Cotton Farming - Cotton Consultant's Corner

	Click here to ask Bert Price a question or submit a comment about this month’s Cotton Consultant’s Corner.

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Bert Price
Bert Price Crop Consulting
Texarkana, Ark.

• Began scouting insects for his Dad’s farm when he was 13
• Has customers along the Red River, in northeast Texas,
southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana
• Married to his wife Stephanie for 23 years. They have a
daughter and son-in-law, Carisa and Michael Bennett,
and a son, Caleb.

In this Q&A interview, Price talks about the challenges
he faces and the rewards he realizes as a consultant in
today’s new ag environment.

What services do you offer and how do they contribute to your farmer client’s profitability?

I’m blessed to work in an area with very progressive operators who do a good job of keeping up with varieties, chemicals and technology. I have to work hard to keep up with them. The majority of my responsibility is to scout for
insects and make recommendations on timing and chemicals. I’m aggressive when it comes to treating fields for insects, but I don’t spray unless it’s necessary. If we can
make top yields without unnecessary expense, then I feel
like I am doing my job. I let each field stand on its own
when it comes to scouting. Every year I will have some
fields with only one treatment, usually for plant bugs or
stinkbugs, while others may have five to seven, depending
on the pressure in each field. It’s more work to separate
every field, but it definitely makes my clients more money.

What have you found to be the best approach to
processing information/technology and sharing
it with your farmer clients?

Each year seed and chemical companies roll out new products and technology; universities constantly test these products and compare the results. The best way I’ve found to gather and make sense of all of this information is to go to consultant conferences. Arkansas has a very good conference, then I will attend another good one in Alexandria, La. By the time I add a meeting in Alabama, I’ll have heard just about everything that’s new. You have to sit through a lot of repetition, but you never fail to learn something that will help you make your customers money.

As we look to the future, how would you describe the role of the cotton consultant as the industry continues to evolve?

As I look to the future of farming and consulting, one word comes to mind – adaptation. As many innovations as we’ve had as an industry in the past few years – boll weevil eradication, Bt technology, Roundup Ready (RR) varieties, etc. – new challenges have popped up. Stinkbugs, plant bug resistance to some chemicals and looming RR resistance in some of our major weed species will keep us on our toes and adapting for years to come. Those who adapt quickly will survive and even thrive; those who don’t may be in trouble. As consultants our job will be to stay on top of
these and other challenges we may not have even thought of yet. Our job will be to help our customers be survivors.

What has been the most rewarding part of your profession?

I have always loved farming and being able to work closely with others in this industry. This is the perfect life for me. I’m a man who loves what he does for a living.