 20 years, I handle most of the day-to-day operations — crop insurance, crop certification, crop revenue and expenses. I also work with our consultant, Andy Graves, and our farm managers regarding the varieties we plant, fertilizer applications and pest control recommendations. Andy does our soil sampling and is a fertility expert and a great entomologist.

“He usually sends me a report twice a week when he checks us. Whatever Andy wants to do from an insecticide standpoint, I will get the hi-boys rolling or the airplanes flying. Our aerial applicator service is Air-Worthy Inc. located at the airport north of Clarksdale. It’s important to apply cotton insecticides timely. Joe Worthy has three airplanes and three pilots, so he can get on us pretty quickly.”

A Strong Foundation

The crop mix at Heaton Farms includes 7,000 acres of mostly irrigated cotton, 3,000 acres of beans, 2,500 acres of corn and 1,000 acres of wheat.

In 2022, they grew PHY 411 W3FE, NG 3299 B3XF and ST 5091B3XF cotton varieties. As seed growers for Deltapine, they also grew DP 2127 B3XF and DP 2141NR B3XF.

“We have a lot of thrips pressure and nematodes,” Fyfe said. “The PhytoGen variety we planted has both root-knot and reniform nematode resistance. Last year, the yield was through the roof, outyielding everything we had by 200 to 300 pounds per

acre, and the grades were excellent.”

This season, Fyfe says they will have both PHY 411 W3FE and PHY 443 W3FE in their cotton variety mix. Both have resistance to bacterial blight, root-knot nematode and reniform nematode.

“We grew 443 two years ago,” Fyfe said. “It yielded well but was taller than anything else. We realized it’s better suited for mixed to heavy dirt because it makes a really big stalk. We are going to plant 411 on good, sandy ground where we believe we have nematode pressure. The PhytoGen varieties have good vigor. If a variety comes out of the ground growing strong, it will grow faster and could outgrow some thrips and nematode pressure.”

Chris Main, PhytoGen cotton development specialist, agrees that picking a variety that’s well suited for your farm is import-

Brian Fyfe has been the business manager for Heaton Farms in the Mississippi Delta for 20 years.

PHOTOS BY DREW HARRIS

ant because everyone has a unique situation.

“Across the Mid-South, we have many different soil types,” he said. “We go from sands in the Bootheel to heavy clays in Louisiana and everything else in between. Having a variety that fits those individual scenarios and provides high yields is very important.”

Pest Control Strategies

“It’s also critical during that first 40-day window to keep the weeds out — broadleaves and grasses,” Main said. “They use up the water and nitrogen that’s in the soil while the plant is trying to set itself up to have a lot of reproductive structures to produce a high yield at the end of the season.”

The three most troublesome weeds on Heaton Farms are ryegrass, pigweed and Roundup-resistant Johnsongrass.

Fyfe said they put out a fall burndown of metolachlor or Dual herbicide to get the ryegrass before it comes up and Valor herbicide for the broadleaves.

“Roundup-resistant Johnsongrass is starting to show up, too,” he said. “Liberty herbicide or Select herbicide with a little Roundup does well on it. For pigweed, we put out Valor in March and Reflex in early April pre-emerge. We spray Gramoxone or paraquat behind the planter to try to kill any pigweeds that have already emerged. Then we plant Enlist or dicamba varieties, so we are able to spray Enlist herbicides (2,4D choline) or dicamba. On the Enlist varieties, we can spray Enlist One and Roundup and then come back with Liberty and Enlist One to change the chemistries up a little bit.”

From an insect standpoint, Heaton Farms’ crop consultant Andy Graves said last year’s insect pressure was intense.

“Thrips pressure was heavy, and we were seeing a lot of resistance to insecticides,” he said. “After widespread control failures, we swapped over to Intrepid Edge insecticide, which got us out of a bad thrips situation. When we moved into squaring and beyond, our plant bug pressure was intense, and we had

two heavy bollworm flights along with aphid pressure. “Transform is one of our main go-to insecticides to control tarnished plant bug. To help with resistance, I use a lot of insecticide

Brian Fyfe said PHY 411 W3FE is a good t on Heaton Farms’ sandy ground and has resistance to bacterial blight, root-knot and reniform nematodes.

At Heaton Farms, Brian Fyfe handles most of the day-to-day operations.

combinations. Very rarely do I put just one insecticide in the tank to try to control what’s in the field. I also have some good scouts. I can’t say enough about them. Chase Middleton has been with me for seven years and Gaines Barksdale for five years. We run about 70 to 80 hours a week, and they don’t miss a beat.”

In addition to balancing seed traits and pest control options, Fyfe said they take advantage of other technology on Heaton Farms as well. They have guidance systems on all the tractors, seed monitors on the planters and yield monitors on the pickers and the combines to help evaluate varieties, test plots or problem areas in the field. They also use Pipe Planner, which saves on irrigation time and water, and have just invested in some high-speed planters.

For The Love Of Cotton

In 2016, Fyfe was able to pick up some land of his own to farm while continuing to carry out his responsibilities as business manager for Heaton Farms.

“I started out with 800 acres and have now grown to 4,000 acres,” Fyfe said. “My main operation is called Hotty Toddy Farms. I have my own managers — Coleman Allen, who is Cliff’s first cousin — and Landy Hurdle, who runs the day-today operations. I have my own crew, managers and equipment, so this farm is separate from Heaton Farms.”

Fyfe also is involved in another enterprise. He and his two brothers, Charlie and Collins, formed a partnership and were able to pick up the family farm — Roseacres — that every generation has farmed for the past 100 years.

“Cliff always said, and I agree, that when all else fails, grow

The Backstory — Bobo-Moseley Gin. Co.

Cliff Heaton, of Heaton Farms, shares the backstory of his family’s Mississippi Delta ginning business — Bobo-Moseley Gin Co. — located in the small community of Lyon near Clarksdale.

“During the early 1800s, every farm in the Delta had its own gin because you could only move cotton as far as the mules could haul it — approximately 2 ½ miles was the limit. So, about every 2 ½ to 3 miles, there was a small gin in the Mississippi Delta.

“Back in the 1850s, we had a very small gin that wasn’t even shaped like current gins. Later on, A.J. Moseley, my great grandfather, and Charles Bobo, my great, great uncle, built another gin right across the gravel road and called it Bobo-Moseley Gin Co. That gin was torn down in the early 1900s, and another one was built right next to it. We built our current gin in 1974 and have expanded it a lot since then. At that time, we ginned at two different gins — the third one along with the fourth one that had just been built.

“My great granddaddy and Uncle Charlie started it all. When Daddy inherited the ginning interest, he and Uncle Charlie built the big gin where we are located now. Rodney Conley is our manager.

“As far as volume, 2019 was the biggest year we’ve ever had. The gin ran until February, and we ginned a total of 89,000 bales. This past year we ginned 65,000, which is closer to our average.”

cotton because that’s what we are geared for,” Fyfe said. “Cotton is a high-maintenance crop, but it’s high reward, too. There are several different revenue streams for cotton.

“I always appreciate being able to ride the farm late in the evenings to look at the crop with my black lab, Luke. But my most gratifying time with cotton is in the fall when the leaves come off, and you can see what you’ve got. Farming is not always easy, but it’s an enjoyable way of life.”

In addition to serving as business manager for Heaton Farms, Brian Fyfe has his own operation — Hotty Toddy Farms — in Lyon, Mississippi.

DREW HARRIS

against those produced by other proprietary sensors utilized for research at the Texas A&M AgriLife center at Temple.

“Overall, we’re looking for reliability of results, cost-effectiveness and simplicity of use,” Baath said, pointing out that early results are promising. The teams’ work involves identifying technical issues in the new platform and retesting streamlined iterations from IBM.

Baath said additional validation work on the new sensors is being undertaken collaboratively at private farms in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Ottawa, Ontario, including testing soils in compositional contrast to the black clay soils of Temple. This is to test the sensors’ viability in varying conditions and different crops including cotton, corn, wheat, soybeans and more.

Sensor Validation

While development of Liquid Prep technology remains in the early stages, Srinivasan said, the AgriLife Research team’s work has opened the doors to global conversations about possibilities for emerging technologies as well as existing ones developed at the Texas A&M AgriLife center at Temple.

Since the late 1970s, the center has developed computer models and big-data systems for understanding and predicting a range of processes related to farm and rangeland management.

“We have received many inquiries, especially lately, based on the information IBM has put out so far on our work together with Liquid Prep,” Srinivasan said. He emphasized possible progress toward making Liquid Prep economically viable for farmers in developing countries.

Talks that began with work on Liquid Prep technology,

Srinivasan said, have also blossomed to include more comprehensive possibilities for AgriLife Research’s computer modeling and decision-support systems at the center in Temple. Applications for the technology include more general climate protection as well as possible collaborations across several countries outside the U.S. including Ukraine.

In the immediate future, Baath and Srinivasan look forward to recording the results of their Liquid Prep sensor validation work for peer-reviewed publication in scientific journals.

Authored by Gabe Saldana. He is a Texas A&M AgriLife marketing and communications strategist focusing on initiatives of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, which includes 13 research and Extension centers across Texas.

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Implementing New Technology Traits

How A South Carolina Grower Tackles Nematodes Head On

BY CASSIDY NEMEC ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jason Waltz farms cotton in St. Matthews, South Carolina. He recently worked with Clemson University and Deltapine on a nematode study. In the study, they tested nematode-resistant varieties versus Telone-applied fields versus a control with nothing. After two years of data, Waltz is growing all nematode-resistant cotton on his farm today.

The Farm

Waltz, a Deltapine New Product Evaluator grower since 2006, farms cotton, corn, peanuts and soybeans across his South Carolina farming operation southeast of Columbia.

The soil textures on Waltz’s farm include Orangeburg loamy sand, Faceville fine sandy loam and Lucy sand. The average pH over all his soils is 6.7.

Dr. John Mueller, Clemson Extension row crop pathologist, said reniform nematodes tend to prefer more of the loamy soil that has more color to it, whereas the root-knot nematodes steer toward the sandier fields and soils.

Waltz said he had tried every nematicide one could think of prior to this study. “You name it, we’ve done it,” he said. “Long story short, I knew we had a problem.”

He commented that his common varieties at the time were DP 2038 and DP 2055, which he would pair with the in-furrow nematicide, Telone, before seeing DP 2141NR come up in the Class of ’21 NPE varieties. The variety stood out to him, and he wanted to do an extensive plot the next year.

The Study

Dr. Mueller noted DP 2141NR’s resistance qualities to both reniform and root-knot nematodes. He took samples of nematodes to obtain numbers and weights throughout the study’s duration.

Mueller said that, for root-knot nematode-infested fields, it not only controls the nematodes in the current year but

also helps knock down numbers for the next year.

In Waltz’s on-farm trial, the following combinations were tested in a reniform-infested field:

 DP 2055:

■ Five pounds of AgLogic and zero gallons of Telone.

■ Five pounds of AgLogic and three gallons of Telone.

 DP 2141:

■ Five pounds of AgLogic and zero gallons of Telone.

■ Five pounds of AgLogic and three gallons of Telone.

DP 2141NR B3XF is a mid- to full-maturity Bollgard 3 XtendFlex variety known for its root-knot and reniform

nematode-resistant qualities, and DP 2055 B3XF is a full-maturity Bollgard 3 XtendFlex variety.

“We were looking at high root-knot and reniform nematode populations on that field,” Waltz said. “We applied Telone on 100% of our cotton acres because of high nematode pressure in our sandy soils. In 2021, we planted DP 2055 with and without Telone, and I planted DP 2141NR B3XF with and without Telone side by side.”

Each combination was harvested in six-row, 2,067-foot-long strips, equaling out to 0.901 acres a piece.

The study was a strip trial in around an 83-acre field in Fort Motte, South Carolina. They dug roots for each com-

Jason Waltz checking cotton at his South Carolina farm.

bination in the plot at different times throughout the season. Mueller pulled nematode samples at the cotyledon stage, but populations were not that high due to it being very dry at the start of the season.

Waltz noted there was still a noticeable difference in plant health and could tell something was wrong with the plant health in the DP 2055 rows without Telone at this stage.

Waltz commented on DP 2141NR being a powerhouse cotton variety that is very vegetative and absorbs nutrients in an efficient manner — so much so that he lowered his fertilizer rate by 10% last season.

“I say it’s not a variety; it’s an animal.”

The Results

The nematode count results at both five weeks and harvest for the four scenarios planted showed stark differences between DP 2055 and DP 2141NR.

The harvest counts for reniform nematodes showed the following numbers of reniform nematodes per 100cm3 soil:

 DP 2055 with Telone = 1,342.

 DP 2055 without Telone = 2,055.

 DP 2141NR with Telone = 142.

 DP 2141NR without Telone = 572.

When looking at the harvest numbers, Waltz said he almost fell out of his chair. “We were decreasing our nematode population in the 2141.”

“The Telone did work on top, as we knew it would, but if you just compare the varieties, 2141 is just not supporting infection and reproduction by the reniform, which is exactly what you want,” Mueller said.

He also noted the bump in yield between the two tested varieties. “If you had 2141 versus 2055, you’re looking at a 300-pound yield increase [with 2141].

“That’s a big deal,” Waltz said.

He was able to pick a whole field of DP 2141NR with no Telone applied and still make 1,300 pounds.

Seeing the results of this large field study, Waltz decided to plant all DP

2141NR moving forward. “What I saw was so strong, and data doesn’t lie. We have a cotton variety that’s going to revolutionize the nematode problem we have in cotton,” he said.

“It tells me that DP 2141NR has very good resistance to nematode, and it is actually suppressing nematodes whereas we did not see that with Telone on DP 2055. It helped, but DP 2141NR actually reduces the populations. And you cannot tell much of a difference between DP 2141NR with Telone and without Telone. On DP 2055, you can tell there is a major difference in plant health.”

The 2022 cotton season brought Waltz several challenges from Mother Nature, but he did not let that stop him or his

2022 crop.

“We had two weeks of bad rain in September, had a lot of boll rot, had a hurricane come through, and I’m still set to average over 1,100 pounds to the acre on 1,600 acres this year,” he said. “It’s been phenomenal.”

Even with the obstacles that came, Waltz still managed to be a High Yield Award winner as part of NPE with DP 2349NR. This is another nematode-resistant variety from Deltapine’s new Class of ’23 varieties that Waltz harvested at 1,380 pounds per acre.

“It’s what we’ve needed forever,” Dr. Mueller said in reference to the nematode-resistant varieties. “Hopefully, this is just the beginning.”

A side-by-side view of DP 2141NR (le ) and DP 2055 cotton varieties.

“What I saw was so strong, and data doesn’t lie. We have a cotton variety that’s going to revolutionize the nematode problem we have in cotton.”

The Seal Of Cotton Trademark Celebrates 50 Years

In 1973, the Seal of Cotton trademark was created and 50 years later, it has become an iconic symbol to consumers and is globally recognized by the textile industry. The power of the seal is still real today with more than eight out of 10 consumers recognizing the Seal of Cotton trademark.

But where does the seal come from, and who owns it? The Seal of Cotton trademark is owned by Cotton Incorporated who created it with checkoff funds paid into the Cotton Research and Promotion Program.

A Trademark Is Born

The initial idea for designing a cotton trademark came in 1971 when Dukes Wooters, Cotton Incorporated’s first president, wanted a symbol that would convert cotton from a commonplace agricultural commodity into an identifiable consumer brand. The logo, known as the Seal of Cotton, was created in 1973 by San Franciscobased creative agency Landor Associates, who also designed Levi Strauss & Co.’s patch and Coca-Cola’s trademark.

“The assignment, or brief, we got was to find a way for cotton to stand out from competing fibers,” recalls Susan Landor Keegin, project manager for Landor Associates at the time. Twelve options for the iconic logo were presented, and the winning one was Susan’s design. “It was a highlight of my life. We came up with several options, and the one that caught everyone’s imagination was my design, and it was the one that was ultimately used.”

The inspiration for the design, she recalls, came from a trip to California. “I was going to see relatives who lived in the area and saw cotton growing in the

BY STACEY GORMAN WARREN, ARKANSAS

fields with the bolls puffed up. I picked a bunch of cotton and brought it back to the office. Something about seeing it in person, the rigidity of the stem and the softness of the boll inspired my design.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

All Things Cotton

Fifty years of using the Seal of Cotton trademark to build a brand has earned consumers’ affection, with more than 90% stating cotton is their preferred choice because it is the softest, most comfortable and most versatile fiber. In the past 50 years, The Seal of Cotton has been registered in nearly 70 countries with more than 950 brands. There are 190 worldwide licensees.

There are no royalty fees required for brands and retailers to be able to use the Seal of Cotton trademark on their products. However, there is one essential requirement — the product must be predominantly made of cotton. In fact, Cotton Incorporated has an entire team dedicated to making sure the Seal of Cotton trademark is used correctly and in accordance with qualifying guidelines.

“We are proud to offer brands and retailers the opportunity to leverage 50 years of visibility and positive connections to the Seal of Cotton trademark,” said Kim Kitchings, Cotton Incorporated’s senior vice president of consumer marketing. “At Cotton Incorporated, our mission is to promote

the use of and desire for all things cotton. With over 80% of consumers saying they can rely on a brand and its product when it features the Seal of Cotton, we know the power of the seal is real. By calling attention to cotton, through the Seal of Cotton trademark, brands and retailers can tell a story consumers identify with, in addition to aligning with the perceptions of quality, trust and sustainability that are associated with cotton.”

As the Seal of Cotton celebrates its 50th anniversary, Cotton Incorporated urges shoppers to make a conscious effort to check the label and seek products, clothing and home goods made of cotton and featuring the seal when making purchasing decisions. The Seal of Cotton recognition remains strong and together, we can make sure it will always be The Fabric of Our Lives. For more information on the 50th anniversary of the Seal of Cotton, visit: lifestylemonitor. cottoninc.com/50-year-anniversary/.

Stacey Gorman is The Cotton Board’s director of communications. Contact her at sgorman@cottonboard.org.

Cotton Incorporated’s Kim Kitchings said by calling attention to cotton, through the Seal of Cotton trademark, brands and retailers can tell a story consumers identify with.

CCO Y

The Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) Award marks more than four decades. The award recognizes a consultant who has made great contributions to the cotton industry through outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation. It honors a consultant who not only meets these requirements but also exceeds them.

Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine — CCOY sponsors — are soliciting your help in selecting the 2023 recipient, who will be named at a special celebration Friday, March 1, 2024, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

The winning consultant and the person who nominates the winner receive a two-night hotel stay and airfare to Memphis. The 2023 CCOY recipient also will be featured in a four-page salute in the February 2024 issue of Cotton Farming.

Submit nominations by Aug. 15, 2023.

Mail: Carroll Smith

7201 Eastern Ave. Germantown, TN 38138

Scan/Email: csmith@onegrower.com

You can print an electronic version of the form located on the Cotton Farming website at www.cottonfarming.com.

Nominate online: cottonfarming.com/ccoy

Cotton Consultant of theYear2023

NOMINATION FORM

If you would like to nominate a consultant deserving of this outstanding recognition, please take a moment to fill out the following form.

Please use a separate page for biographical/professional information. Additional recommendations via letters or emails from other farmers, consultants and industry members are also encouraged to provide support for the nominee.

Consultant’s Name:

Company Name:

Mailing Address:

City: State: ZIP: Phone: Email:

In your own words, please tell us why you are nominating the consultant above for the Cotton Consultant of the Year Award. Additional pages may be attached, emailed or attached to the online nomination form.

Background:

Biographical/Industry Involvement Background. This information as well as support letters may be attached to this form, emailed or attached to the online nomination form.

Your Name:

Mailing Address: City: State: ZIP: Phone: Email:

Sponsored by

Producer Perspectives On The 2023 Farm Bill

The House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management and Credit held a hearing recently to review producers’ needs for the upcoming Farm Bill.

Among the witnesses was Shawn Holladay, Dawson County producer, Plains Cotton Growers past president and current chair of the National Cotton Council. In Holladay’s opening statement, he emphasized key priorities of the Farm Bill that would be beneficial to the U.S. cotton industry.

Seed Cotton Reference Price

“Since 2018, cotton costs of production have increased by 20 cents per pound, based on average yields of 800 pounds per acre,” Holladay said. “For many producers, total production costs now range between 90 cents and $1 per pound, which exceed current futures prices trading in the mid-80s.”

When calculated based on seed cotton, the total costs to produce a pound of seed cotton have risen nearly 9 cents since the 2018 Farm Bill, with current costs of production at almost 48 cents. This is far above the seed cotton reference price of 36.7 cents per pound.

“The current reference prices were set in the 2014 Farm Bill using 2012 data, which is outdated,” said Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), subcommittee chair. “Even three years old would be too old at this point, given the increase in input prices.”

When Scott asked for the break-even cotton lint price producers need in relation to the seed cotton reference price, Holladay answered: “To break even, a producer would need a 85-cent to 95-cent lint price, depending on what all he puts into his crop.”

Multiple representatives sitting on the subcommittee made mention of reference prices and the need to raise them to alleviate financial strain on producers.

Crop Insurance

Currently, producers enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs are limited in their access to crop insurance, “due to a prohibition on the purchase of the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) on their enrolled farm,” Holladay said. “At the beginning of the prohibition, during the 2019 crop year, most growers chose to enroll their base acres in PLC. However, with higher cotton futures prices for the 2021 and 2022 crops, and limited effectiveness of the current seed cotton reference price, STAX has become a more attractive option.”

Holladay emphasized to the subcommittee that producers should be able to manage risk based on the needs of their operation. Eliminating the prohibition on simultaneous enrollment in PLC and STAX, as well as boosting the top coverage level of STAX for those farms with no seed cotton base — or who forego enrollment in ARC/PLC — would allow them to tailor their risk management options according to the needs of their operation. In turn, this will also decrease producers’ reliance on ad hoc pro-

grams, putting producers in charge of their own production risks.

Cotton Loan Programs

Scott also asked Holladay about the effectiveness of raising loan rates.

“We use the marketing loan frequently in cotton,” he responded. “Most of our cotton is exported, so we experience unique issues in terms of shipping, storage and marketing.” He went on to say that raising the loan rate would not be a large cost item to Congress yet would have a significant impact on the amount of working capital producers can obtain when prices have dipped to break-even or lower.”

Even in times of higher market prices, the marketing loan programs are utilized by the cotton industry to provide cash flow for producers and flexibility in marketing to encourage orderly movement of the crop throughout the year.

Despite higher production costs, the maximum level of the loan rate has remained at 52 cents since 2002.

Holladay said the level of the loan rate should be increased to better reflect current costs of production and recent market prices.

“In addition, loan repayment provisions should be modernized to better reflect the competitive landscape in the global market and the higher storage and logistics costs facing the industry,” he added.

While the hearing was divided into two different segments totaling more than six hours of discussion, subcommittee members were eager to hear how they could better serve rural America.

As House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) stated in his opening remarks of the hearing, “To get the policy right, we need to hear directly from the voices in the countryside rather than the (Washington D.C.) Beltway.”

Plains Cotton Growers Inc. provided this information.

Shawn Holladay

2023 Trust Protocol Grower Enrollment Open

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced recently that enrollment for the 2023 crop year is open now through Sept. 1, providing growers the opportunity to complete data entry prior to harvest. The updated timing also better aligns with peak cotton marketing dates and allows a member’s cotton to be verified and visible as Protocol Cotton bales right after ginning.

This timing will also provide growers who are members of the program with additional benefits, including more timely insights that can be implemented into management plans as they work towards continuous improvement from pre-planting to post-harvest activities.

The Trust Protocol is a voluntary, farm level science-based sustainability program that is setting a new standard for delivering value to all stakeholders across the entire supply chain from farms to finished products. The program’s mission is to bring quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the key sustainability metrics of U.S. cotton production.

“As we look to continuously improve the program and provide further value, we’re pleased to share the updated grower enrollment timing that will better align with peak cotton marketing dates,” said Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

“Knowing that more than half of the U.S. cotton crop is marketed within a critical three-month window beginning at the height of ginning in November, the transition will allow members’ cotton to be verified as Protocol Cotton on their initial Electronic Warehouse Receipt.

“This means a grower member’s cotton can also be marketed as Protocol Cotton right after ginning and be visible sooner for brands and retailers looking to source that fiber,” Adams continued.

To date, the Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 1,200 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members.

As enrollment will now be open for four months, instead of 12, growers are encouraged to begin their data entry as soon as possible. The actual enrollment process will remain the same, with the only change being the window for data completion. In 2024, the program will further refine the grower enrollment window to begin in January and end prior to planting on May 1. Those

Hats Off To The Present And Past CCOY Award Winners

interested in participating in the Climate Smart Cotton Program should also be watchful for Trust Protocol communications once the grant is finalized.

To complete enrollment and data entry for the 2023 crop year ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline, growers can visit TrustUSCotton.org. For assistance, contact info@trustuscotton.org.

In Remembrance:

Dr. William F. ‘Bill’ Lalor Sr.

Dr. William F. “Bill” Lalor Sr. of Ridgeland, Mississippi, passed away April 26.

Bill was Cotton Incorporated’s fourth vice president of the company’s agricultural research division. He clearly understood the role of his division — to find solutions to problems of those who funded the Research and Promotion Program — cotton producers.

His understanding of agricultural engineering laddered up to groundbreaking innovations for the U.S. cotton industry. One research project invested $532,000 in an innovative seed cotton handling system and resulted in a $1.8 billion savings for

cotton producers across the nation.

Bill led his team of researchers whose cooperative research also help substantiate the importance and eventual establishment of the Boll Weevil Eradication Program that was calculated to save growers $36 per acre in insecticide costs and added $42 per acre in increased cotton yield.

He played a significant role in the development of an improved “delinting” process for cottonseed — employing a 10% sulfuric acid solution instead of a 98% to 100% solution. These and other projects improved grower profitability, the cotton industry’s overall environmental sustainability and solidified Bill’s place in U.S. agricultural history.

On the personal side, Bill was engaging, insightful and had an innate sense of what was important. He kept the interest of the growers top of mind. His door was always open, and he always had thoughtful comments about the subject matter at hand. Bill was a stickler for good grammar and would call out folks when bad grammar was used. He would go to bat for his employees and supported them tirelessly.

Bill loved cycling and traveling. He was kind and had a gentle soul. Bill will be remembered fondly by the people he touched throughout his lifetime both personally and professionally.

Hank Jones (center) of Winnsboro, Louisiana, was named the 2022 Cotton Consultant of the Year at a special recognition reception this spring at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Joining Jones (from left) are Tim Roberts, 2016 CCOY; Jack Royal, 2006 CCOY; Tucker Miller, 2004 CCOY; Harold Lambert, 2001 CCOY; Joe Townsend, 2009 CCOY; Grady Coburn, 1986 CCOY; and Mark Nemec, 2010 CCOY. To nominate a deserving consultant for the 2023 CCOY award, access the nomination form on page 15 or go online at cottonfarming.com/ccoy.

2023 Planting Progress Report

GEORGIA Camp Hand

As I write this May 5, planters are starting to roll in Georgia. Although we are getting started, we are a little behind as it has been relatively cool for the end of April and rst week of May here. However, with temperatures expected to rise in the coming days, I imagine there will be many folks that are xing to start getting a er it.

Typically, by the rst week in June, we are over 80% planted, and I hope that by the time you are reading this, we will be in the same boat. For those that have yet to plant, or are replanting at this point, keep in mind that our major limiting factor to getting a stand at this point is soil moisture. In 2022, we planted some cotton on June 1, and it was so hot and dry that, even though the eld was irrigated, we “cooked” the seed we planted. If you are planting dryland elds, plant into good moisture, but if you are planting irrigated elds, plant into good moisture and be as timely as possible with irrigation if necessary.

Last reminder: as all of you are aware, cotton prices are unfortunately not what they were a year ago. At planting and early in the season, I see a lot of products used in cotton that have not been proven to provide any increase in lint yield or preservation of yield from problematic pests.

erefore, I wouldn’t use these products that have not demonstrated a consistent return on investment. Of course, there is nothing wrong with trying new things on a limited basis.

If you decide to try a new product that is supposed to mitigate stress, increase nutrient uptake/e ciency or even increase seedling vigor, I would do a few passes in the eld and leave a nontreated section to evaluate if it bene ted your crop or not. Now, if you aren’t that adventurous and want to be a little more con dent in your inputs prior to trying something new, myself and other members of the UGA cotton team test a number of products every year. We try to generate data to help you all make sound decisions that will almost certainly provide a return on investment for your crop, and that data is always available through your local UGA county Extension agent.

With that, if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local UGA county Extension agent. em, along with your UGA specialists, are here to help! camphand@uga.edu

MISSISSIPPI Brian Pieralisi

In Mississippi, planting conditions were better in late February and March than they are currently — as I write this May 5. Warm weather dominated our region throughout most of March and into April; however, cool, wet weather moved in as May 1 quickly approached. I was suspicious of a late cool spell. In Mississippi, it’s always a good idea to anticipate one more cool snap in late April or early May.

Cotton plantings are forecast to be about 400,000 acres this year, which is down about 24% from 2022. Some acres were sown in southern Mississippi during the last week of April. e rst week of May produced several consecutive nights with temperatures dipping well into the 40s in most locations. Despite the nighttime temperatures, most cotton growers were planting during this window. Currently, there are rain chances for the next seven to 10 days, so I am sure these growers are glad their seed is in the ground. In terms of progress at this point, I would estimate that Mississippi is less than or equal to 25% planted. bkp4@msstate.edu

TEXAS Ben McKnight

As I write this in early May, approximately 20% of the 2023 cotton acres have been planted statewide in Texas. Comparing planting progress thus far to the past ve years in the rst week of May, Texas cotton acres are currently 3% ahead of schedule according to the USDA-NASS Texas crop progress report. Many of the areas that are currently planted in southern Texas and the eastern half of the state have received generous amounts of rainfall over the past month. According to the drought monitor map, the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Coastal Bend, Upper Gulf Coast and much of the Blackland Prairie growing regions are currently not considered to be in drought conditions.

In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, much of the crop is squaring and attention has focused towards scouting for eahoppers in an e ort to be timely with insecticide applications and prevent economic losses from these pests. Further north in the Coastal Bend growing region, the growth stage of the

crop is a mixed bag ranging from seedling cotton to pinhead square. Cotton that was planting into adequate soil moisture got off to an early start, and recent rainfall has helped the crop progress nicely.

Cotton is up and growing across much of the Upper Gulf Coast, and recent rainfall has helped recharge soil moisture for the first half of the growing season within much of the region except for a few isolated pockets directly along the coast. In the Blackland Prairie growing region, cotton planted in the past two weeks has emerged and some plantings are still occurring within the region following recent rainfall.

Much of the state west of Interstate 35 is still listed as being in moderate to exceptional drought conditions. As we get closer to planting time across the Rolling Plains, West Central Texas and the High Plains, more rainfall is greatly needed to replenish soil moisture going into the 2023 growing season. bmcknight@tamu.edu

MISSOURI Bradley Wilson

Cotton producers began planting cotton mid-April, but planted acres were minimal due to unfavorable environmental conditions in late April. Beginning May 1, a short window was provided for planting before a forecasted rainfall at the end of the week. Planters and sprayers continued to run until late in the evening before the expected rainfall.

Cotton acreage is likely 25% to 40% planted across the state. Rainfall chances continue to be expected in early to mid-May, which may slow planting progress in areas that receive greater rainfall amounts. Temperatures forecasted for the next few weeks are optimal for cotton planting, so we will continue planting if fields remain dry enough. brwilson@ missouri.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper

Tennessee’s April started warmer than normal but finished cold. The last few April and first few May nights provided lows in the 40s. As I write this May 3, only a few producers in Tennessee have put any cotton in the ground. Fortunately, it looks like the next front coming May 5 brings warmer weather.

We can plant a tremendous number of acres in a good day and if this forecast holds, I suspect by the end of next week, we will possibly have 25% or better of our cotton acres planted. This number would be much larger if it wasn’t for the chances of scattered thunderstorms in the forecast throughout the next two weeks.

Overall, the state seems to have increased the acreage of soybeans (particularly early soybeans) to an unprecedented level, corn acres seem to be flat and cotton acres will likely fall below 250,000. traper@utk.edu

ALABAMA Steve M. Brown

In the old days, meaning prior to the introduction of Roundup Ready cotton, effective weed control required a multi-pronged approach, including preplant tillage, PPI, PRE and POST herbicides and mechanical cultivation. PRE treatments typically included Cotoran (fluometuron), alone or in combination, at rates well beyond those used today and that often flirted with crop injury. PRE activity hinged on TIMELY rainfall or irrigation, and apart from that, results were disappointing.

Early POST applications ideally involved precisely directed applications delivered with spray fender cultivators when cotton was three to five inches tall and followed up with a second post-directed application and cultivation two to three weeks later. TIMELINESS was critical with these post treatments because few products effectively controlled key

weeds exceeding two to three inches in height. Some post over-the top treatments were rescue alternatives but reserved as salvage treatments because of the accompanying crop injury. The season was often completed with a layby treatment and maybe a final cultivation.

Introduced in 1997 in RR cotton, over-the-top Roundup (glyphosate) applications revolutionized weed management. They minimized the use of PPI and PRE herbicides, relieved the associated cotton injury and eliminated the need for precision post-directed applications and repeated cultivations. Roundup was indeed a “silver bullet” … for a few years.

It didn’t last. Roundup still controls some important weeds, but shifts to resistant, dominant weeds such as Palmer amaranth have compelled a return to “multi-pronged” systems in which residual herbicides are layered in at intervals and post treatments are made in a “TIMELY” manner.

TIMELINESS still counts. There is no substitute for making post applications when weeds are small and actively growing. A half-inch to one-inch pigweed is hard to see from a pickup, but in a few days it could be three to five inches and on the edge of escape. Post treatments made a few days late usually yield poor results. Whether the post application includes glyphosate, Liberty (glufosinate), dicamba or 2,4-D alone or in combination, weed size profoundly influences herbicide efficacy. Some suggest that TIMING is more important than rate. Maybe, but since that initial post application is so critical, make it count! Be on TIME. cottonbrown@auburn.edu

LOUISIANA Matt Foster

Cotton planting in Louisiana is moving along at a steady pace. As I write this May 5, approximately 35% to 45% of the crop has been planted. Emergence and growth have been slow mainly due to cooler-than-usual temperatures. Some planting operations will cease this week as substantial rainfall is predicted for most cotton-producing areas in the state. Overall, the crop is looking good so far.

In Louisiana, cotton is generally planted mid-April to mid-May. Hopefully, the majority of our cotton crop this year will be planted during the optimal planting window. Research has shown that cotton planted late May to early June can see up to a 25% reduction in lint yield. With substantial rainfall in the forecast, some of the 2023 cotton crop may be planted later. For late-planted cotton, growers may need to fine tune their management practices for insect control, nitrogen fertilization and plant growth regulator (PGR) in order to avoid a delayed harvest. Thrips damage and excess nitrogen can delay maturity. Late-planted cotton often grows more vigorously compared to an early planted crop, so a timelier PGR approach is often needed. mfoster@agcenter.lsu.edu

Ginners Marketplace

Keep Safety In Front Of Mind During Repair Season

Planting season is finishing up or has finished by now in most places. As spring draws to a close and summer is knocking at the door, most ginners are getting into the full swing of repair season. This is when gins replace the things that wore out during the past gin season or that were patched up to get through the season. It’s also a good time to add new equipment and technology to the gin.

This is the time we really need to pay attention to safety. A lot of the severe accidents we see in gins happen during what we refer to as “non-routine activities.” These are things we may only do once in a while or once in a lifetime, such as putting in new overhead equipment, replacing cyclones, replacing fans or adding a module feeder. All these things are necessary and a normal part of running a cotton gin, but no two are exactly the same.

What Front Of Mind Looks Like

We talk a lot about safety. We try not to preach about it, but it’s di icult not to sometimes. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be one of those times.

Safety is a mindset. It’s not just a set of rules that needs to be pencil whipped. Rules are important, but the rules aren’t

the point. The reason we keep talking about safety and your associations spend a lot of resources on it is to help keep safety in people’s minds. If it’s in the back of your mind when you start to move that fan, it might take a while to eventually creep to the front.

What do I mean? Well, take the example of moving a fan around. To do it safely, you need a machine that’s capable of lifting the fan, strong enough straps or chains, space to move around and a plan. Safety in the back of your mind looks like having a plan and a clear path to move the fan. Safety in the front of your mind has a di erent look.

Safety in front of mind looks like knowing the weight of the fan, making sure the strap or chain is rated properly and inspected, that the lift device can carry that weight according to the manufacturer, PLUS a clear path and a briefing on how it’s going to work. It also means having a back-up when things aren’t working as expected. Safety in front of mind is our goal. We want you (ginner, manager, supervisor, employee) to think about the risks, the ways to fix those risks or minimize them before setting out to do something.

Too many times we’re tempted to grab a frayed lifting strap or sling because “it worked fine last time.” Or we think we can

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

get someone to hang on the back of a forklift as counterweight because “it’s just 15 feet out the door” to set it down. We don’t stop to think about the consequences if it fails — if the plan doesn’t work.

 June 21: Staplcotn Board Meeting, 214 W Market Street, Greenwood, Mississippi

 June 21: PCCA Board, Delegate Body & Marketing Pool Committee Meetings, Lubbock, Texas

Ginners Marketplace

Learn From Mistakes Of Others

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

If you ever need to take a few minutes of entertainment and chuckles, look at YouTube or your favorite video site and watch some “OSHA is this safe” videos. Search for crane or forklift fail videos. The sites are FULL of videos. Most are fortunate that no one got hurt, but a lot of money was spent on fixing the screw ups.

 July 12-15: Cottonseed & Feed Association Annual Meeting, Allegretto Resort, Paso Robles, California

 July 16-19: Southern Southeastern Mid-Year Board Meetings, One Ocean Resort, Atlantic Beach, Florida

Take A Hard Look At Insurance Costs And Safety Culture At The Gin

 July 18: Plains Cotton Growers Inc. Board of Directors Meeting, Lubbock, Texas

 July 20: Calcot Board of Directors Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona

 July 26: Georgia Cotton Commission Mid-Year Meeting, Nessmith-Lane Conference Center, Statesboro, Georgia

Distractions have become “routine” in our daily lives. Our phones go o , we get text messages and we’re bombarded by the never-ending news cycle. Everything seems to be trying to get our attention, and it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important. Things can sneak up on you, and those are the ones that will jump up and bite you.

Then think about the things you do every day, particularly during the season. Let those videos and the lessons learned from other people’s mistakes move to the front of your mind BEFORE you tackle a job you or your crew haven’t done before. Have a plan and think about what can go wrong and the consequences of that. We want all of you to have a safe and profitable repair season.

In the last year or so, we’ve seen huge increases in our costs. As I write this, we’re getting news of the highest inflation in more than a generation… maybe two.

Dusty Findley, CEO of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, contributed this article. Contact him at 706-344-1212 or dusty@southern-southeastern.org.

While I’m personally seeing some of the things that increased so much ease down a bit, it’s not common for costs that have gone up this much, this fast, to come down or come down very much. We will likely have to learn to live with some of them.

Cotton’s Calendar

The Cost Of Insurance

 June 4-7: NCPA 2023 Annual Meeting, Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona

One of the costs that snuck up on many gins in the past year or so is the cost of insurance. Normally, this is a once-a-year expense we get hit with.

 June 11-13: Cotton Incorporated Board Meeting, Marriott Dallas Uptown, Dallas, Texas

The past renewal cycle or two have been more than a bit of sticker shock for many in the ginning industry. Your associa-

 June 14-16: 2023 ACSA Annual Convention, The Montage, Park City, Utah

tions have been aware of this and have brought it to the attention of our memberships. But I think many of us got distracted by the other things going on and have now been hit with the reality that it’s not getting better.

 Aug. 2-3: American Cotton Producers/Cotton Foundation Summer Meeting, The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana

 Aug. 8-10: Cotton Board/Cotton Inc. Joint Meeting, Durham, North Carolina – Washington Duke Inn

 Aug. 16: PCCA Board, Delegate Body & Marketing Pool Committee Meetings, Lubbock, Texas

 Aug. 23-25: NCC Mid-Year Board Meeting, Omni Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

This is a simplified explanation, but insurance companies are going to do what they need to in order to stay in business. They must make money like we do. The companies take our premium and invest it. They pay claims with it, and they expect to have some left over. If losses are low and return on investment is good, you have happy insurance companies. We get stable premiums and competition.

If they have poor investment returns and higher-than-expected cost of claims (read inflation), you have unhappy insurance companies. They may decide to pull out of the market and/or significantly increase rates. This is where we are today.

Your ginners associations and the National Cotton Ginners’ Association have been concerned about this for some time. We need healthy insurers and competition, but we really can only help one side of the insurance problem…losses. NCGA has put together a list of questions to ask yourself, so you can evaluate

Lummus Ag Technologywants 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 workingto evolve and adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs.

Lummusoffersa 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 needsto ensure your success.

Just a short listof items we offer:

 All-new complete Gin Plants

 Ginning Machinery (individual machines, stand-alone systems, presses, etc.)

 Press Consoles and Main Control Consoles

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 Gin Dor-Les® and E.E. Dor-Les® Press upgrades

16” diameter Bottom Ram Conversion

Hydraulic Tramper/Pusher Conversion

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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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Cotton Was Involved But Not At Fault

While serving as an Extension entomologist for cotton with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service at Auburn University for the past 51 years, I have experienced a few interesting and unusual situations. I would like to share some of the most prominent ones at this time.

Ron Smith

Early in my career (1970s), I interviewed dozens of college students interested in a summer job as a cotton scout. Those selected were referred to the counties where they were hired and paid by growers or the local grower committees. The first incident occurred in Etowah County in the 1970s during a period when cattle prices were actually higher than gold. This particular scout had made close friends with one of his growers and would eat lunch with him on the day he was at his farm.

During the summer, the grower — who also had a big cattle herd — went on vacation. Knowing this, the scout called the cattle auction and told them he wanted to “sell” his entire herd and asked if a truck could be sent down to load and transport them to the market. The cattle were loaded and taken away. But at one point, someone became suspicious. The Department of Agriculture became involved, and the scout was charged with cattle rustling. My university administration wanted to blame me for the ordeal.

A few years later, a dentist in Auburn came up missing. Foul play was suspected, but days went by and they could not find the body. Later, I learned that they had a suspect, the local cotton scout in Lee County. After a week or so, an Auburn police detective arrived at my office for a visit. He wanted to know where the fields were that the scout scouted so that they could look for a body. I knew the local grower but not the individual fields. Later, his accomplice spilled the beans, and they found the body in the woods on the other side of the county where no cotton was grown. The scout was tried and sentenced to life in prison.

Moving on a few years, I received a call from the assistant district attorney, Las Vegas. He was representing about 25 men in a class action lawsuit who as boys in the 1950s to 1960s era were shipped to a juvenile facility in

Alabama for problem youth. They were made to work in fields as crops (cotton) were being dusted with insecticides from that era. They were not allowed to bathe or change clothes for days, so exposure to these chemicals was heavy. This is where I came into the picture since I could provide information on the insecticides (dust) and application. The case was settled out of court, but my name was apparently put on a national registry for having knowledge about cotton insecticides of yesteryear.

Many years later, I received a call from a courtappointed public defender in Byron, Texas, where an individual was charged with capital murder. The public defender was looking into the man’s past to search for factors that could be used to get him life in prison rather than the death penalty. Just so happens the defendant had been heavily exposed to a certain cotton insecticide as a child in Elmore County, Alabama. From this, I became an expert witness in a capital murder case, quite unusual for a cotton entomologist. I spent several months preparing and was on the witness stand for more than an hour being cross examined by the state prosecuting attorney. In preparation for the trial, I had read the book on How To Be An Expert Witness multiple times and furthermore “knew what I knew.” The defendant was given life in prison based on his insecticide exposure as a child. Several other medical experts also testified for him.

One final experience involving a cotton scout was last season. As the scout drove through a mile or so wooded area to reach a large field in the bend of the river in Cherokee County, Alabama, he rounded a curve on a one-lane dirt road only to observe an attractive unclothed woman coming out of the woods. He immediately suspected an ambush and robbery, stopped his truck and got out with a loaded “45.”

He found out the woman had been abandoned the previous day or night while on drugs. She was still under the influence but could request to be taken to a town about 25 miles away. The scout gave her one of his shirts and water, called the Sheriff’s Department and transported her out to the nearest highway to be picked up by the sheriff.

Now could we all agree that cotton was involved but not at fault?

— Ron Smith Auburn, Alabama smithrh@auburn.edu

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

“An Auburn police detective arrived at my office for a visit.”

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