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Industry News
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is holding live enrollment webinars focusing on how the program helps U.S. growers meet the changing demands from their end customer. It also assists in better documenting and verifying the sustainability practices and advances already incorporated into their farms.
Launched in 2020, the Trust Protocol is a farm-level, science-based program that sets a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable cotton production. It also drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics — land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.
In the first year, more than 300 U.S. cotton growers enrolled in the program and secured 1.5 million bales of cotton into the system. The Trust Protocol also welcomed more than 450 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members.
“As members of the Trust Protocol, we will be able to demonstrate to brands and retailers that our cotton is more responsibly grown, which provides them the critical assurances needed to confidently source more U.S. cotton,” says Kellon Lee, an enrolled Trust Protocol grower. “But the Trust Protocol isn’t just designed to help brands and retailers. It also helps us document our sustainability progress and compare it anonymously as we work to improve each year.”
Enrollment for the 2021 crop is open. For growers not yet participating, the webinars will provide an opportunity to learn about program benefits and ask questions. Speakers include Trust Protocol representatives and grower members. Growers may join any of the following webinars and can regis- ter at https://trustuscotton.org/enroll ment-webinar-live-sessions/. Tuesday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m. CST. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 8 a.m. CST. Thursday, Dec. 9, 8 a.m. CST. Tuesday, Dec. 14, 8 a.m. CST.
To learn more about the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, visit TrustUSCotton.org.
Texas AgriLife Extension Offers New Leasing Handbook
Agricultural Leasing Handbook: Grazing, Hunting & Livestock Leases” is a good resource for you.
The handbook focuses on legal and economic issues related to grazing, hunting and livestock leases. Some of the topics include: Why is a written lease necessary? Setting payments for your lease. When can a landowner/lessee be liable for injuries to a third party? Drafting a viable liability waiver. Hunting lease checklist.
The authors point out that the handbook is for educational purposes only, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and is not a substitute for competent legal advice by an attorney licensed in your state. The checklists and forms are provided only as general guidance and are not exhaustive.
To download a free PDF, go to https:// bit.ly/3zAm8WI. To purchase a hard copy for $25, which includes shipping, email Lacrecia.Garza@ag.tamu.edu or call 806-677-5600.
Louisiana Master Farmer Program Gets A New ‘Toolbox’
Twenty years ago, the Louisiana State University AgCenter partnered with several agricultural organizations to develop a voluntary initiative that helped ag producers address environmental issues, such as water quality, best management practices and improving productivity on their farms.
“We have had nearly 4,000 people participate in at least Phase I of the program,” says Master Farmer Program coordinator Donna Gentry. “We have had 358 farmers certified and recertified.”
Three phases of the program must be completed to be certified. Phase I involves classroom instruction focusing on how agriculture affects the environment and ways to reduce it or improve environmental conditions. The Phase II component is participation in a conservation-based field day or workshop. Phase III requires working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for the farming operation. This phase is the largest and most daunting task for program graduates.
“This trailer will allow us to take some of our outreach activities directly to remote areas,” Gentry says. “The trailer will house a TV monitor, generator and a PA system, which will help facilitate field days at locations that are more convenient for farmers.”
The trailer’s first use was at a cotton and grain best management practices field day held this past summer near Newellton in Tensas Parish.
“The trailer will be useful in helping us to demonstrate and present some of our cover crop research trials,” Gentry says.
As program coordinator, she updates the website with new research findings and promotes upcoming events through social media. To become recertified, farmers must update their conservation plan and implement any changes every five years. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/3s9n5TC or email dsgentry@agcenter.lsu.edu.
White Flye Farms
Arkansas Operation Endorses Forward-Looking Information Exchange
BY CARROLL SMITH
EDITOR
Arkansas farmer Marty White grew up working side by side in the field with his mother, father and sisters. They were a close family who believed in the importance of communication and teamwork to make a good living while sustaining the land for future generations.
Today, he farms with his sons, Jesse Flye and Logan White. White Flye Farms now encompasses 14,500 irrigated acres on which they grow cotton, row rice, soybeans, corn and peanuts. Last year, they enrolled their cotton acres in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol sustainability initiative.
“I don’t ever want to be the old man who won’t change,” Marty says. “We update our equipment on a regular basis, try different twists on our production practices and take advantage of new technology. We sit down and make decisions together before we do anything. We are all trying to learn.
“Our employees are our greatest asset. We run a good labor pool here. A lot of the guys have been with me for a long time. We also have some H-2A workers from South Africa who help us out. Because our employees are constantly out in the field, they share their thoughts with us, too. If anyone has a better idea about how to do something, I want to know about it.”
White Flye Farms also employs several young college students who bring new ideas to the table.
“A lot of times we’ll try some of the things they bring up,” Logan says. “Sometimes they work and sometimes they fail, but that’s how we all learn.”
New Technology Observations
This year, Marty and his sons are growing Deltapine, NexGen, Stoneville and DynaGro cotton varieties on about 6,500 acres. All of them include the Bollgard 3 trait. The Arkansas farmers also have Deltapine New Product Evaluator plots that feature varieties with the ThryvOn technology. According to Bayer, ThryvOn offers protection against tarnished plant bugs and thrips.
“We didn’t have to spray for thrips in the ThryvOn field, which borders a corn field,” Jesse says. “As of Aug. 3, we’ve flown on two applications for plant bugs, and the fruit retention is about 95% compared to 75% to 82% in the other cotton fields. In fields without ThryvOn, we’ve made four plant bug applications and sprayed for thrips.”
They all agreed the wet, cool weather prevalent in their area this year created perfect thrips conditions.
“Overall, insect pressure has been bad,” Logan says. “The
cold winter hurt us because it killed the plants where beneficials overwinter. We lost the good bugs.”
The Arkansas farmers depend on field recommendations from their consultant, Eddy Cates. They also cooperate with industry personnel and University of Arkansas Extension to try various approaches to production practices that include adjusting plant populations and growing cover crops on about one-fourth of their cotton acres.
Cotton Plant Populations
“Five years ago, we were at 44,000 cotton plants per acre,” Logan says. “This year, we planted from 36,000 to 38,000 ppa, which amounts to a $15 to $20 peracre savings, and the yield is comparable. This helps our bottom dollar.”
Another benefit of a lower plant population is the way it affects the plant’s growth.
“With a lower population, the plant is able to put on more lateral branches and more fruiting positions going out instead of going up,” Marty says. “The thinner plant population gives us a shorter plant that’s quicker to the finish line. With the higher populations, the plant was growing so fast, we could never put out enough plant growth regulator to slow it down.
“We do have to be careful with the thinner stands because sometimes there is not enough canopy shade for weed control later in the season. It’s a balancing act, but we are trying to figure it out.”
Marty also wants all the employees to understand what they are trying to accomplish with the different production practices. To facilitate this information exchange, he invited Jay Mahaffey to visit the farm and make a presentation. Mahaffey is the manager at Bayer’s Scott Learning Center in Scott, Mississippi.
“He talks on a level we can all understand,” Marty says. “When we have a job for our workers to do, we want them to know the reasoning behind it — why we are doing it. The employees relate to Jay and are comfortable asking him questions. It is a good give and take.”
Cover Crop System
White Flye Farms also cooperates with University of Arkansas Extension cotton specialist Bill Robertson on their approach to using a cover crop on a portion of the cotton acres.
“We go through years where a system has its pluses and minuses,” Marty says. “This year is a minus for the cover crop. Normally, you want it to keep the plant cooler and hold moisture in the ground. The cool spring slowed down all our cotton, but the slow growth was compounded where we had a cover crop. Typically, we fruit a node earlier on the cover crop fields, but this year we are behind.
“However, we’re still exploring our options and looking at several different ways to get the cover crop in. We’ve tried flying it on between defoliation applications or waiting until we picked the cotton, then slung it out and shredded the stalks. In another instance, we shredded the stalks, put out the cover, then bedded up.”
The Arkansas farmers also are experimenting with the thickness of the cover crop and adjusting fertilizer rates to see what works best.
“With a cover crop, you’ve got to decide if you’re using it to achieve a healthy soil structure or to benefit weed management,” Jesse says. “It has to be thick to keep weeds from coming up. If you cut back the cover crop mass, you still get what you want going on with the soil, but it may not be thick enough to prevent weeds from emerging.”
To further their knowledge about cover crops, the farmers are cooperating with Robertson on a 160-acre block with three different production systems to see how each one works out.
“In the cover crop system we typically use, we are spending about $20 extra an acre,” Logan says. “The question is, are we making $20 extra an acre. Bill wants to see a number. We are going to put pen to paper for the next four or five years to see what works and what doesn’t.”
Marty says they are willing to share anything they learn with other farmers, but what works for them may not work on someone else’s operation.
“I’ll never say my way is the only way to go because we all farm differently and have different goals,” he says. “But some of the things we are doing may help them out, and I want to know what they are doing as well. It may be a practice that will benefit our farm. We all need to work together so everyone is successful.”
Mother Nature is the wild card in farming, but Arkansas producers Marty White, right, and his sons Jesse Flye, left, and Logan White always try to learn something from the hand they are dealt. Jesse Flye, left, and his brother, Logan White, review the website where they signed up their cotton in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
CCOY
Cotton Consultant of the Year
established 1981
Footprints In The Field
CCOY
The Cotton Consultant of the Year award, sponsored by Syngenta and Cotton Farming magazine, has honored the “boots on the ground” segment of the industry for more than four decades. The prestigious award recognizes a cotton consultant who demonstrates outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation.
Each year, the nominees are voted on by the past CCOY recipients. This award is even more special as the winner is chosen by his or her peers.
Syngenta and Cotton Farming are pleased to sponsor an award that recognizes the vital role cotton consultants play in production agriculture.
The services consultants provide their farmer clients are invaluable for achieving e iciency and profitability.
Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by “We need to tell our story so brands, retailers and consumers will know we are growing a safe, sustainable product right here in the United States,” Jesse says. “I think our cotton has a chance to increase its demand, which leads to a better price, if we take advantage of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.”
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
One thing the three men are all passionate about is encouraging U.S. cotton farmers to sign up for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol sustainability initiative.
Gary Adams, National Cotton Council president and CEO, says, “Strong enrollment (and reenrollment) in the Trust Protocol will demonstrate to brands/ retailers that the United States is a leader in sustainable cotton growing practices. It also enables producers to track their sustainability progress by comparing yearover-year Fieldprint calculator-collected data both from within their farms and anonymously against other Trust Protocol producers.”
White Flye Farms signed up for the Trust Protocol and plans to reenroll for next year.
“We need to tell our story so brands, retailers and consumers will know we are growing a safe, sustainable product right here in the United States,” Jesse says. “I think our cotton has a chance to increase its demand, which leads to a better price, if we take advantage of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. A lot of companies say they want Trust Protocol cotton. Everyone needs to enroll so we can provide those certified bales.
“There are three levels of certification, and the enrollment process is really easy. Go to trustuscotton.org, click Join Now and fill out the questionnaire about what you are doing on your farm. The common sense questions are not intrusive. You answer yes, no, or we may try this in a few years.
“The next step is to border 10% of the cotton acres on your farm. Then you are asked a few things like how many times do you go in this field and what kind of fertilizer you put out. Based on your answers, the program then uses a Fieldprint calculator to create a visual chart showing your economic and biodiversity footprint.
“The U.S. cotton Trust Protocol now has the information it needs to certify your bales. You provide the name of your gin and what merchant you sell your cotton to so the information can go downstream when your cotton is tagged as U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol bales.”
The second and third levels of certification involve a random selection from the pool of farmers who sign up. The ones chosen to participate in the second level receive a brief phone call to confirm what they said they are doing on their farm. Those chosen to be a part of the third certification level receive a short visit that takes place in a casual atmosphere with an independent contractor.
“We had a lady come out to our farm, and she was impressed by all the good things we were doing that 99% of all cotton farmers do on their farms as well,” Jesse says. “The whole U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol process is quick and easy and designed to show we are growing the sustainable cotton the world wants. We need this documentation to continue to increase our market share, so we encourage all U.S. cotton farmers to sign up to help get our story out there.”
What Lurks Beneath
Sample In The Fall For Yield-Robbing Nematodes
It’s not a particularly new story. Almost any farmer will tell you what you already know: Nematodes are yield robbers.
It’s been researched, extensively documented and replicated in experimental trials for decades. It’s been broadcast through the Extension service, the ag media and grower meetings.
Why it’s still taking a toll on modern agriculture is somewhat confounding.
“Sometimes I think it’s mostly a matter of ‘what I don’t see isn’t hurting me,’” says Dr. Travis Faske, professor and Extension plant pathologist with the University of Arkansas Lonoke Extension Center. “When it comes to insects, even though they’re tiny, you can see thrips and definitely see the damage on the leaves. Root pests tend to be a different matter.”
Even if a farmer digs up roots to examine what’s going on, it still might not be obvious. “I think most growers are well aware at this point that root-knot nematode forms galls on roots, which are easy to visually detect if you’re looking,” he says. “However, you can’t see the infection with reniform nematode and some of the other nematode species.”
Because reniform nematode is not immediately apparent, the problem can go undetected for years. “A grower might notice a spot in the field that’s having a problem and write it off to a problem with irrigation, pesticide application or soil type,” Faske says. “Root-knot thrives in sandier soils, even sandier spots in a field. Reniform is a little sneakier. It usually shows up as a gradual overall demise of crop productivity over a number of seasons.”
That’s why soil sampling is a grower’s best diagnostic tool. Soil samples pulled in the fall can help growers plan intelligently for the following spring.
Meticulous Research
“If you don’t know if you have a problem or the extent of the problem, you’re either shooting in the dark at an unknown target, or even worse, not shooting at all,” Faske says. “There are many different options for nematode management on the market, and more are becoming available every year. It could be a soil-applied nematicide, a seed treatment, a tolerant variety, or even a rotational strategy or a combination of one or more options.”
As an Extension plant pathologist, Faske evaluates the efficacy of nematicides, seed treatments and tolerant varieties each season. It’s painstaking, methodical work, but over the years researchers across the Cotton Belt have developed a wealth of information to help growers address one of the most insidious yield robbers a cotton plant encounters.
“We have field trials and greenhouse trials,” Faske says. “In the field, we plant trials in known nematode infested fields and measure the results in a ‘real-world’ environment. In the greenhouse, it’s a lot more controlled, and we know exactly what we are subjecting a cotton seedling to in a small growing space.”
For greenhouse trials, the nematodes are first cultured on tomato. Those nematode isolates are then transferred to individual trays where various varieties of crop seed are planted into the infested soil medium.
Evaluating Efficacy
Every season Faske and his colleagues evaluate numerous nematicides for efficacy. Those options run the gamut from the tried and true to the experimental and everything in-between.
“There are nematicides such as aldicarb, formerly sold under the brand name Temik and now AgLogic, that we include in our field trials every year,” Faske says. “In terms of non-fumigant nematicides, it is the gold standard for nematode control across a wide range of species. After more than 45 years of data, it’s hard to argue with its performance, so it always provides an excellent benchmark.”
As growers eye the 2021 finish line, nematologists, consultants and Extension agents are ringing that all-important reminder bell once again: Sample fields for nematodes and pay attention to the latest research with an eye on the past.
“There’s no point on compromising next year’s yield when it’s relatively easy to evaluate the upcoming risk in 2022 with a soil sample now and progressively formulate a plan,” Faske says.
Greenhouse research is an important component of the overall nematicide research conducted by Dr. Travis Faske, professor and Extension plant pathologist, University of Arkansas Lonoke Extension Center.
