Cotton Farming, September 2014 by One Grower Publishing

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Cotton Farming

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

SEPTEMBER 2014

www.cottonfarming.com

RICHARD KELLEY’S GOAL –

SMART GINNING DEFOLIATION: ART OR SCIENCE? GINNING MEMORIES

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Cotton plus a few agronomic copilots. Conditions as unique as yours call for unique solutions. CROPLAN is answering that call with high-performing ®

cotton seed genetics. More important, we’re putting more hardworking, dedicated people on the ground than ever before. People who can help you find the perfect variety for every acre, and offer season-long guidance to protect your investment all the way to harvest. Visit your CROPLAN retailer or go to croplan.com to learn more. ®

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Vol. 58 No. 9

Cotton Farming PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

SEPTEMBER 2014

www.cottonfarming.com

F E A T U R E S

WHAT IS DEFOLIATION?

ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM

EPA’S NEW RULES

Rusty Mitchell of Louisville, Miss., analyzes whether defoliation is art or science.

Several industry organizations are raising awareness about the importance of preventing lint contamination.

It is important that ginners understand how and why EPA is updating new power plant rules.

Always Adapting

West Tennessee producer/ginner Richard Kelley has seen a lot of changes in the cotton industry in the past three decades. No matter how difficult those challenges were, he and his family found a way to adjust and adapt. He has always believed that it was important to be committed to improving the gin and staying competitive.

D E P A R T M E N T S

4 Editor’s Note 6 Cotton’s Agenda 15 Industry News

WEB EXCLUSIVE Cotton Farming Editor Tommy Horton has traveled to numerous field days in the Mid-South for the past month. He offers an overview of what he saw in a special report. Look for it at www.cottonfarming.com.

C O L U M N S

16 Specialists Speaking 22 My Turn

WEB POLL RESULTS

How can U.S. producers prevent cotton contamination before it reaches the gin? Go to www.cottonfarming.com for the results.

ON THE COVER: West Tennessee’s Richard Kelley is ready for another ginning season. Photo by Tommy Horton. COTTON FARMING (ISSN 0746-8385) is published monthly January through December for $40 per year by One Grower Publishing LLC, 1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38119. Periodicals Postage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sunbelt Fulfillment Services, 307 Southgate Court, Brentwood, Tenn. 37027-7987 (Phone: 615-377-3322) (Fax: 615850-5319). International rates are $55.00 in Canada/Mexico, $90.00 in all other countries for air-speeded delivery. Surface Delivery not available due to problems in reliability.

COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014

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Editor’s Note Tommy Horton

Cotton Farming

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor/Editorial Director Tommy Horton thorton@onegrower.com Senior Writer Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com

Interested In Ginning? Talk To Richard Kelley

hrough the years, I have found that it’s easier to go to an expert when you want to learn more about any segment of the U.S. cotton industry. Believe it or not, there is always somebody around to answer your question. And when it comes to ginning, I can’t think of a more trusted expert than veteran producer/ginner Richard Kelley of Burlison, Tenn. If you have read our magazine for any length of time, you have spotted Richard’s name on these pages. He is the kind of person willing to share information with anybody if it will help promote a better understanding of cotton. Maybe that’s why so many industry groups visit the Kelleys’ farm and gin in West Tennessee. He and his wife Charlotte are two of the best goodwill ambassadors you could find for U.S. cotton. Whether it’s an international group of textile mill representatives or some producers from California, the Kelleys are ready to talk to anybody who comes calling. So, it seemed only natural to make a quick trip to Burlison just west of Covington, Tenn., and check in with Richard. Since our September issue is primarily devoted to ginning, I couldn’t think of a better person to discuss an assortment of topics. And let’s face it. There are enough issues affecting cotton today to write several books. Prices, farm law regulations, technology, competition from polyester and China policy were just some of the things we talked about. In our cover story on pages 8 and 9, Richard answered a lot of questions in a wide-ranging interview. He was candid as he always is and refuses to be discouraged. Yes, the current cotton prices are quite a bit lower than what we saw several months ago when the range was between 80 and 90 cents a pound. But instead of moaning and groaning, he and his family (Charlotte, sons-in-law Brad and Michael and daughters Kerry and Leslie) are intent on finding ways to cut costs while staying committed to technology in the gin and on the farm. Anybody who has been around cotton for a long time knows the volatile nature of this commodity. But, for Richard, he’ll evaluate the crop mix, study gin capacity and do what he has done for many years. Find a way to survive and stay in business. This isn’t the first challenge for Burlison Gin and the Kelley family. And it probably won’t be the last. In Richard’s mind, it boils down to a couple of goals. Stay competitive and make smart decisions. That’s what you call a formula for success.

Southeast Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Carol Watson

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 767-4020 Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (800) 888-9784 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Janet Owens (229) 386-8809

For circulation changes or change of address, call (800) 888-9784

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David Burns – North Carolina David Lynch – South Carolina Bob McLendon – Georgia Larkin Martin – Alabama Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi Charles Parker – Missouri Jimmy Hargett – Tennessee Allen Helms – Arkansas Jay Hardwick – Louisiana Ronnie Hopper – Texas Ron Rayner – Arizona John Pucheu – California

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf PRESIDENT/TREASURER Lia Guthrie PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating with COTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizations across the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organizations serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board. Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors are not necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the editors. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Copyright 2014 ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing, LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

One Grower Publishing, LLC

If you have comments, send them to: Editor, Cotton Farming Magazine, 1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tenn., 38119. Or send e-mail to: thorton@onegrower.com.

COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014

1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tennessee, 38119 Phone: 901-767-4020

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WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT High Quality Cotton Crucial For U.S. Mills By Augustine Tantillo President/CEO National Council of Textile Organizations

Quality – A Mill Priority The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) is the voice of the U.S. domestic textile industry in Washington, DC. With more than 150 current members, NCTO represents manufacturers from every major sector of the industry, including fiber, yarn, fabric, home furnishings and finished apparel producers. NCTO is focused on influencing federal policies, programs and regulations that advance the interests of the U.S. textile sector. High-quality cotton is of the utmost importance to the textile industry, and, in particular, yarn spinners. It is fortunate that the United States produces the best quality cotton in the world. The ease of access and price of quality cotton in this country has helped to create a surge of foreign direct investment into the production of yarn spinning here over the past year. As a whole, mills are experiencing a resurgence due to many factors, including availability of high-quality cotton, competitive energy and transportation costs. NCTO has witnessed five foreign companies making announcements of their intentions to set up yarn spinning operations in the United States this year. Our organization continues to see domestic yarn spinners expand operations, build new operations and continue to hire more American workers during

As president of the National Council of Textile Organizations, Augustine Tantillo emphasizes the need for high-quality cotton for today’s textile mills.

this same time period.

Momentum Continues Over the past 25 years, the United States has completed a series of free-trade agreements that include a yarn forward rule of origin* for textile and apparel products. This rule has helped the U.S. textile industry become the third largest exporter of textile products in the world. Over the past 10 years, U.S. textile exports have grown dramatically, from $12.7 billion in 2003 to $17.9 billion in 2013 – a 40.6 percent increase over that period. High-quality cotton, paired with the yarn forward rule, will help the textile industry attract foreign direct investment. It is critical that free trade agreements, such as the TransPacific Partnership, include the yarn forward rule to further advance the industry in the global sourcing arena. * Yarn Forward Rule of Origin is a tariff break for imported apparel made with U.S. yarn.

From Fiber To Fabric • Mills need high-quality cotton. • U.S. cotton has excellent reputation. • Foreign investment helps U.S. spinners. • Yarn forward rule aids U.S. mills. • Trade agreements are crucial.

“High-quality cotton is of the utmost importance to the U.S. textile industry, and, in particular, yarn spinners” – Augustine Tantillo

Sponsored By

®Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow. Transform WG is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.

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COVER STORY

West Tennessee Ginner Richard Kelley Trying To Stay

Competitive EDITOR’S NOTE: West Tennessee producer/ginner Richard Kelley has observed many changes in the cotton industry for the past 40 years. In this interview with Cotton Farming, he discusses some of the major issues as harvest and ginning seasons approach. What’s uppermost in your mind as ginning season approaches? The thoughts that come to mind are “survival” and the future of cotton in our area. These are challenging times for cotton as we deal with weak demand, larger carryover and lower prices. That’s one leg of the stool. Then, we also have weed pressure and high input costs for the farmers. Let’s also not forget about the uncertainty of how the new farm law will work and the safety net farmers need to have. What is your immediate thought on how the industry can survive this price environment? Gins will survive if cotton survives. I tend to think that gins and gin operators can weather the storms and might even be more optimistic than producers. The infrastructure on the farm side is what concerns me. Plus, I am hopeful that the desire to grow cotton will still be there for farmers. As a ginning leader for several years, how do you deal with the reality of consolidation and lower capacity? Reduction in ginning operations because of consolidation concerns me quite a bit – because we are definitely losing a lot of gins. But we’ll still have plenty of capacity even though it will be fewer and larger gins. When cotton acres come back, the cotton will get ginned, but maybe not as quickly as some would like.

SNAPSHOT – RICHARD KELLEY • Bought Burlison Gin in 1989. • Farms 14,000 acres of cotton. • Also has 8,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. • This year gin will likely handle 30,000 to 35,000 bales. • Family operation involves Kelley, wife Charlotte, daughters Kerry and Leslie, sons-in-law Michael Roane and Brad Williams. • Southern Cotton Ginners Association’s “Ginner of the Year.”

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SEPTEMBER 2014

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Q A

Why is it important never to let the Burlison Gin sit idle for any length of time?

You can’t just fire up a gin after shutting it down for a couple of years and expect it to be top notch. The technology continues to advance, and we can’t fall behind. We’ve spent more money recently on technology than we have in the last 10 years.

How have your cotton acres changed through the years? It’s been a long roller coaster ride, and it all started with the 1985 Farm Bill. That set the stage for the next 30 years and has brought us to the present. Across the Belt, we have seen a rapid decline in cotton acreage from 2006 to the present – and possibly the lowest acreage since the mid-1970s. Personally, we’ve built our cotton acres to nearly 14,000 acres. But we have numerous issues that await us as we look ahead – including China’s huge reserves, weed pressure, competition from polyester and regaining markets. The issue of contamination has been discussed a lot at ginner meetings this year. How serious is this problem? I don’t think it’s a crime to talk about this problem. We need to be sensitive to all comments about contamination. We heard a timely report from Anthony Tancredi at the Southern Cotton Ginners summer meeting on this very topic. It concerns me when I hear complaints from mills about plastic being found in bales. We must stay proactive and not let anything affect the reputation of U.S. cotton. Through the years our hard work has carried us to the top. When you were president of the National Cotton Ginners and Southern Cotton Ginners, what were those experiences like for you? It certainly gave me a better perspective on how the industry is trying to deal with problems like contamination. I’m just thankful that we have the National Cotton Council and ginner organizations to help on so many fronts. It’s amazing how these organizations deal with issues before producers and ginners ever see them in Washington or in a committee meeting. These groups are problem solvers for us. How would you describe your approach to ginning? I am a hands-on ginner who has an engineering approach to ginning. I always like to go into the gin and find ways to be more efficient or fine-tune some aspect of our operation. I’d like to think that we’re helping the customer make more money by doing this.

reaches the gin. This kind of crossover involvement helps farming and ginning complement each other. Naturally, we have a bit more independence because we don’t gin as much cotton from other producers as we have in the past. How important are ginning and farming to you? Well, in the early days farming is what paid the bills. The ginning came out of necessity because we needed a place to gin the cotton. Today, my sons-in-law (Michael and Brad) help in both the farming and ginning operations. They wear a lot of hats, and I’m lucky to have them helping me. This is our life, and we’ve worked hard to get where we are today. What are the advantages of having a family operation run the ginning and farming business? When a farmer has two daughters, you never know what the opportunities will be for having a family operation. But Michael and Brad came on board when they married my daughters (Kerry and Leslie). In the early days, they rarely questioned my decisions. As we have grown in the business, I now find myself rarely questioning any of their decisions. It has turned into a wonderful situation. When you look back on the growth of your farming and ginning operation, what thoughts do you have? It used to be that there was hardly enough time to get everything done on the farm and at the gin. But after all of these years, my wife Charlotte and I find ourselves moving into a transition where we want to preserve what we have. We think that’s a natural progression. As I said, we’re very thankful for what we have. If you have any kind of message for producers and ginners in the industry, what would it be?

Does being a producer and ginner present any unusual opportunities during the course of a crop year?

My hope is that my fellow farmers and ginners have saved some money and invested well for the future. We are headed into a three or four-year period where we will be faced with a scenario crucial to U.S. cotton’s future. I keep repeating myself, but we must protect our infrastructure. We have seen up and down cycles in cotton, and now it’s important for us to be smarter in everything that we do.

Being able to control production, harvest and ginning gives me a chance to solve a lot of problems before the cotton ever

Contact Richard Kelley at the Burlison Gin in Burlison, Tenn., at burlgin@bellsouth.net. COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014

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VIEWPOINT

Defoliation – Art Or Science? BY RUSTY MITCHELL LOUISVILLE, MISS.

•

• Resident of Louisville, Miss. • Southern Region Technical Support Lead for FMC Agricultural Solutions. • Earned B.S. and M.S. from Miss. State University. • Earned Ph.D. from LSU in entomology. • Has served in numerous positions at FMC in product development and technical support.

Mississippi

have been fascinated with cotton my entire life. I recall my father, while working on his graduate degree at the USDA Boll Weevil Research Lab in Starkville, Miss., in the late 1960s, returning from a trip to Guatemala and Mexico. He told me of native cotton plants he had seen that were large enough to support a man. At that young age, it was explained to me that cotton was a woody perennial plant that man had modified to grow as an annual. Thus, it is of no surprise that as we prepare to terminate the crop, it tends to resist. Think about it. From the time we place the first seed into the ground, we begin the preparation for crop termination. Throughout the entire season, all management practices are directly or indirectly geared towards the production of lint and termination of the crop. We select varieties and a planting date for earliness. We manage fruit set for uniform maturity and boll load. We utilize plant growth regulators to minimize vegetative growth and develop a plant stature that is conducive for its final act, defoliation. Defoliation is the use of synthetic chemicals to enhance leaf removal and allow the harvesting of a cotton crop in a timely manner. It’s a balancing act. Your objective is to enhance the natural physiological process of creating the abscission zone, the area that separates the living tissue between the plant and leaf petiole. If you are too aggressive with your chemicals, the leaf may die before the abscission layer develops, resulting in “stuck” leaves. On the other hand, if you use too few chemicals, the abscission process may not be stimulated, resulting in inadequate leaf removal. The process is of significant importance from a profitability standpoint as it eliminates a main source of trash and stain, resulting in better grades. There are basically two types of chemical defoliants: herbicidal and hormonal. Herbicidal defoliants, such as PPO inhibitors Aim, Display, ETX, Folex and Sharpen, injure the

10 COTTON FARMING

SEPTEMBER 2014

plant, resulting in increased production of ethylene to promote the formation of the abscission layer in the leaf and ultimately leaf drop. Hormonal defoliants, such as thidiazuron and ethephon, increase ethylene synthesis in the plant, resulting in the activation of the abscission layer in the leaf petioles and boll wall. Boll maturity is the single most important factor to consider in timing a defoliation application. Remember, minimal maturation occurs after the removal of leaves. Premature leaf removal can result in the reduction of cotton yield and lint quality. However, late defoliation can result in increased boll rot and lint quality loss due to weathering. The defoliation process can typically begin when 60 percent of the bolls are open, and the youngest boll one expects to harvest is mature. To check boll maturity, choose the uppermost bolls you intend to harvest and slice them cross section with a sharp knife. If mature, they should be difficult to slice. Fiber should string out when cut, and the seed coat should be light brown in color with the seed cavity completely filled with no jelly center. Another method often used to time defoliation applications is counting the nodes above cracked boll (NACB). Research has shown that at least four nodes above the highest first position cracked boll will be mature enough not to be affected by the application of a harvest aid. But it’s not as simple as estimating open bolls or counting NACB. Nothing ever is! One has to consider the proper harvest-aid product(s) required to achieve your specific objectives: removal of leaves, enhancing boll opening, regrowth suppression, weed desiccation, etc. And there are other factors which can directly impact the effect of your product choice – the overall condition of the plant, weather condition at the time of application, days following application and the application itself. In closing, remember, no one harvest-aid product, rate or specific timing is the solution for every field. Decisions should be made based on prior experience, crop maturity, environmental conditions, yield potential and crop value. It’s no wonder you hear about the act of defoliation as more of an art than a science. May you be blessed with a successful defoliation season. Contact Rusty Mitchell in Louisville, Miss., at (662) 7736674 or rusty_mitchell@fmc.com

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SPECIAL REPORT

Southern Ginners Adjust To New Environment BY TOMMY HORTON EDITOR

outhern cotton ginners know how to adapt to changing market conditions. In fact, you might say that they have rewritten the book on this topic in the last few years. That “flexibility” was a major topic of discussion at the Southern Cotton Ginners Association’s recent summer meeting in Branson, Mo. In short, because of changing acreages for cotton, corn and soybeans, Mid-South gins continue to adjust to a completely new environment. In addition to having fewer cotton acres in the region, ginners have had to deal with a new farm law, increased cotton stocks, fluctuating cotton prices, competition from grain crops as well as China’s unpredictable policies. “This has made for a challenging situation for our Mid-South cotton producers and ginners,” says Tim Price, executive vice president of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. “I have to give our group a lot of credit for dealing with so much change in the last few years.” Full Agenda Of Speakers It is understandable that the agenda for the summer meeting addressed what ginners are currently facing. Some of the key speakers offered the following comments: • Dr. Abner Womack, research professor at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri, says many factors will impact the chances for cotton acreage stability in the Mid-South. He pointed to price volatility, cotton stock buildup, global economic slowdown, lack of demand, crop insurance increase and loss of direct payments as some of the major factors affecting cotton acres. • Dr. Wes Burger, associate director

(From left clockwise), Tim Price, Abner Womack, Riley James, Ross Girtman, Bobby Skeen, Holt Shoaf and Robert Royal.

of the agricultural experiment station at Mississippi State University, gave a broad overview of issues confronting agriculture. With an increase in world population, he says ag technology is needed now more than ever to find solutions. As part of his staff’s mandate to identify ag research goals, a recent survey was conducted. Some of the top priorities identified in the survey included: weed control, weed resistance, bacterial blight, use of dicamba and 2-4D, physical drift and nutrient management. • Kaelin Hanks of Entira Marketing offered an update on the future of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in agriculture. She said the biggest beneficiaries of this new technology will be in the ag sector – specifically precision agriculture. •Tommy Valco of USDA-ARS in Stoneville, Miss., reported on the increased cost of ginning across the Belt. At present, there are 613 active gins in the country. The average variable cost of ginning a bale has increased from $20.84 in 2010 to $24.88 in 2013. He pointed to a reduction in labor and energy expenditures as a way to reduce costs. • Memphis merchant Anthony

Tancredi of Louis Dreyfus Commodities concluded the meeting by giving a market update on U.S. cotton. He pointed toward the continuing uncertainty in China’s cotton policy as a major contributor to today’s market volatility. He predicted prices are headed into a trend in the 60-cent range or even lower. Too Much Cotton Tancredi also says there “is simply too much cotton in the world right now.” He says a slight rebound in consumption would help in recapturing U.S. cotton demand. But he expressed frustration because no outside observer can accurately say what China’s next move will be because nobody knows what the country’s policy really is. Finally, Tancredi urged ginners to remain vigilant in preventing contamination of U.S. cotton. “Our industry has a reputation for the best quality cotton produced in the world,” he says. “But we continue to receive reports of contaminated cotton, and we have to do a better job.” Contact Tommy Horton at (901) 7674020 or thorton@onegrower.com. COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014

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CCOY 2006 Cotton Consultant of the Year

Jack Royal

Industry Must Stop Contamination

COTTON REMAINS PROFITABLE IN GEORGIA

Cotton production made a comeback in Georgia in the 1980s as an alternative rotational crop, besides corn, to plant with peanuts. With the successful completion of the Boll Weevil Eradication Program in the early 1990s, cotton acres and production exploded. Today, a majority of the gins and warehouses are locally owned by groups of growers. This has a large impact on our economies by creating full time and seasonal part time jobs from the local communities. Cotton is our most expensive crop. However, due to new technologies and varieties – with three-plus bales/A possible – cotton is profitable in Georgia. Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

Cotton Farming 14 COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER

RESEARCH & PROMOTION

2014

merican cotton is considered to have some of the lowest levels of contamination in the world, and that reputation for low contamination levels has come to be expected by foreign and domestic mills. With this low contamination reputation comes increased scrutiny and in the last year there were increased reports of plastic contamination in U.S. cotton. Cotton Incorporated is part of an industrywide effort that includes The Cotton Board, National Cotton Council, National Cotton Ginners Association and USDA-ARS to prevent and bring awareness to the contamination issue. Dr. Ed Barnes, senior director of agricultural and environmental research at Cotton Incorporated says, “Contamination prevention is critical for the preservation of the reputation of the U.S. cotton industry. Contaminants can end up in yarn and fabric products, resulting in defective fabrics and significant costs to textile manufacturers. It can also reduce the value of cotton to the grower.” Steps For Prevention Dr. Tommy Valco, USDA-ARS technology transfer coordinator in Stoneville, Miss., has been compiling a list of steps to prevent contamination from the field to the gin. Plastics are the most frequent culprit in contamination – plastic trash that collects in cotton fields, black plastic film used as mulch in fields, plastic twine typically used for baling and yellow plastic film used for round module wrap can all end up causing contamination. These contaminants are typically introduced prior to ginning, but mechanical processes at the gin can break up and shred the plastics so that they become more difficult to detect and remove. Therefore, the best time to remove plastic is when it is still in large pieces and not after it has been shredded by gin equipment. When handling round modules, safe cutting zones must be identified to prevent the inner tail, which is not in contact with the tacky portion of the

second segment of the wrap, from being separated from the wrap and ending up in the cotton. If it does make its way into the cotton, there is a high probability that it will end up in the gin and be shredded into small pieces, thus contaminating the bale. Another step in preventing contamination is replacing worn or torn module covers. It is important that module covers are in good condition to protect cotton from moisture and foreign debris. It is also important to use only approved marking ink, like Brand-ABale or Sta-Mark. These inks are only available in black. Any other color indicates a non-approved ink that would likely cause permanent discoloration to the cotton, resulting in major problems at the mill. For U.S. cotton to maintain its status as “contamination-free,” the industry must strive diligently to prevent contaminants from entering the cotton stream and to eliminate them when they slip in undetected. The Cotton Board, which administers Cotton Incorporated’s Research and Promotion Program, contributed information for this article.

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Industry News USDA Accepting Comments On Monsanto’s New Technology USDA is now accepting public comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Monsanto’s next generation dicamba-tolerant weed management technologies, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton. This follows USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announcement that it has completed the draft EIS on Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton. APHIS indicated that its preferred alternative is to deregulate both crops. Monsanto officials believe this is a positive step in the process and anticipate final USDA deregulation by the end of the year. The company is encouraging farmers, dealers and all stakeholders to make their voices heard and weigh in during the public comment period, open until Sept. 25.

Delta Plastics Committed To Reduce Delta’s Water Use Delta Plastics has joined agriculture and conservation-minded organiza-

tions to announce a regional initiative to reduce irrigation water use by 20 percent within the Mississippi Delta by the year 2020. The announcement includes a multi-million dollar product investment that will transform agricultural water use practices across the entire Delta region. Delta Plastics is a major manufacturer of irrigation polytube and has invested millions to develop new innovations in precision agriculture technology to save farmers money and conserve water. For additional information, go to www.deltaplastics.com.

Dow Introduces App For Enlist Weed Control Recently unveiled, the Enlist Ahead app offers producers and applicators vital herbicide application information from a single source. The app, designed for use with the Enlist Weed Control System, is a precision agriculture tool for maximizing weed control performance, managing weed resistance and making responsible applications of Enlist Duo herbicide with Colex-D Technology.

Regulatory approvals are pending for the Enlist system. The Enlist Ahead app is part of the Enlist Ahead management resource, which provides technology advancements, management recommendations, training and education. Parts of the app are powered by CDMS, a leading provider of software services and agricultural databases. For more information, interested parties can visit www.Enlist.com.

Texas Cotton Association Joins Celebrate Cotton Event The Texas Cotton Association will join other state industry organizations on Sept. 10-13 in the annual Celebrate Cotton festivities in Lubbock. TCA will kick off its annual Cotton Flow Reception at 7 p.m., on Sept. 11 at the Overton Hotel. The Flow and Marketing Meeting will convene the next morning, Friday, Sept. 12. The Celebrate Cotton football game between Texas Tech and Arkansas will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 in a nationally televised clash. A special tailgate party will begin before kickoff at Jones AT&T Stadium. For more details, go to www.tca-cotton.org.

COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014

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Specialists Speaking Rolling Toward The Finish Line FLORIDA David Wright Even though we can set fruit through early September, most cotton fields have the crop set that will be harvested, and many will be defoliating in late September or early October. Cotton generally had a late start but has caught up and has good yield potential in most fields. Most of our cotton is past the point of needing additional irrigation or fertility and needs time to finish the bolls that were set. Lower cotton prices have put a damper on the economics of our state’s cotton production, and we hope for a turnaround before next season. wright@ufl.edu

MISSOURI Mike Milam Missouri is past the last effective bloom date, and it won’t be long before defoliation and harvest begin. We should be able to start defoliation in the warmer weather. We have been fortunate this year. According to the Drought Monitor, we have not been in the abnormally dry category all season. The projection for the rest of the season is to have an equal chance of above, below and average temperatures. The precipitation is forecast to be above average for the remainder of the season. A good estimate is that we are about two weeks late, but we have very good boll loads and have hope for a decent crop. With the cool, wet conditions during planting and a later crop, we are vulnerable to weather problems. With 97 percent of our cotton in the fairto-excellent range, it looks like we have good potential if we can get the weather to cooperate during the rest of the season. The good news is that with the equipment available, it takes less time to harvest the crop, so we can make progress following the rainy spells. According to the Aug. 14 Cotton and Wool Outlook, the first yield projection is 1,087 pounds per acre. Although the temperatures were cooler this summer, we still have more heat units than we did in 2008, which is the year Missouri set a yield record of 1,106 pounds per acre. milammr@missouri.edu

NORTH CAROLINA Keith Edmisten The cotton crop started out a little late but did a lot of catching up during July and August. On average, we should be defoliating earlier in the growing season than we have in the past few years. Last year we were very delayed and in several recent years much defoliation was delayed waiting on the top crop. Defoliating earlier means defoliating when warm temperatures are more likely to be favorable for regrowth. This will potentially be a challenge if there is residual nitrogen to promote regrowth. We had enough rainfall this year that a lot of fields were running out of nitrogen in August as the cotton was cutting out. Although these fields will be defoliated when temperatures favor regrowth, low nitrogen levels should limit regrowth. The fields we really have to worry about for regrowth prevention are the fields with residual nitrogen. Thidiazuron is our best option for preventing regrowth. Rates of thidiazuron used in defoliation mixtures should be adjusted based on regrowth potential and the length of time regrowth control is needed. This is fairly easy when you are using a pure thidiazuron product as part of your defoliation mixture. It becomes a bit more

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difficult when using thidiazuron containing premixed products. If you adjust the rates of something like a thidiazuron + diuron premix high enough to provide two to three weeks of regrowth control, you will likely desiccate your cotton leaves when defoliating in warm weather. If you are using a premix in warm weather, you will want to set the rate of the premix for the temperatures at the time of defoliation and consider spiking the mixture with a pure thidiazuron product to give the desired amount of regrowth control. Keep in mind it is much easier to prevent regrowth than it is to take it off. keith_edmisten@ncsu.edu

LOUISIANA Dan Fromme Yield potential of the 2014 cotton crop continues to look very favorable. Current estimates are around 1,157 pounds of lint per acre, down 66 pounds from the 2013 record crop. This year’s cotton crop has received timely rainfall throughout the season. Excessive amounts of rainfall in some areas have created boll rot problems. Temperatures were moderate throughout the season. Heat unit accumulations for this year’s crop are 15 percent below the historical average. As the season winds down, less insect pressure from bollworms and plant bugs is being experienced during the early part of August. Defoliation will begin in the latter part of August, and harvest will begin in the earlier planted fields during the last week of August. As we prepare the 2014 crop for harvest, we should review some of the basic defoliation timing principles. There is always a balancing act between yield and fiber quality when defoliating cotton. There are several accepted methods to time defoliation, and all methods have strengths and weaknesses. The following is a review of some of the more common defoliation-timing techniques. These three methods or options for timing the defoliation of cotton are: 60 percent open boll, four nodes above cracked boll or 1,050 heat units beyond cutout (NAWF=4). Most importantly, whatever method is employed, producers should include inspecting the uppermost harvestable boll prior to defoliation by cutting a cross-section of the selected bolls. A boll is considered mature if it is difficult to slice with a knife, and seeds have begun to form a tan/brown or black seed coat. Once a dark seed coat has formed, defoliation will not adversely affect the yield of those bolls. dfromme@agcenter.lsu.edu

GEORGIA Guy Collins As I write this on Aug. 12, the Georgia cotton crop is variable but in decent shape. Rains have remained spotty throughout most of July and into early August, resulting in some producers experiencing decent and timely rains, while other areas have experienced noticeable and prolonged dry weather. At this point, much of the dryland crop and/or early planted cotton has reached cutout. Some fields in this situation are the result of hot dry weather, while others that received timely rains have ceased blooming due to time. Drought-induced boll opening has been observed only in a few field edges of early planted cotton and only in the lowest bolls on the plant. Later planted cotton ranges from near first bloom to midbloom, and crop status varies widely due to rainfall. The USDA-NASS Crop Production Report released recently

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indicates that Georgia producers anticipate harvesting 1.44 million acres with an expected yield of 967 pounds per acre. Hopefully, the rest of the season will allow us to achieve this. Depending on when cotton was planted, producers should be scouting for insect pressure so that timely action can be taken. For early planted cotton, defoliation decisions will soon be made. Producers should take into account crop status, prevailing weather and weather forecasts when deciding on products and/or rates to use. An application volume of 15 to 20 gallons per acre could improve overall defoliation or prevent the need for a second application. guyc@uga.edu

ARKANSAS Bill Robertson This September has the potential to be one of the most pivotal months of the season for our current crop. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its first state-by-state estimate of yield and production on Aug. 12. Arkansas is estimated to reach a new record yield this year of 1,193 pounds of lint per acre. As discussed last month in this magazine, our crop is slightly behind schedule. We have made up some ground with continued milder-than-average weather, helping us to keep fruit retention high. The majority of our May-planted cotton reached cutout on Aug. 10-15, which is in line with our latest possible cutout dates (Aug. 11 NE and Aug. 20 SE). This date is the point in the season that 850 heat units needed to mature a white flower will occur half the time. The other side of the coin is that we have a 50-50 chance of not accumulating 850 heat units on a white flower produced on this date. Knowing our most mature fields is critical in harvest management. Boll slicing may be our best tool to evaluate maturity this season. Pushing a crop and chasing bolls that have little impact on lint yield and profitability could cut into yield and quality potential. An almost perfect September for maturing our crop, coupled with wise management to help preserve yield and quality potential, will be needed for us to have a shot at reaching record yields again this season. brobertson@uaex.edu

NEW MEXICO John Idowu The cotton crop has continued to do well in New Mexico after the initial problems of prolonged cold and hail incidences during the early part of the season. Most cotton fields have already reached cutout stage, and bolls have started setting. There has been rain in many parts of the cotton-producing areas of New Mexico to complement the irrigation water from canals and wells. The rain has been a great help for cotton. We have not noticed any incidence of pest or diseases in the fields and are hoping for an average yield at the end of the season. jidowu@nmsu.edu

MISSISSIPPI Darrin Dodds Producers in Mississippi appear to have a very respectable crop as we approach harvest. Fruit retention in many fields appears higher than average; however, many fields have somewhat reduced node counts. While the first cracked boll was reported on Aug. 11, many fields did not begin to open until the latter part of August and some about the time you are reading this article. As the time to make harvest-aid applications approaches, several things should be kept in mind. First and foremost is determining when to make these applications. Most folks make applications when cotton is 60 percent open; however, the number is often underestimated from the turnrow. In many cases, we are making applications to a crop that is 70 to 80 percent open as opposed to 60

percent open. Spend a few minutes and walk into a given field and make some counts to determine where your crop is. Be very flexible in terms of products and rates that you use for harvest-aid applications. Many recommendations can change on what seems like a daily basis. Flexibility in these applications will reduce the count of stuck leaves and application failures. It has often been said that harvest-aid applications are as much art as they are science. Keeping that in mind, let your inner artist shine this fall but be conservative as it is easier to make a second application than to unstick leaves. darrind@ext.msstate.edu

VIRGINIA Hunter Frame “Scary” is one word I have heard from producers to describe the yield potential in 2014. Ample rainfall has again blessed the southeastern corner of Virginia, and producers are expecting another good season. Everyone is hoping to challenge the 2012 record yield of 1,129 pounds of lint per acre. As I am writing this, producers are in full-on protection mode with stink bug and bollworm sprays. The crop is currently in the fifth to sixth week of bloom, and, as we move into September, everyone is hoping for a mild tropical season and clear skies to finish out the crop strong. Given the favorable conditions during 2014, producers are facing cotton 40 to 50 inches tall in many fields, which may affect defoliation. A “Harvest Aid Cheat Sheet” can be found at http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/CSES/CSES-65/CSES-65.html. This publication draws from current literature on the efficacy of harvest-aid chemicals in leaf drop, regrowth and boll opening. The weather during early fall can be unpredictable in Virginia. An example of this was last year when overnight temperatures fell to 25 degrees at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension station on Oct. 26. Other locations in Virginia fell to 29 degrees. whframe@vt.edu

TENNESSEE Tyson Raper Tennessee cotton has made up quite a bit of lost ground during the first part of August, but most fields are still in need of a warm September. Cooler temperatures than normal at the beginning of the month were accompanied by well-timed rains. These rains were critical this year as our wet season has resulted in a fairly shallow, drought-susceptible root system. Still, plants appear to be loading well, and I would say our average field is just past cutout here on Aug. 20. Several fields, which received all nitrogen (N) pre-plant applications, are beginning to show signs of N deficiencies. These will undoubtedly increase in severity as we move further into the boll-fill period. This season, these deficiencies highlight the potential N loss we can experience if the entire N application for the crop is made prior to or immediately following planting. Splitting our N application during the growing season (30 percent to 50 percent at planting followed by the remainder side-dressed prior to first bloom) is a surefire way of increasing the efficiency of your fertilizer applications. traper@utk.edu

TEXAS Mark Kelley Cotton fields on the Texas High Plains have come a long way thanks to open sunny skies and near perfect temperatures. Most irrigated fields are at or near cutout with a few still slightly behind at 6-7 nodes above white flower. Timely rainfall events have led to decent dryland cotton in some areas as well. Also, continued light insect pressure has resulted in excellent fruit retention across the region. With an open fall, the area should see good to excellent yields of quality cotton in spite of the rough start. m-kelley@tamu.edu COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014

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PRODUCTION

New Tools Available To Fight Plant Bugs

he troublesome plant bug is a cotton insect pest that is persistent – or so it seems. There is simply no other way to describe this devilish bug. It has always been around, but when the boll weevil eradication effort kicked into high gear in the 1980s and 1990s, the environment gradually changed. That’s when the plant bug began to appear with more regularity in cotton fields. Strategies have been implemented through the years to deal with this pest. Most involved multiple insecticide spray applications and various tankmix combinations. Entomologists will attest that it can be an expensive approach when trying to control huge outbreaks. In the Cotton Insect Loss Estimates report for 2013

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SEPTEMBER 2014

compiled by Extension entomologist Michael Williams of Mississippi State University, the plant bug is again ranked as the No. 1 cotton insect pest in the country. In the Mid-South, the states most affected are Mississippi, Missouri and Arkansas, according to the report. One of the new tools being used against plant bugs with success in 2013 and 2014 is Transform insecticide from Dow AgroSciences. Arkansas cotton consultant Steve Frizzell says introduction of the new product has made a big difference in reducing populations in the southeastern part of his state. “We just don’t have that many options,” he says. “I have tried other residuals, and I know that my growers can’t stay in business spraying every five days. I am looking for an insecticide that will offer at least 10 days of coverage. That is what Transform is giving our farmers.” One of the added bonuses of this insecticide is that it can work equally well on aphids. Frizzell says these pests only appear once a year, but he often puts out an application that can have simultaneous activity on aphids and plant bugs. “We usually come in at mid-bloom with an application of an ounce and a half of Transform,” he says. “Then we come back 10 days later and tankmix it with something else. It has really worked well.” Effective Control Against Pest Chris Main, Dow AgroSciences cotton development specialist, says results have been encouraging for the past two years. He says the most effective control occurs in back-toback applications spaced five to seven days apart. Main, who previously worked as Tennessee Extension cotton specialist before joining Dow, says plant bug infestations are highly variable in parts of the Mid-South. That makes it hard to gain a consistent analysis of the pest’s behavior. For example, he has seen heavy outbreaks in parts of the Mississippi Delta where threshold levels were reached. Meanwhile, other parts of the region had much lower levels. “This pest is here to stay,” says Main. “I can remember seven or eight years ago when a farmer would only make one application for plant bugs. Today, some are making four, five or six applications. It is encouraging that we now have a new way to control this problem.” Bader Rutter, which represents Dow AgroSciences, contributed to this article . For more information, go to www.dowagro.com.

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My Turn Riding To The Gin

s I pedaled my meandered like Pac-Man through the disorderly new bike down maze until he found a spot to unhitch. Next, we the dusty turn- found an empty trailer to pull back to the field, row toward the and we hooked up to it. It was a new trailer, and barn, I noticed bolls open- its running gear, made by the Electric Wheel ing in the cotton field Company, sported the coolest logo, a big jagged along the way, and I lightning bolt arcing across the rear axle. Daddy worked the empty trailer back through smelled the acrid stench of defoliant in the air. Inside the labyrinth, weaving this way and that. When I the barn, I found my thought we were almost out, he stopped. I stood father and his men hud- up in the floor so I could see over the dashboard. Robert dled around the biggest There were trailers blocking us in front and on the machine on our farm. It left. The ditch and highway bank bordered us on Royal was a gargantuan thing, a the right. We couldn’t back out. “We’re trapped, one-row cotton picker! Daddy! There’s no way out. What’re you gunna One of the men pulled down hard on a chain hoist do?” His head turned calmly toward me, but his that hung from a joist. They communicated in darting gaze went all around me. He was looking short clips. Down a hair. A little more left. Whoa! for facts, not opinions. I expected him to go ask for help. Instead, he After a while, they had successfully married the IH picking unit to a Farmall tractor. Harvest popped the clutch! First, I was thrown back against the seat. He was near. floored the gas pedal, Soon, the roads were ‘With calm restored, we both steered the rig tocongested with cotton ward the highway trailers traveling slowly tried to hold back smiles.’ ditch and hit it hard to and from the gins. at an angle. Then, I Each little Delta town hummed with the noise of a busy cotton gin, and was thrown forward, then over to the right. I was each was enveloped in a cloud of hemp like tossed all around the cab. He pushed me off his incense emanating from the gin’s smoldering burr lap and he pulled me out from under his feet. When the truck started the steep climb up the pile. In the larger towns, the periodic hiss of steam at the compress punctuated time as if not only elevated highway bank, my face got plastered wealth, but time itself could be measured in bales against the back glass. From there, I could see the trailer buck and kick behind us. Truck tires of cotton. After I settled into the routine of first grade, the growled viciously in the grass. When the old season’s first chance to ride to the gin with Daddy Chevy jerked the trailer across the ditch, it finally came. Just after the school bus dropped me seemed to explode as if Zeus had energized the off one Friday, Daddy stopped in front of the lightning bolt logo with 10 million volts. The spinhouse with a wagon load of cotton and beckoned ning tires reached the asphalt and screamed bloody murder. Their piercing cry continued until me to join him. It was a delightful fall afternoon. We poked we inched forward enough and leveled out peacealong slowly with the heavy tow. I could feel the fully onto the plateau of the highway. With calm restored, we both tried to hold back pride of showing off the bounty of the months of hard work. The stray locks of cotton that littered smiles. I settled down in my seat for the ride back home. A sleepy breeze swirled through the cab. the roadside were confetti in our victory parade. “Hey, Daddy, when we get back to the field, do When we arrived at the gin, I was stunned. The yard was packed to overflowing with trailers! you think the men will have another trailer ready There appeared to be no room for another. for us?” – Robert Royal, Midnight, Miss. Unconcerned with the dense clutter, Daddy rroyal@wildblue.net turned off the highway, down into the throng, and Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling funny or unusual “farm tales” from across the Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting tale to tell, send a short summary to thorton@onegrower.com or fax to (901) 767-4026. We look forward to hearing from you.

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