John Lindamood
Producer, Tiptonville, Tenn.
We’ll be doing several things in February before planting. The main tasks will be putting gypsum out as a soil amendment. We’ll also be starting our fertilizer program. But we won’t be doing much in the way of new tillage. We’ll remain as a no-till operation, and I don’t have but about 500 acres to work. There is also a lot of ditch work, cleanup and drainage projects to deal with at this time of the year. It’s definitely a busy month for us.
Steve Newsom
Producer, Levelland, Texas
With the new water bill restrictions, we will try to save any moisture that we have. Right now, we’ll devote most of our time in water conservation efforts as we look to the start of the new season. If we have any drip irrigation projects, we’ll try to conserve our moisture. Some acreage could use some deep tillage, but we’ll be very cautious in what we do.
Woody Anderson
Producer, Colorado City, Texas
It won’t be a normal February for us in this part of Texas. We didn’t have a crop last year because of the drought, but we have all of our land rowed up and prepared for plant-ing. Right now, we’re in a situation where we’re trying to preserve moisture we have in the ground in the hope that we can get off to a good start. I don’t anticipate that we’ll be planting any earlier. Our planting schedule is usually determined by how much moisture we have. However, we are hearing reports that there could be a break in this La Niña pattern between March and May. If we see an opportunity to plant early, we might do it.
Mike Sturdivant Jr.
Producer, Glendora, Miss.
We’ll be doing burndown on all of our crops, including cotton, corn and soybeans. And we’ll be rowing up the ground where it is needed on the acreage. Our soil moisture is looking pretty good at this point because of the recent rains we’ve had, so that isn’t a major concern. Naturally, we worry about our aquifer and its status. We’re pretty optimistic as we move into the new year, and that’s because cotton prices have remained stable.
Don Cameron
Producer, Helm, Calif.
Normally, we will do a lot of pre-irrigation work. We actually had no rain to speak of this year until about mid-January, so, we’re naturally concerned about our water allocation and how it will be affected. Otherwise, we’re ordering seed and making sure the beds are clean in the field. As for the water situation, the reservoirs have a pretty good carryover from last year. However, without a good snowpack, the supplies will get tighter later in the summer. I don’t see our allocations increasing, but a good rainfall or snow in March would certainly help. We will definitely hope for the best. |
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