Cotton Farming, October 2014

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PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES OCTOBER 2014ONE GROWERPUBLISHING, LLC

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COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2014 3

D E P A R T M E N T S & C O L U M N S

Cotton FarmingPROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES OCTOBER 2014Vol. 58 No. 10

www.cottonfarming.com

4 Editor’s Note13 Specialists Speaking17 Ginning Marketplace

21 Industry News22 My Turn

F E A T U R E S

ON THE COVER: Harvest in the Texas High Plains is aboutto begin. Photo courtesy of Mary Jane Buerkle.

SPECIAL EXPERIENCEMemphian Anthony Wills will never forget histime at the International Cotton Institute.

16

PLEASANT SURPRISEMississippi producer Melvin Clanton talks aboutgrowing cotton in the “Hills” region.

12

After a long crop year that had its share of challenges in allregions of the Cotton Belt, it’s time for harvest. Unexpectedrainfall is definitely having an effect on harvest plans in theTexas High Plains, but farmers there remain hopeful thatthey can deliver a good crop. It could be the start of a trendthat could signal the end of a three-year drought.

Harvest Season8

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. PeriodicalsPostage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sunbelt Fulfillment Services, 307 Southgate Court, Brentwood, Tenn. 37027-7987 (Phone: 615-377-3322) (Fax: 615-850-5319). 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.

WESTERN REPORTBrent Murphree examines how aflatoxin canaffect profit potential in cotton production.

20

Cotton Farming Editor Tommy Horton concludes his review offield days and special events by offering an update on trips toPortageville, Mo.; Jackson, Miss.; and Agricenter International inMemphis, Tenn. Go to www.cottonfarming.com to read hisspecial report.

WEB POLLRESULTS

WEB EXCLUSIVE

In light of today’s low cotton prices,what kind of strategy will you employ

for 2015?Go to www.cottonfarming.com

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3_3 9/22/14 7:55 AM Page 3

4 COTTON FARMING OCTOBER 2014

Editor’s Note

After a long journey that began six months ago, we now come to themain goal of every cotton farmer in this country. Somehow, thecrop must be harvested and delivered to the gin on time – even ifthe weather doesn’t always cooperate. That is what confronts

producers today from California to the Carolinas, and sometimes it takesevery bit of luck to make it happen.

As I write this column on Sept. 20, a lot of important decisions are beingmade on when to defoliate and begin harvest. In some regions, those deci-sions will be easier compared to places such as the Texas High Plains. Ourfriends there have been dealing with a bizarre weather pattern since backin the spring.

As you’ll see in our cover story on pages 8, 9, 10 and 11, the seasonbegan with much optimism in this part of Texas. After three years ofdrought, it appeared that a more normal rainfall trend was beginning. Inthe story, Steve Verett, executive vice president of Plains Cotton Growers,Inc., and a long-time cotton farmer, offers a firsthand view of what it waslike to go through the season. Everyone was overjoyed with timely rains inMay and June. But, then the weather turned hot and dry in August.

Verett says there is the potential for a very good crop in the region, buteveryone is nervous about rain recently entering the Lubbock area becauseof hurricanes in the Pacific. Just call it one more element in a Texas yearwhere anything can happen.

And why are we so concerned about what happens in Texas? Mainly,because roughly half of the cotton in the country is produced in this state.Cotton traders, USDA and overseas mills always monitor what happensthere. As Texas goes, so goes the rest of the Cotton Belt in many ways.

It was just a few years ago that the state produced nearly eight millionbales in a spectacular season where everything clicked perfectly. Thencame the three-year drought, and production dropped to a level somewhereclose to 3.5 million bales – for the entire state.

Now, as Verett points out, there is a realistic chance for a return to a“typical season.” That means something on the order of 3.8 million bales inthe High Plains. Coupled with some encouraging reports from other partsof the Lone Star state, this could put the state’s overall production some-where close to 6.6 million bales. Again, that’s just an estimate.

So, keep your fingers crossed for all cotton producers but especially theones in Texas. They are long overdue for some good fortune.

If you have comments, send them to: Editor, Cotton Farming Magazine,1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tenn., 38119. Or send e-mail to: [email protected].

Tommy Horton

Harvest SeasonBrings Renewed Hope

One Grower Publishing, LLC1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tennessee, 38119

Phone: 901-767-4020

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating withCOTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizationsacross the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organiza-tions serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board.Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors arenot necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the edi-tors. All statements, including product claims, are those of theperson or organization making the statement or claim. The pub-lisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its ownand any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect theopinion of the publisher.Copyright 2014

ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing,LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROW-ER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

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Cotton FarmingCotton Farming ®

David Burns – North Carolina David Lynch – South Carolina

Bob McLendon – GeorgiaLarkin Martin – Alabama

Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi Charles Parker – Missouri

Jimmy Hargett – TennesseeAllen Helms – Arkansas

Jay Hardwick – Louisiana Ronnie Hopper – TexasRon Rayner – Arizona

John Pucheu – California

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

ONE GROWERPUBLISHING, LLC

Oct. Editor's Note_ 4 9/22/14 9:27 AM Page 4

WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT

Meeting Consumer DemandThe University of Rhode Island’s Department of Textiles,

Fashion Merchandising and Design graduates students with allthey need to be successful in the wide range of careers open tothem. Beyond the obvious knowledge inherent in the major, itsgraduates are equipped to think critically and be prepared tomeet changes and challenges that will inevitably arise overtheir working lives. But ultimately, whether designer, technolo-gist or merchandiser, their success depends on meetingconsumer demands.

Let’s look at students who graduated 25 years ago, when thedepartment was still young. They have seen the general cost ofconsumer items rise steadily over the past quarter century, whilethe price of textiles and apparel has stayed almost constant. Ineffect, the textile industry has managed to make its productscheaper relative to those other goods, accomplished largelythrough high degrees of automation and production efficiency.

Over the same period, those grads have watched annual global fiber production increase from around 50 million tons tomore than 80 million tons. Almost all that increase has been inpolyester, and around the turn of the century, polyester tookover from cotton as the biggest-volume textile fiber. Asglobal population grows, and each person on the planet takes

advantage of those low prices and purchases more textile items,global fiber use will continue to increase. Synthetic fibers cannotmatch the combination of comfort, durability and absorption ofcotton, and cotton will certainly continue as a major world fiber,especially for apparel.

Major Challenge For CottonWhen those students graduated, cotton was king, and the tex-

tile processors understood the variation inherent in those fibersand could deal comfortably with it. As manufactured fibers havebecome predominant, mills have become more accustomed tothe consistent quality that allows for efficient production. Forcotton to maintain its vital role in affordable, comfortable, textileproducts, it is increasingly important that cotton entering theglobal supply chain be of the highest quality.

Bottom line? For the consumer to continue to find affordableand high quality cotton textiles in the stores, the farmer mustproduce consistently high quality cotton, and do so using sus-tainable methods.

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University of Rhode Island

Dr. Martin Bide says cotton’s advantages must be communicated to today’s customer in an effective way as global competition continues to increase.

From Fiber To Fabric• Industry must meet consumer demand.

• Polyester can’t match cotton’s comfort.

• Only high quality cotton can compete.

• Quality starts on the farm.

• Customers want sustainability.

5_CF 11/13 template 9/19/14 3:06 PM Page 5


Cotton’s AgendaMark Lange

Cotton Council International (CCI), the National Cotton Council’s export promotions arm, continues toelevate U.S. cotton in the global marketplace.

What is CCI’s mission?■ CCI works to increase exports of U.S. cottonfiber, manufactured cotton goods, cottonseedand their products around the globe throughtrade services and consumer promotion. CCIadheres to a three-point plan that includes: 1)supply chain development, 2) brand/retailer pro-motion and support, and 3) developing industrypartnerships. CCI’s reach extends to more than50 countries through 17 offices worldwide.

Has CCI revitalized its brand?■ For 25 years now, more than 50,000 productlines and 3 billion products have proudly carriedthe name COTTON USA – a worldwide regis-tered trademark signifying quality productsmanufactured with high U.S. cotton content.That has translated into about 100 million balesof cotton. CCI recently revitalized that flagshipbrand to emphasize purity, quality and respon-sibility. In addition to a new logo, there are new

promotional and merchandising tools that willbe rolled out globally over the coming months.CCI also redesigned its website, www.cot-tonusa.org, where it is personalizing U.S. cot-ton’s story for three key audiences: 1) fibergrowers and buyers, 2) mills and manufactur-ers, and 3) consumers. COTTON USA socialmedia platforms were launched to increase thebrand’s global awareness and COTTON USAnow can be followed on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and Pinterest. Simultaneously, CCIis a partner in the recently launched CottonLEADS™ program (see last month’s column)

that was initiated to demonstrate to brands andretailers the commitment by U.S. producers toresponsibly produced cotton.

What are some key CCI demand-buildingsuccess stories?■ For 45 years, the biennial COTTON USAOrientation Tour has been extremely valuablein keeping the global pipeline filled with U.S.raw cotton exports. Key overseas textile manu-facturers travelled across the U.S. Cotton Beltlast October where they: 1) gained greaterawareness of U.S. cotton types/qualities andmarketing practices and 2) enhanced their rela-tionships with U.S. exporters. Another biennialevent set for next month in Arizona is theSourcing USA Summit. This forum enables topexecutives in the global cotton textile and exportindustries to network with the goal of increasingU.S. cotton exports. CCI, Cotton Incorporatedand the U.S. cotton industry host the Summit,in cooperation with USDA’s Foreign Agricult-ural Services.

This past June, a NCC leadership team, led byCCI Chairman John Burch, visited China togather information from key Chinese cottonindustry officials and convey the U.S. cottonindustry’s continued commitment to deliverhigh quality cotton in a timely manner. This del-egation was the sixth to visit China since thetwo countries established a Memorandum ofUnderstanding that promises cooperationbetween the countries’ cotton industries.Another COTTON USA Executive Delegationtravelled to China, Korea and Japan last monthon a mission of updating those markets’ leadersabout U.S. industry developments and dis-cussing issues that can result in increased tradein U.S. cotton.

CCI continues to cultivate extraordinary pro-gramming to meet consumer demand through-out the global supply chain.

Mark Lange is the president and chief executive officer for the National Cotton Council of America.He and other NCC leaders contribute columns on this Cotton Farming page.

Build A Brand

As part of its recent brand revitalization, CCI is featuring a newCOTTON USA logo.

6_9 9/19/14 1:59 PM Page 6

Kevin CottonHigh Cotton Consultants, Inc.Leesburg, Ga.

When I started scouting for the Extension service in 1981, the first crop Iworked was cotton and, with a name like mine, I knew it was my destiny. Itook a job with Griggs Gin Co., out of Pinehurst, Ga., as its in-house con-sultant and later worked for a consulting firm in Smithville before incorpo-rating my own business in 1991. I think we have one of the best Extensionteams in the country. They all work really well with consultants and farm-ers and are instrumental in helping us and keeping us in check.

Focus On Plant Bug And Pigweed ControlThis year, we started off with adequate rainfall, then it got dry. Plant

bugs were pretty relentless all season, but we were able to manage them.We used a good bit of Transform and tankmixes with Transform, which dida superb job in cleaning them up. Most of our plant bug applications go outin the second week of squaring. We have a lot of woods and other hosts.Plant bugs will actually build up in areas, then come into the cotton fields.Transform did what we wanted it to do. It cleaned up the plant bugs. Inearly September, we had some late stink bugs, but, for the most part,everything is falling into place crop wise.

Pigweed is our primary weed problem. We generally make burndownapplications in February and March, followed by PPOs behind the planter.Within 14 days after planting, we come back with our first post application,typically Dual or Warrant for pigweed suppression and Roundup. Then 14to 17 days after the first post, we come back with a second post, followedup roughly four weeks later with a layby application. Where we can acti-vate herbicides with irrigation, we’ve been able to manage the pigweed.On dryland cotton, we can get some escapes here and there if we are notable to activate the herbicides. Every field is different. If we have morning-glory issues, we apply Staple. However, I am fortunate that my producersare A-No. 1. They are very timely with their applications and recognize thecost associated with pulling pigweed. They do an excellent job of keepingthe crop clean.

Our fertility management programs are based on soil type and crop. Weare realistic on yield goals based on water. We’ve got to have rainfall tomake a crop, so we fertilize accordingly to make the crop that we knowwe can make. If Mother Nature cooperates, we come out a little better.Right now, we are sitting on a great crop. Most of our irrigated cotton isexceptional. About 90 percent of our cotton was planted from late April tothe third week in May.

We’ve had a few untimely late rains, so boll rot is evident in someareas. As far as disease, target spot showed up two weeks later than itnormally does. We started picking it up on cotton in the fifth and sixthweek of bloom. In spite of this, we probably are looking at the best cropwe have made in years, including 2012. If we can get some dry weatherand low humidity, we are set up, even with these low commodity prices, tomake a profitable crop this year.

1. Plant bugs were pretty relentless all season, but we were able tomanage them. We used a good bit of Transform and tankmixeswith Transform, which did a superb job in cleaning them up.

2. In early September, we had some late stink bugs, but, for the mostpart, everything is falling into place crop wise.

3. We generally make burndown applications in February and March,followed by PPOs behind the planter. Within 14 days after planting,we come back with our first post application. Then 14 to 17 daysafter the first post, we come back with a second post, followed uproughly four weeks later with a layby application. Where we canactivate herbicides with irrigation, we’ve been able to managethe pigweed.

4. Our fertility management programs are based on soil type and crop.We are realistic on yield goals based on water, so we fertilizeaccordingly to make the crop that we know we can make.

5. Target spot showed up two weeks later than it normally does. Westarted picking it up on cotton in the fifth and sixth week of bloom.In spite of this, we probably are looking at the best crop we havemade in years, including 2012.

Recap: Georgia Anticipates Profitable Crop ▼

• Owner of High Cotton Consultants, Inc. in Leesburg, Ga.

• Consults on cotton, corn, soybeans, peanuts and grainsorghum

• Also consults for a dairy where they chop silage rye, oatsand corn silage. Works wheat and does variable-rate soilsampling in the winter

• Member of the Georgia Association of ProfessionalAgricultural Consultants (GAPAC)

• Married to wife, Tammy. Two children: Son, Corey, attendsthe University of Georgia and plans to pursue a master’sdegree in Ag Science & Environmental Systems.Daughter, Kylie, attends Valdosta State in Valdosta, Ga.

• Enjoys Auburn University football, hunting, boat riding withthe family and deep sea fishing in the winter and early spring

Sponsored By

Georgia AnticipatesProfitable Crop

Cotton Consultant’s Corner

®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.

7 Oct CF CCCv2_CF 11/13 template 9/22/14 3:00 PM Page 7


COVER STORY

HIGH PLAINS REGION SHOWS PLENTY OF PROMISE • Timely rains on Memorial Day weekend helped start season.

• Other rain events in June also contributed to crop’s early progress.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARY JANE BUERKLE

8 9 _CF 11/13 template 9/22/14 10:40 AM Page 8

Just what is “typical” anyway? That seems to be a debatable question here on the High Plains,where the last three years have been anything but. Even the last good year, 2010, also wasnot “typical,” with the area’s highest production and lowest abandonment in recorded history.As executive vice president of Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., a cotton producer organization rep-resenting thousands of hard-working farmers in 41 counties on the High Plains, I’ve noticed

that the word “typical” is gradually creeping back into our vocabulary. And as a farmer, I’m espe-cially thankful for that.

Strangely enough, 2013 actually was one of my best years on our family operation, Verett Farms,where I grow cotton with my son, brother and nephew. We benefitted from timely rains thatallowed us to have a decent dryland crop and some of the most exceptional irrigated yields we’veever had. Certainly, that was not a “typical” year for us, and it wasn’t for many other growers,albeit for different reasons.

TexasTexas producer Steve Verett, who also is executive vice president of

Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., has seen his share of unpredictable cropconditions in recent years. But he remains hopeful that this could be

the season when things finally turn around in his region.


BY STEVE VERETTLUBBOCK, TEXAS

Turnaround


The 2014 crop year has been a sea-son of hope. If “typical” were to mean“average,” current acreage and produc-tion estimates say we’re about there.However, “typical” certainly does notmean perfect, by any stretch. It doesn’tmean success for everyone.

We have had our share of ups anddowns this year. The season didn’t getoff to the best start. Winter and springwere not kind to us in terms of precipi-tation, and it looked like we might bein for yet another really rough season,especially for our area dryland crop,which accounts for about 60 percent ofour planted acreage.

Timely Rains Helped CropBut then, on Memorial Day week-

end, the skies opened with rainfall likewe haven’t seen in years.

The timing and the amount couldn’thave been better for some growers, therainfall coming just in time to estab-lish a cotton crop. But for some, includ-ing me, it was more than a little exces-sive. Ten inches of rainfall in a singleweekend does not bode well for newlyplanted cotton. We had to start over.But it was tough to complain. We need-ed this moisture desperately.

Then it was off to the races for the2014 High Plains cotton crop. Afterthat Memorial Day weekend rain, wehad a couple of more precipitationevents in June. However, July andAugust were largely dry, squelchingthe opportunity for tremendous yieldpotential in much of our area.

We have been fortunate not to losetoo many acres to hail, but the lack oftimely rainfall once again has causedcrop failure in some portions of our ser-vice area. In a strange dichotomy, toomuch rainfall has caused failures thisyear, as well.

The rainfall, while welcomed withopen arms from a crop developmentand soil moisture standpoint, alsorevealed a new problem for the TexasHigh Plains – resistant weeds. We’vehad evidence of resistance since 2012,and growers have implemented aggres-sive weed management strategiesdesigned to curb the spread, but thedry weather had helped prevent thelarge scale, general outbreak wefeared…until now.

In spite of trying to do everythingright – using both pre-emergent andpost-emergent herbicides, monitoringfields and destroying suspicious weedsas soon as possible – they persist, andgrowers collectively have spent no


Steve Verett remains optimistic about the outlook for the High Plains this year.



telling how much more money thanthey “typically” spend on weed man-agement, trying to rid their fields ofthis unwelcome inhabitant.

Typical Season Is Good NewsSo whatever you may consider “typi-

cal,” all of this equates to a projected3.8 million bales of cotton to be har-vested here in 2014. If that comes topass, that will be right around our 10-year average yearly production.

For our organization, and especiallyour infrastructure, we need “typical.”Gins need cotton to process. Ware-houses need cotton to store andship. Our oil mills need the seed. As

farmers, we are fortunate to have acrop insurance program that hashelped us get through these toughtimes, but while we certainly have suf-fered losses, we’ve been able to live tosee another day. Many businesses sim-ply would not be able to absorb onemore year like the last three.

Even as I write this in mid-Sept-ember, it’s raining outside. I’d rather itbe warm and sunny right now to finishout this crop, and there’s still a lot oftime left between now and harvest. Ican only pray that those productionestimates will come to pass, but thepotential is there. We’re on the homestretch. And I don’t think I’ve ever

been happier with “typical,” becauseit means that we’re finally back inthe game.

Steve Verett is executive vice presidentof Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., inLubbock, Texas. Contact him via emailat [email protected].

Texas High Plains HarvestReady To Kick Into High Gear This Fall

Barring anything unusual in the coming

weeks, the Texas High Plains is looking at

a harvest of about 3.8 million bales this

year. That is near the region’s 10-year

average, and it is good news for producers

who have dealt with serious drought,

acreage abandonment and difficult condi-

tions in the last three years.

The sight of gigantic circles of cotton

(left) being harvested will be a welcome

sight in the coming weeks as farmers try

to deliver this crop to the gin in a

timely manner.

Steve Verett, executive vice president of

Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., will be doing

double duty during this time of the year.

He’ll continue to guide PCG, which

represents thousands of farmers in a 41-

county area. He will also be dealing with

his own farming operation in Ralls, Texas.

He and his son (Kristofer), brother (Eddie)

and nephew (Heath) manage a 4,000-

acre operation.

The recent rainfall in the region brought

on by moisture from hurricanes in the

Pacific has definitely affected when

farmers can begin harvest. But hopes

remain high in these final weeks.

So, is this the end of the drought in

Texas and a return to more normal

conditions? Verett can’t say for sure, but he

does know that 2014 will be better than the

previous three years when drought

conditions severely affected the state’s

cotton crop.

We’re on the home stretch. And I don’t thinkI’ve ever been happier with “typical,” becauseit means that we’re finally back in the game.



For anyone unfamiliar with cot-ton production in Mississippi,two primary regions exist – onein the Delta and another in the

Hills. They are distinctly different andrequire special approaches for growingthe crop.

The Delta is adjacentto the MississippiRiver and covers anarea stretching fromMemphis south toGreenville. The Hillsconstitute a regionextending from thenorth central part ofthe state east towardAlabama.

Producer MelvinClanton farms 1,200acres just east ofGrenada about 100miles due south ofMemphis, and he haslearned what it takes to deliver consis-tent crops in the Hills.

He started going to the fields withhis father when he was four years oldand made the big decision to returnto the family farm in 1995 afterearning a degree from MississippiState University.

“This is my 19th straight year to befarming here in the Hills,” saysClanton. “I owe everything to myfather. He taught me how to be agood farmer.”

In Search Of WaterClanton says the big difference in

his farming is that all acres are dry-land. He depends on timely rains tokeep his crop progressing throughoutthe season.

And how does a farmer in the Hillssurvive in such an environment?Clanton says it’s all about having arealistic yield projection and accuratebudget. He also has to be very precisein choosing varieties suited for siltyloam soils.

This year, Clanton planted DP 1137B2RF and DP 1321 B2RF on his cottonacreage. Barring anything unusual,he’s hoping for yields around 1.75bales per acre. On some of his earlyplanted cotton, he expects two-baleyields, which is what his cotton has

averaged for the pasttwo years.

Are there otherunique challenges inthe Hills region?Unfortunately, wildhogs and deer pose aserious problem.Many fields in thisregion are small andnear wooded areaswhere an abundanceof wild animals roam.

Because he alsoproduces corn, soy-beans and wheat, this“problem” isn’t likely

to go away anytime soon.

Optimistic OutlookWhen Clanton views his entire oper-

ation, he feels optimistic about whathe has learned since those early daysin 1995. He and his wife Andrea runthe operation with the help of fourworkers and a scout, Colby Parker.

Like many other cotton producerstoday, the young Mississippi farmer isconcerned about current cotton pricesand how they will affect his plantingintentions for 2015.

Clanton also is hoping that hisregion can steer clear of any unseason-able rain as harvest season approach-es. A cotton farmer’s major goal now isfor a dry fall as a late crop tries tocatch up.

“That’s what I’m hoping for rightnow,” he says while surveying one ofhis fields. “At this point, we don’t needany surprises.”

Contact Tommy Horton at (901) 767-4020 or [email protected]

Melvin Clanton –Thrives In The ‘Hills’

PRODUCTIONTrait Stewardship Responsibilities

Notice to Farmers

Monsanto Company is a member of

Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS).

Monsanto products are commercialized in

accordance with ETS Product Launch

Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with

Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of

Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in

Commodity Crops. This product has been

approved for import into key export markets with

functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or

material produced from this product can only be

exported to, or used, processed or sold in

countries where all necessary regulatory

approvals have been granted. It is a violation of

national and international law to move material

containing biotech traits across boundaries into

nations where import is not permitted. Growers

should talk to their grain handler or product

purchaser to confirm their buying position for

this product. Excellence Through Stewardship®

is a registered trademark of Biotechnology

Industry Organization.

B.t. products may not yet be registered in all

states. Check with your Monsanto representative

for the registration status in your state.

Individual results may vary, and performance

may vary from location to location and from year

to year. This result may not be an indicator of

results you may obtain as local growing, soil and

weather conditions may vary. Growers should

evaluate data from multiple locations and years

whenever possible.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE

LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops

contain genes that confer tolerance to

glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup®

brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand

agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not

tolerant to glyphosate. Bollgard II®, Genuity

Design®, Genuity Icons, Genuity®, Respect the

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Deltapine® are registered trademarks of Monsanto

Company. All other trademarks are the property

of their respective owners. ©2014 Monsanto

Company. DP-CF-15012 LC_2014

BY TOMMY HORTONEDITOR

Melvin Clanton

12_CF 11/13 template 9/22/14 7:56 AM Page 12


Specialists Speaking

After A Long Season, It’s Time To HarvestFLORIDA David Wright

Like every year in crop production, producers facenew challenges that they may not have faced beforeand do a good job of managing through them. Thiswas the case for many Florida farmers who faced anall-time record drought in the May through Augustperiod in certain areas of the state and timely rains inother areas. As we enter harvest season and cotton is

opening and ready for defoliation, there have been almost dailyshowers in some areas while other areas are still in the middle of a drought.

The decision on when to defoliate with daily showers is toughsince cotton will sprout after opening if it continues to rain with hightemperatures. We still have a chance for good cotton yields as con-ditions for picking improve with producers optimistic that they maymake near record yields if the crop is picked in a timely fashion.

As picking is underway, those producers harvesting fields shouldmake note of any areas that appear weak so that they can be sam-pled for nematodes and nutrient content of the soil. We continue tohave better varieties for nematode resistance each year as well ashigh-yielding varieties that are being replaced more frequently. Highyields are necessary with prices being 10 to 20 percent lower than atplanting. [email protected]

GEORGIA Guy CollinsHot and dry conditions remained throughout much

of August, resulting in very rapid maturity and bollopening in much of the early planted dryland crop.However, heavy rains returned in early September,which slowed down boll opening a little bit. A signifi-cant portion of our cotton, especially dryland fields inSouthwest Georgia, was ready to be defoliated in

early September.Therefore, the rains won’t help the early crop much at all.

However, it could potentially be beneficial for later planted or irri-gated cotton that could use some rain to fill out the top crop.

The first fields that I know of were harvested shortly after LaborDay, which mostly consisted of the early maturing dryland crop thatexperienced prolonged drought stress. By the time this is read, widespread harvest should be underway, depending on whetherrains subside.

The Georgia crop remains variable. Strong yield potential is likelyin many irrigated fields, and yields are highly variable across drylandfields, depending on the length and intensity of drought stress. TheUSDA-NASS Crop Production Report for Sept. 1 indicates thatGeorgia producers anticipate harvesting 1.37 million acres with anexpected yield of 911 pounds per acre. Hopefully, the rest of theseason will allow us to achieve this. As I write this on Sept. 14, sev-eral fields have easily observable regrowth issues, especially in fieldswith a fully mature or open crop that likely reached cutout early dueto heat and drought.

Producers should consider using appropriate rates of thidiazuronin defoliation mixtures, especially when conditions are warm andwet and therefore favorable for regrowth.

Application volume of 15 to 20 gallons per acre (for a groundsprayer) could improve overall defoliation or prevent the need for asecond application.

Here’s hoping that defoliation and harvest will go well onyour farm. [email protected]

LOUISIANA Dan FrommeCotton harvest began during the first week of

September in Louisiana. Yield estimates were loweredfor this year’s crop due to high amounts of rainfallreceived during the latter part of August. The wetconditions created by the rain have produced idealconditions for boll rot and target spot problems.Nevertheless, the 2014 crop should be a fairly good

one if sunny weather will hold during the remainder of Septemberand October.

Although insect pests were common, they were not overwhelm-ing, and our producers did an excellent job of staying on top ofthings. Early season thrips caused some difficulties. Bollwormsweren’t particularly bad, and plant bugs were manageable. Also,late-season potassium deficiencies causing premature leaf shed werenoticeable in fields scattered throughout the state.

Cotton prices will need to increase for acres to hold steady orincrease in 2015. Soybeans, at their current price, will make itextremely difficult for cotton to compete for acres next year inLouisiana. [email protected]

NORTH CAROLINA Keith EdmistenOctober is official defoliation month. Defoliation is

often tricky, but I think it should be more straightfor-ward this year. One thing that often makes defoliationdifficult is residual nitrogen, but that shouldn’t be aproblem this year with all the rain we have had. Notonly does this make defoliation easier, but it reducesregrowth potential.

One other thing that contributes to difficult defoliation is a poorboll load, which often contributes to regrowth at defoliation andregrowth potential following defoliation. This year, we should beable to save money on regrowth materials and concentrate on bollopening and defoliation of mature leaves. The rates used on ourmain regrowth material, thidiazuron, should be based on tempera-tures and length of regrowth control desired. It is likely that we canget by with low rates to help with defoliation in these fields withheavy boll loads and little regrowth potential.

I can’t talk about regrowth in October without reminding you thatwe typically do not have the consistent temperatures to increaseyields after Oct. 15, and waiting past that date can result in defoliat-ing under less than ideal conditions. [email protected]

ALABAMA Dale MonksThere have been a lot of questions already about

how many acres of the different row crops we mighthave in the state next year. In Alabama, it changesfrom region to region and year to year, according tocrop prices. The Tennessee Valley used to have halfof the state’s cotton crop, but we have seen thatshrink from 250,000 acres just a few years ago to

60,000 acres this year.Central and southern counties continue to keep cotton in the rota-

tion because it works so well with peanuts. We planted around375,000 acres of cotton this year and should have a respectableyield if you include all areas of the state.

The crop mix in Society Hill is looking pretty good this year withcotton, soybean and sesame taking up most of the acres. We are inan off year for corn in the rotation sequence, but that should turn

13 14 15_CF 11/13 template 9/22/14 1:43 PM Page 13


back around in 2015. Our family farm back in Skinem, Tenn., isplanted wall to wall in soybeans that survived heavy goose feedingearly in the season. One thing we don’t have down here eatingthe crop are groundhogs, but deer and feral hogs are much tougherto manage.

For crop updates through the season, follow us on Twitter at “AUCrop Specialists” or online at www.alabamacrops.com. You canalso download the ALCrops app for your “smartphone” from theiTune store. [email protected]

VIRGINIA Hunter FrameAs August finished up, most of southeastern

Virginia recorded only a few days above 90 degreesduring the month. The heat returned during the firstweek of September but only lasted a couple of daysbefore cooling off again. As I write this article onSept. 17, the skies are mostly cloudy, and there is achance of rain. Southeastern Virginia has seen a few

days of sunshine during the first couple of weeks in September.Frequent rain and cloudy days are starting to affect the cotton cropas hardlock is being observed.

Walking test plots yesterday, it was evident that Mother Nature isaffecting boll opening, which will ultimately have an effect on lintyields. If the weather pattern holds, it could cut potential yields sig-nificantly. Hopefully, by the time everyone is reading this report, wewill have received warmer temperatures and sunshine to aid defolia-tion. The weather forecast for the next week or so looks promising,but nothing is guaranteed.

As for the status of defoliation on Virginia cotton, very little cottonhas been sprayed with harvest aids at this time. However, I expectour producers to ramp up harvest-aid applications during the lasttwo weeks of September. Conversations and observations still indi-cate high yield potential, and Virginia could once again challengethe record yield of 1,118 pounds of lint per acre set in 2012. [email protected]

ALABAMA Charles BurmesterCooler fall weather means cotton defoliation is on

the mind of many farmers in northern Alabama. Mostcotton fields are maturing rapidly, due in large part tolimited late season rains. After fighting more weedsand insects than we have seen in several years, mostcotton fields still have a good yield potential. Manyfarmers are still harvesting corn and full season soy-

beans, so farm resources are stretched to the limits.Early cotton defoliation results look excellent, but the main por-

tion of this year’s crop probably will not be defoliated until the latterpart of September or early October. [email protected]

MISSOURI Mike MilamWhile we have an excellent boll load and yield

potential, defoliation has just begun. As of Sept. 14,cotton boll opening is at 32 percent compared withour five-year average of 47 percent. So, instead of apromising scenario, we will not have cotton out ofthe field for another 10 days from now.

We have had more rainfall which has helped tosettle the dust. During this season, we have not had any abnormallydry conditions in our cotton growing area. However, it is still easy tosee the impact of irrigation on the outside of pivot circles or non-irri-gated fields.

Ninety-seven percent of the cotton is in the fair, good or excellentcategories. The main difference this season compared with last year

is that we had a higher percentage of cotton in the very poor andpoor categories. Last year at this time, we had three percent verypoor and 15 percent poor. The difference was the heavy rainfall dur-ing late July and early August. Our DD-60s are rather low comparedwith our average but are in the range of 2008 when we had a recordyield. However, we are still about two weeks behind normal and ourcool conditions remain. [email protected]

ARKANSAS Bill RobertsonMost of the questions we have about our crop are

answered in October. Yield and quality of the cropfor many fields will be known by month’s end as thetarget harvest completion date for much of Arkansasis Nov. 1. Mother Nature has made this year chal-lenging and unusual from start to finish. We havedone a pretty good job of playing the cards we have

been dealt to our advantage. Our goal at this point of the season is topreserve the yield and fiber quality potential of the crop.

Our harvest-aid programs go a long way toward accomplishingthis goal. We also know the importance of module placement andmanagement for worker safety and preservation of quality. The sim-ple practice of monitoring and removal of standing water on the topsof module covers should not be overlooked. Having well-built andwell-placed modules are key to preserving quality.

As the potential for contamination has increased in recent years,we must be more vigilant in keeping our fiber clean of plastic andother contaminants. [email protected]

ARIZONA Randy NortonWith the season winding down and harvest just

coming into full swing for most of the state, I am opti-mistic about this year’s crop. Heat-related crop stresswas not a factor for most of the state with only ahandful of days with heat stress levels at a point thatwould significantly affect crop production. Timelymonsoon moisture relieved water stress that was

increasing in certain areas of the state in late June. With a good bollload on most of the crop, we have seen a slightly earlier maturingcrop in 2014.

A moderate level of insect pressure around the state has also pro-vided conditions for high fruit retention and controlled vegetativegrowth for the crop in 2014. A significant portion of the 2014 cropwas planted to Pima cotton with slightly more than 15,000 of thetotal 167,000 acres. This is more Pima cotton than Arizona has seenin many years. A lot of it looks good while the price still remains fair-ly strong with USDA daily spot quotations above $1.80 per pound. Itwill be interesting to see how this dynamic affects cotton planting forthe 2015 season. [email protected]

TENNESSEE Tyson RaperAs a whole, Tennessee’s cotton crop has made up

much lost ground over the past month. Still, with cooltemperatures in the forecast, it does not appear thatall of the bolls we’d like to pick will end up in thebasket. With that said, my biggest concern here onSept. 17 is delaying our defoliation applications intoless-than-ideal conditions in order to allow that last

uppermost boll to mature.Historically, we do not get enough heat units to justify delaying

an application past the first week in October, and this year does notlook to be an exception. Given that many will be picking at the timethis is released, I would also like to encourage those who have thecapabilities to monitor yields to do so. This may cost you some timeand may be a slight pain. Still, the regret you may suffer during nextyear for not collecting yield data during our current year may pale incontrast to the regret in years to come.

Although this data has substantial value now, several emergingvariable rate/precision ag tools have the potential to increase

Specialists Speaking



exponentially their current value in the near future. To quote Dr.Paul Fixen of the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) on thetopic of data stewardship: “What about your data? Is it on the way tothe landfill or becoming part of your legacy?” [email protected]

MISSISSIPPI Darrin DoddsAfter a slow start and what seemed to be a very fast

summer, harvest time has arrived in Mississippi.Some of the earliest cotton was harvested in the stateduring the second week of September. However, har-vest will kick into full swing during the first week ofOctober. The USDA has predicted yields forMississippi cotton at 1,120 pounds per acre, which, if

not for last year, would be a new state record. If final yields come inclose to this estimate, this is a testament to those growing cotton, thevarieties they plant and all of those that help make that crop.

As soon as harvest is completed, everyone knows that field opera-tions begin in preparation for next year. To that end, keep this pastspring in mind when performing these field operations. Due to thelate start, we got on some land when it was wetter than we would like. As a result, we have compaction issues in some areas.Spend a few minutes checking fields for hardpans and try to remedythe problem. [email protected]

TEXAS Gaylon MorganThe Rio Grande Valley (RGV) still has some cotton

yet to be harvested due to Tropical Storm Dolly andcontinued wet weather since the first week inSeptember. The wet weather has also hampered thechemical stalk destruction of cotton stalks in theRGV. The Upper Gulf Coast has mostly completed itsharvest, but rains have continued to delay the har-

vesting. Yields from the Upper Gulf Coast have been quite good with

three-plus bales per acre in dryland fields. The earlier planted dry-land fields in the Blacklands have been harvested or at least defoliat-ed, and the irrigated fields are following quickly behind.

Early yield reports are quite good. The Southern Rolling Plains andfar Northern Rolling Plains caught some good rain showers in lateAugust and early September that will help finish out an already goodcrop. However, the rainfall in the Central Rolling Plains has beenmore erratic, and dryland cotton yields will reflect it. The irrigatedcotton throughout most of the Rolling Plains looks quite good, butwill really benefit from a warm fall. [email protected]

OKLAHOMA Randy BomanAs the 2014 growing season winds down,

Oklahoma producers are facing a mixed bag withrespect to the crop. Although June and July were verycotton friendly with good-to-excellent rainfall inmany areas, August was brutal with significant heatand a 30-day run of no rainfall in many areas. Later-planted cotton in some areas was blessed by rainfall

in September, which was valuable with late-season lint production.Overall, it appears that we will be in somewhat better shape with

respect to cotton production in 2014 compared to last year.However, I don't think we will see the extremely high yields in asmany fields as we did last year. The dryland will likely be better inmany locations, but there is no doubt we left a lot of yield potentialon the ground after the tough August.

Many producers are concerned about crop maturity, and, as ofthis writing, we have had more than 2,400 heat units at Altus to justover 2,100 near Weatherford. So, as September winds down, wehave to keep in mind that our cotton maturing weather results inheat units trending to zero by the middle of October. As usual, wejust have to wait and see what kind of hand Mother Nature dealsand respond as best as we can. [email protected]

13 14 15_CF 11/13 template 9/22/14 9:30 AM Page 15


Call it the perfecteducation for pur-suing a career inthe cotton indus-

try. In fact, you couldn’tfind a better description forthe International CottonInstitute conducted everysummer at the Universityof Memphis.

The school, which beganin 1995, offers an eight-week curriculum that cov-ers every aspect of cottonmarketing and production.Through the years, it hashelped many young students gain abetter understanding of the industry.

A perfect example of this occurredfor Anthony Wills, a Memphian whoworks for Cargill Cotton. The graduateof Christian Brothers High School inMemphis earned his bachelor’s degreefrom Louisiana State University andattended graduate school at theUniversity of Memphis.

During graduate school, he receiveda letter advertising for an internshipat Cargill, and he wound up workingsix months for the Memphis-basedcompany – even though he didn’t haveany prior experience in cotton.

That internship eventually led to afull-time job, and now he works inGastonia, N.C., in the Cargill Mem-phis Eastern origination office.

When he was selected to be a part ofthe class this past summer, he jumpedat the opportunity.

“I had done some work in analyticsfor Cargill, and recently I’ve joined ourteam in Gastonia,” he says. “So, I hadlearned a lot by working with farmersas an originating merchant.”

However, he took a giant leap on thelearning curve after completing theeight-week class in Memphis. He andhis classmates received an intense ori-entation on classing, futures, ware-housing, ginning, spinning and manyother aspects of the industry.

New FriendshipsIn addition to a busy class schedule

that featured noted leaders from everysegment of the industry, there was thebonus of interaction with many inter-national students.

“It is an absolute understatement tosay that this class broadens your hori-zons,” says Wills. “I know for sure thatthere were students that I’ll stay intouch with for the rest of my life.That’s how valuable the dialogue waswith them.”

When this year’s class visited SledgeTaylor’s farm in Como, Miss., it was anenlightening experience. Everyonesoon realized how much manpower isrequired to deliver a cotton crop each year.

“You can’t appreciate what a farmergoes through until you visit his farm,”says Wills. “That was a valuable learn-ing experience.”

Bill Griffin, long-time director of theInternational Cotton Institute, saysthe school experience opens doors forall attendees.

“In Anthony’s case, he has gainedsome valuable knowledge as he startshis career with Cargill,” he says. “Thiswill definitely benefit him in thelong run.”

Contact Tommy Horton at (901) 767-4020 or [email protected].

Cotton School OpensIndustry Doors

SPECIAL REPORT

BY TOMMY HORTONEDITOR

Anthony Wills (center) says he will benefit from hisexperience at the International Cotton Institute.

Cotton Farming

CCOY2001 Cotton Consultant of the Year

Harold Lambert

The days when managinginsects consumed most of acotton consultant’s decisionmaking energies are long gone.

Besides more crop mix diversity,staying proficient in a wide rangeof crop management issueshardly describes the challenge.Personally, I need to re-focus oncotton growth regulation andnitrogen management in a heavyrainfall season – apparently 25+years of working with cotton hasnot been ample time for me tograsp this! We also want to holddown growers’ input costs in theface of current market realities.

CCOY honorees across theCotton Belt all work withoutstanding producers and areready for the challenge!

Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

CCOY HONOREES STAND READYTO ADDRESS CHALLENGES

16_CF 11/13 template 9/22/14 3:03 PM Page 16

COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.

Better CommunicationCan Help Gin Efficiency

How you communicate with your employeescan make a difference in how well they complywith your safety program. Communication ofgoals, hazards, procedures and duties are criticalto making sure people do their jobs the safe andefficient way in which they are trained

The tough part of any communication is verifi-cation that the message was received. When thereare language and cultural barriers, that verifica-tion can be even tougher. Safety programs arebuilt on communication. Communication of rules,communication of procedures, communication ofhazards and feedback from employees are allextremely important.

For example, in a recent series of roundtablediscussions conducted by Southeastern CottonGinners in the region, discussions centered onsafety and brought together groups of employeesfrom various gins to exchange ideas. The atten-dees were broken into groups with one of thegroups designated as having an interpreter. Theinterpreter saw several persons in anothergroup (a group that didn’t ask for lan-guage assistance) not really participating.He went over and spoke to them inSpanish, and they immediately opened upand began engaging in conversation (withinterpretation). They were part of theactivities the rest of the day. All it tookwas figuring out that they didn’t under-stand even though they said they didn’tneed any linguistic help.

We are starting this gin season rightnow in most of the country. Therefore, it istime to figure out if you are effectivelycommunicating. This doesn’t have to bedifficult, but it can be tricky. The kind ofself-starter, eager-to-please employee welove to have in gins is the one who will tellyou he really understands when he reallydoesn’t. Encourage active participationand feedback from all levels of workers,and you will gain a much better idea as towho really understood and who signed thesafety meeting roster just to get that extrahalf hour of pay. Have a safe gin season.

Dusty Findley of the Southeastern CottonGinners Association contributed this article. Contact him at [email protected].


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The deflating effects of aflatoxinon cottonseed prices in theWest continue to affect pro-ducers along the Colorado

River and Central Arizona.Hundred-dollar spreads between

clean and unclean seed are not uncom-mon in a region where seed prices con-sistently rise above those in the rest ofthe Cotton Belt. These days, eventhough cottonseed plays a larger rolein the economic mix of the cotton crop,aflatoxin seemingly draws less atten-tion with producers than it does withthose who market the cottonseed for them.

The fungus that causes aflatoxin, astrain of Aspergillus flavus, is endemicto the dry soils of the West and parts ofTexas. Toxins produced by the fungusare carcinogenic at high levels, andwhen those levels are reached in cot-tonseed, it is not allowed in the com-mercial food chain.

Cottonseed containing 20 parts perbillion (ppb) or more cannot be fed todairy cattle because the toxin can becarried into the milk and transferredto humans. In some parts of Arizona,aflatoxin levels can reach levels of 200to 300 ppb.

Costly Problem For FarmersAccording to the Arizona Cotton

Research and Protection Council(ACPRC), cottonseed withhigh levels of aflatoxin hasthe potential to cost be-tween $20 and $50 peracre and could ultimatelycost the Arizona cottonindustry more than $10million each year.

John Wetmore of Wet-more Enviro Lab in CasaGrande, Ariz., says that arisk of cross contaminationof seed at the gin existsif seed piles are not man-aged properly.

“The gins that have on-site storagespace tend to manage the seed well,”says Wetmore.

Where gins run into problems withcontamination, according to Wetmore,is when there is a lot of traffic in openareas containing seed piles.

Contaminated seed can be eliminat-ed through a process called ammonia-tion, in which ammonia is used toremove the toxin. The additional costincurred between the gin and the user

of the seed affects price at both ends.California, a major destination for

Arizona cottonseed, does not allowtransportation of ammoniated seedinto the state. Seed that is high in afla-toxin has to be shipped into the stateunprocessed and then ammoniated.

Major DiscoveryDr. Peter Cotty, USDA-ARS, identi-

fied a strain of atoxigenic fungus(AF36) that could overtake and replacethe toxic strain, thus eliminating therisk in animals. In the late 1990s, hepartnered with the Arizona CottonResearch and Protection Council(ACRPC) to develop AF36 into a commercial product specifically target-ed for Arizona cotton producers.

“AF36 was developed for growers ofcottonseed,” says Leighton Liesner,ACRPC executive director.

Syngenta also produces an atoxi-genic product for use on cotton.According to Liesner, an annual appli-cation of the atoxigenic fungus will

build a non-toxic population that elimi-nates the bad fungus.

Reiterating statements made by twocottonseed marketers and Wetmore,Liesner says, “Producers are walkingaway from $100 or more per acre bynot using in-field treatments.”

Brent Murphree is the Cotton Board’sRegional Communication Manager forthe West. Contact him via email [email protected].

WESTERN REPORT

Aflatoxin Can AffectCotton Profitability

BY BRENT MURPHREEMARICOPA, ARIZ.

Aflatoxin can pose a potentially serious and costlyproblem for cottonseed.

20_CF 11/13 template 9/22/14 9:38 AM Page 20


Bayer Opens New GreenhouseAt Memphis Agricenter

Bayer CropScience recently celebrat-ed the grand opening of its newestresearch facility, a $17 million, 76,000-square foot, state-of-the-art green-house and headhouse addition to itssite in Memphis, Tenn. The site is ahub for cultivating cotton and soybeansolutions for the international market.

The greenhouse, located at Agricen-ter International, is part of Bayer’scommitment to invest in research anddevelopment and capital expenditures,as well as expandglobal productioncapacities andseed breeding fac-ilities from 2011until 2016.

The new green-house includes aspacious head-house and openoffice area and willa c c o m m o d a t eresearch to in-crease the numberof traits availablefor cotton varietiesin the UnitedStates and inter-national markets.Overall, the Mem-phis site supportsall of the compa-ny’s brands, in-cluding Stonevilleand FiberMax, aswell as soybeanbreeding, molecu-lar breeding andnumerous stew-ardship manage-ment programs.

For additionalinformation, inter-ested persons canvisit www.bayer-cropscience.com.

Cotton IncorporatedTo Honor Industry Leaders

Cotton Incorporated has announcedthe formation of a Cotton Researchand Promotion Program Hall of Fame,which will annually recognize U.S. cotton industry leaders who have made significant contributions tothe Program or cotton industry,in general.

“As the Research and PromotionProgram approaches its 50th year, we

felt the time was right to acknowledgethe contributions of those who havehelped shape the modern cottonindustry,” says Berrye Worsham, pres-ident and chief executive officer of Cotton Incorporated.

The five inaugural honorees: J.Dukes Wooters (New York); MorganNelson (New Mexico); Marshall Grant(North Carolina); Fred Starrh(California); and Lambert Wilkes(Texas) will be recognized for theirachievements at the combined CottonBoard/Cotton Incorporated Board ofDirectors meeting in St. Petersburg,

Fla., in December. • J. Dukes Wooters, the first presi-

dent of Cotton Incorporated, is recog-nized for his innovative marketing ofcotton to consumers, including thedevelopment of the now iconic Seal ofCotton trademark.

• Morgan Nelson, known as “Mr.Cotton” in his home state of NewMexico, was among the first personsnamed to the Cotton IncorporatedBoard of Directors.

• Marshall Grant, a staunch advo-cate of boll weevil eradication, isrecognized for his foresight and

tenacity in convincing local and nation-al leaders to address one of the mostserious threats to confront the U.S.cotton industry.

• Professor Lambert Wilkes (deceas-ed), along with his team at TexasA&M, is responsible for the engineer-ing of the cotton module builder, whichdramatically increased the efficiency ofcotton collection and storage.

• Fred Starrh provided many yearsof leadership to the industry, first aschairman of Cotton Incorporated andlater as president and chairman ofCotton Council International.

Contact StaceyGorman at (870)226-1445 for moreinformation.

First BaleOf Cotton DeliveredIn South Texas

It was a record-breaking year forthe First Bale ofcotton in SouthTexas, and it soldfor $18,500, includ-ing add-ons and a$3,000 dollar dona-tion at the FirstBale Auction andScholarship Fund-raiser event.

The official cer-tified First Bale ofcotton in the Unit-ed States was del-ivered to the LaFeria Co-op gin bythe Ruiz Brothersof Mid-Valley Ag.The bale was even-tually sold toBayer CropScien-ce, Helena Che-

mical and Neuhaus and Company for $10,500.

Add-ons ranging from $200 to$1,500 were contributed by RickGuerrero; Ron Olivarez; Sally Ross;First Community Bank; SandersChemical and Chris Sparks.

The Ruiz Brothers received the$3,000 from the Harlingen CottonCommittee for the First Bale, whichweighed 1,500 pounds. The varietyused was FiberMax’s FM 1830 GLT.

For more details, interested personscan call the Harlingen Chamber ofCommerce at (956) 423-5440.

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Today’s world posesmany challenges,particularly tothose of us in agri-

culture. One challengefarmers face is consumerawareness. For example,were you aware that,according to the websiteFarmersfeedUS.org,advances in productionefficiency have resulted inU.S. farmers feeding 155people worldwide, up from26.5 people per farmer in

1960, and agriculture employs more than 24 mil-lion American workers or 17 percent of the totalU.S. work force?

Recently, the University of Georgia published astudy of the economic impact of cotton productionin our state. This studyshowed that the actualdirect farm gate valueof cotton is $1.5 billion.Adding the additional$1 billion from the saleof inputs and agribusiness services, the total eco-nomic contribution of cotton to Georgia’s economyis $2.5 billion. Not to be overlooked are the 15,420jobs created in the production of cotton and relat-ed industries. These numbers reflect the impor-tant role one agricultural commodity plays inGeorgia’s economy.

A misconception that non-farming individualshave is that farmers are not good environmentalstewards. Farmers have a vested interest in theenvironment and continue to make improvementsin cultural practices and productivity. Since 1980,in per-unit of production, agriculture has reducedland use by 30 percent, soil erosion by 68 percentand energy use by 31 percent. In addition, therehas been a reduction of greenhouse gases by 22percent. These advances will continue withincreased use of precision agricultural manage-ment and conservation tillage practices.

Today, cotton production and agriculture arefaced with challenges ranging from regulatoryissues to approval and acceptance of new technologies. Many individuals who support these

regulations and are not receptive to new technolo-gies may not understand what today’s farmer andagribusiness persons are doing to achieve new lev-els of production, while increasing their environ-mental stewardship.

Speaking up and educating others is somethingwe all must do, but where do we find the informa-tion to go about combating and rebutting themany outrageous things that are said abouttoday’s cotton production practices? The CottonLEADS program is an excellent source of informa-tion on what has been accomplished in reducingthe environmental footprint of cotton production.

This is a program that provides and willcontinue to generate scientifically based informa-tion that will allow each of us to rebut these typesof attacks that many times are based on inaccu-rate information. The Cotton LEADS program is acooperative effort between the cotton industries ofAustralia and the United States. The program will

focus on the accom-plishments and ad-vances of the cottonindustry. The effort isbuilt upon principlesconsistent with sus-

tainability, best practices and traceability.This will provide cotton’s customers knowledge

that the product they purchase is responsibly pro-duced and identified. The National CottonCouncil, Cotton Council International and CottonIncorporated are the principle organizationsbehind this effort in the United States. TheAustralian efforts are led by the AustralianCotton Shippers Association. The Cotton LEADSprogram will pay dividends in the future as wemove forward and continue the gains in produc-tion efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Involvement and support of our cotton organiza-tions is vital. As we identify challenges, the infor-mation provided by our cotton organizations is sci-entifically based and is a useful tool in efforts tocommunicate to others the benefits provided bythe cotton industry. As the old saying goes, “If it isto be, it’s up to me.”

– Richey Seaton, Perry Ga.Georgia Cotton Commission

[email protected]

Step Up, Be Involved

My Turn

Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling unusual “farm tales” or timely storiesfrom across the Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting story to tell, send a short summary to

[email protected] or fax to (901) 767-4026. We look forward to hearing from you.

Richey Seaton

‘Farmers have a vested interestin the environment.’

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There’s nothing like the feeling of heading out to your fi eld in your favorite jeans. The ones that just fi t right. That’s what it’s like to grow PhytoGen® cotton. It’s about the reassuring sight of our early vigor. It’s about relying on our consistent yield. It’s about feeling comfortable knowing you’ve made the right choice.

800-258-3033 PhytoGen.com

®PhytoGen and the PhytoGen Logo are trademarks of PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC. ®DOW Diamond and the WideStrike Logo are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affi liated company of Dow. PhytoGen Seed Company is a joint venture between Mycogen Corporation, an affi liate of Dow AgroSciences LLC, and the J.G. Boswell Company. L38-076-119 (09/13) BR 010-34414 DAAGPHYG3072

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Always follow IRM, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Details of these practices can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication. ©2014 Monsanto Company. DP-15012 CF-DE-1311, 1321, 1133 10/1

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Documents

Cotton Farming, October 2014