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Cotton 2005

Ouachita Fertilizer

River Parishes

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Ouachita Commitment to you

• Increase yields• Lower Costs / Unit Produced• Help solve specific production

problems that limit profitability Value Offering• Consistency and Reliability• Cost effectiveness• Leveraged Investment

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Delta Smart Systems

What is DSS?

• A precise data-gathering system collected to improve grower profitability

• Records production practices used on the farm

• Uses on-board to capture yield data

• Uses USDA grading standards to measure impact on quality

• Utilizes a large data base Community to analyze data

• Confidential

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Delta Smart Systems

What is DSS?

• More than just a database

• Ties together all production data with local weather station data

• Ties together all production data with field observations and samples

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Ouachita Fertilizer’s method of introducing the new science of crop phenology

Translation: Understanding how weather impacts crop production practices

Delta Smart Systems

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Delta Smart Systems

• Utilizes technology to reach higher yields and lower grower’s cost

• Increases crop uniformity, the key to higher yields

• Helps predict production grades for targeted markets

• Helps avoid repeated mistakes: continuous improvement

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Cotton Acres in Louisiana

710

870

520 525 500

0

200

400

600

800

1000

000 a

cres

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

From 2002 to 2003, about 34% of all cotton acres were irrigated. (USDA)

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Cotton Yields: Lbs. Per Acre

629580

717

967867

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Lbs.

per

Acr

e

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

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Regional Analysis

• Split DSS data into three regions•To customize recommendations

•To provide local solutions• Identify and remove limiting

factors to yield and quality

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DSS in 2004

• 15,000 acres in 2004• 50 plant tissue samples• 250 field observations• Two satellite weather stations

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Plant Analysis

• Tool for in-season use to determine and manage plant nutrient levels and ratios

• Some elements can be corrected in-season with Foliar Applications

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Value Offering

• Enables growers to identify nutrients that limit yields or quality: improve plant health

• Allows deficiencies or imbalances to be corrected in-season to increase profits.

• Helps avoid the application of excessive rates and unnecessary nutrient applications are avoided.

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Disease Protection*

• Balanced nutrients have proven to reduce disease pressure in cotton:• Verticillium

• Pythium, fusarium, root rot and nematodes

*Management of Diseases with Macro- and Microelements, APS Press, 1993

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0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

N S P K Mg Ca B Zn Mn Cu

River Parishes

Early Bloom Plant Tissue Average

Cotton Plant Analysis 2004

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Early Bloom Plant Tissue

River Parishes:•100% low in Zinc•100% low in Copper

•Copper is limited with alkaline soils: no data available to compare copper treatments on cotton.

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DSS in 2004: River Parishes

• 20 lbs. of banded P gave a 230 lb. cotton yield increase.

• An investment of $12.00 in Phosphate returned $130.00

• Banding 20 lbs. of P equals 40+ lbs. broadcast

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

20 lbs. P 0 lbs. P

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DSS in 2004: River Parishes

• 20 lbs. of banded K gave a 443 lb. cotton yield increase.

• An investment of $12.00 in Potassium returned $220.00

• Banding 20 lbs. of K equals 40+ lbs. broadcast

600

800

1000

1200

1400

20 lbs. K O lbs. K

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Sulfur on Cotton

• Required on sandy soils or soils with low organic matter

• Sulfur deficiencies look much like nitrogen deficiencies, pale-green leaves on the upper part of the plant.

• Sulfur deficiency appears on new growth

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Zinc Problems in Cotton

• Laser leveling, high copper, iron and manganese concentrations

• Highly alkaline soils

• Low VAM* levels • Cool wet periods

which affect root movement *VAM-Vascular Microorganisms

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Magnesium in Cotton

• Usually associated with low soil pH, especially with very high Mn levels.

• Little yield data available to compare Mg applications in cotton.

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DSS in 2004: River Parishes

• Increasing boron rates from 1.6 lbs. To 2.2 lbs. increased lint by 425 lbs.

• An investment of $1.50 returned over

• $200.00

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2.2 lbs. B 1.6 lbs. B

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DSS in 2004: River Parishes

• Other results:• 130 lbs. N gave the highest yields

• Wet soils can lose N to the air.

• 10 lbs. sulfur increased yields by 162 lbs. of cotton compared to no sulfur

• Plant issue samples were low in zinc and copper

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Cotton Fertility 2005

N 130P 20K 20S 10B 2.2Zn 2

River Parishes(lbs. / acre)

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Results from DSS: River Parishes

Varieties: top two varieties• DP 5415 RR• DP 555 BGRR

Other Varieties that did well in other Regions of the State were: *Stoneville 55999 BBGRR *Pay 1218 BGRR *FM 960 BGRR

Population• 45,000 planted seeds per acre produced

400 lbs. more cotton than 55, 000 seeds per acre.

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Results from DSS: River Parishes

01020304050607080

4/12

/200

5

4/14

/200

5

4/16

/200

5

4/18

/200

5

4/20

/200

5

4/22

/200

5

4/24

/200

5

Series1

Five-Day GDU Accumulation ST Joe 2004

GDUsby

Planting Date

1200 lbs Cotton

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Results from DSS: River Parishes

• Planting on April 15 and April 16 was the optimum planting date.

• Planting at .75 inches deep produced 100 lbs. more cotton than planting at 1.5 inches deep.

• Planting cotton after corn produced 200 lbs. per acre than cotton after cotton. This area provided the highest return for planting cotton after corn.

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DSS Summary

• 15,000 acres in 2004• 50 plant tissue samples• 250 field observations• Two satellite weather stations• DSS split LA cotton into three

distinct areas to better understand profitable cotton production

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DSS Summary

• Cotton seeding rates performed best at 45,000 seeds per acre in 2004.

• Using weather stations to forecast 25 GDU accumulations the first five days after planting is an effective tool to use as a planting guide.

• We have weather stations running now and can have the information sent to you.

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Cotton Schedule of Events