Cotton Farming

Dry, drier, driest. Un-wet. Arid. That was the way Hawkeye Pierce described the perfect martini in the old television show M.A.S.H. While it may work for martinis, one has to hope that is not the way to describe conditions for cotton production.

Unfortunately, in 2007, that pretty well sums it up for Southeast producers. How will the results of last year and other factors affect planning, and especially seed selection, for 2008?

In North Carolina, Keith Edmisten, state Extension cotton specialist, says that some producers were surprised the crop did as well as it did this year.

“Don’t get me wrong, it was by no means a good year, but for some it turned out better than they thought it would,” he says.

Edmisten says farmers in his state tend to plant a wide range of varieties, from early to late season.

“I think it’s best to grow a good mix of varieties so that you aren’t putting all your eggs in one basket,” he says.

More To The Middle

Edmisten says for many producers early varieties were hurt more than mid- or late-season varieties.

However, for the Z.V. Pate farms, located in southeastern North Carolina and part of South Carolina near the state line, it was the early- to mid-season varieties that tended to do better in 2007.

“We won’t differ too much from the past,” says Allen McLaurin, vice president and farm manager of Z.V. Pate. “We will probably plant less full-season varieties and more mid-season varieties next year.”

McLaurin says he planted DP 555 BG/RR on about 50 percent of the farm’s acreage, but will likely shy away from the variety in 2008.

“In the past, we’ve always finally gotten the rains to finish out that variety,” he explains. “We’re still waiting on that rain.”

Edmisten agrees there are some varieties producers will avoid next year because they did not do so well with the drought conditions. He also says that because the life span of varieties has decreased so much, producers are wise to keep trying new varieties to see how they might work in their mix.

Overall, Edmisten is expecting another 10 percent decrease in acreage for North Carolina.

“Prices of wheat and soybeans are too good to pass up,” he says, though he adds a positive to last year is that some producers realize why they quit growing corn, which previously was the biggest threat to cotton acreage.

Look To The Future

In Georgia, producers are still committed to DP 555 BG/RR.

“While in some places it was not dominant in 2007, it has proven itself again and again in both irrigated and dryland situations,” says Steve Brown, Georgia Extension cotton specialist.

However, he says with the pending expiration of single-gene Bt technology (Bollgard) in September 2009, producers need to try new things to see what works for them.

“In other words, as we look into the future, growers need to be exploring options other than DP 555 BG/RR; specifically, some Bollgard II Roundup Ready Flex and WideStrike Roundup Ready or WideStrike Roundup Ready Flex offerings,” Brown says.

“It will be interesting to look at the collective data to form overall opinions.”

The persistent drought has made the planting of wheat a doubtful prospect, but Brown says if producers were able to get wheat planted, then producers will need to think about variety selection and cotton management in a double- crop program.

Meanwhile, Florida Extension cotton specialist David Wright says one positive that came out of the past two years is learning that cotton can go through some major drought and still yield as much as two bales or more without irrigation.

“Other crops have a higher price but will not stand the drought,” he says. “I think this is one reason that cotton and peanuts replaced corn and soybeans in the sandy coastal plain.”

Wright says Florida producers are also looking at varieties that will potentially replace DP 555 BG/RR, which has about 95 percent of the acreage in Florida.

“Many growers tried some of the new Bollgard II Roundup Ready Flex varieties this year and were pleased,” he says.

Contact Amanda Huber at (352) 486-7006 or ahuber@onegrower.com.

- PRODUCTION - How Dry Was It? Just Ask SE Farmers
By Amanda Huber Southeast Editor
Dry, drier, driest. Un-wet. Arid. That was the way Hawkeye Pierce described the perfect martini in the old television show M.A.S.H. While it may work for martinis, one has to hope that is not the way to describe conditions for cotton production. Unfortunately, in 2007, that pretty well sums it up for Southeast producers. How will the results of last year and other factors affect planning, and especially seed selection, for 2008? In North Carolina, Keith Edmisten, state Extension cotton specialist, says that some producers were surprised the crop did as well as it did this year. “Don’t get me wrong, it was by no means a good year, but for some it turned out better than they thought it would,” he says. Edmisten says farmers in his state tend to plant a wide range of varieties, from early to late season. “I think it’s best to grow a good mix of varieties so that you aren’t putting all your eggs in one basket,” he says. More To The Middle Edmisten says for many producers early varieties were hurt more than mid- or late-season varieties. However, for the Z.V. Pate farms, located in southeastern North Carolina and part of South Carolina near the state line, it was the early- to mid-season varieties that tended to do better in 2007. “We won’t differ too much from the past,” says Allen McLaurin, vice president and farm manager of Z.V. Pate. “We will probably plant less full-season varieties and more mid-season varieties next year.” McLaurin says he planted DP 555 BG/RR on about 50 percent of the farm’s acreage, but will likely shy away from the variety in 2008. “In the past, we’ve always finally gotten the rains to finish out that variety,” he explains. “We’re still waiting on that rain.” Edmisten agrees there are some varieties producers will avoid next year because they did not do so well with the drought conditions. He also says that because the life span of varieties has decreased so much, producers are wise to keep trying new varieties to see how they might work in their mix. Overall, Edmisten is expecting another 10 percent decrease in acreage for North Carolina. “Prices of wheat and soybeans are too good to pass up,” he says, though he adds a positive to last year is that some producers realize why they quit growing corn, which previously was the biggest threat to cotton acreage. Look To The Future In Georgia, producers are still committed to DP 555 BG/RR. “While in some places it was not dominant in 2007, it has proven itself again and again in both irrigated and dryland situations,” says Steve Brown, Georgia Extension cotton specialist. However, he says with the pending expiration of single-gene Bt technology (Bollgard) in September 2009, producers need to try new things to see what works for them. “In other words, as we look into the future, growers need to be exploring options other than DP 555 BG/RR; specifically, some Bollgard II Roundup Ready Flex and WideStrike Roundup Ready or WideStrike Roundup Ready Flex offerings,” Brown says. “It will be interesting to look at the collective data to form overall opinions.” The persistent drought has made the planting of wheat a doubtful prospect, but Brown says if producers were able to get wheat planted, then producers will need to think about variety selection and cotton management in a double- crop program. Meanwhile, Florida Extension cotton specialist David Wright says one positive that came out of the past two years is learning that cotton can go through some major drought and still yield as much as two bales or more without irrigation. “Other crops have a higher price but will not stand the drought,” he says. “I think this is one reason that cotton and peanuts replaced corn and soybeans in the sandy coastal plain.” Wright says Florida producers are also looking at varieties that will potentially replace DP 555 BG/RR, which has about 95 percent of the acreage in Florida. “Many growers tried some of the new Bollgard II Roundup Ready Flex varieties this year and were pleased,” he says. Contact Amanda Huber at (352) 486-7006 or ahuber@onegrower.com.

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