Cover Story

MR. & DR. LEWIS BY: ROB MILLS STAFF WRITER - COTTON FARMING Growing up, I sat next to my dad many, many nights, as he talked about topics and issues, big and small. Occasionally Texas would come up. He’d tell me “Robert,...

For Five Generations, The Legacy Continues… ⋅ BY CARROLL SMITH ⋅ EDITOR When a young, north Alabama girl wakes up to see ice forming in the glass on the bedside table, she knows they are living in hard times. Despite those early...

⋅ BY SCOTT H. GRAHAM ⋅ AUBURN UNIVERSITY Getting into the cotton business is an expensive endeavor and staying in it can be even more difficult. From highly specialized equipment needs, like pickers, to fertilizers or a bag of seed, few...

Digital-Twin Technology Harnesses AI To Interpret Data, Remove Guesswork Crop farmers in South Texas are witnessing the future of agriculture unfold with the advent of digital-twin technology. Spearheaded by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, this cutting-edge approach combines remote sensing, big data...

Aim For The Best Yield With The Most Profit ⋅ BY CARROLL SMITH ⋅ EDITOR In 1872, Ben Huerkamp moved from Germany to the United States and settled in Ohio. His son, Frank, farmed there until the 1960s when he got tired...

Specialists Give New Strength to Missouri Crops and Center ⋅ BY CASSIDY NEMEC ⋅ ASSOCIATE EDITOR Down in Portageville, Missouri, the Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center sits perched on Upper Delta soils in the “bootheel” region of the southeastern part...

Why Hurricane Insurance Is Not Paying For Many Farmers’ Claims ⋅ BY PAM KNOX ⋅ UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA I have received many questions about weather-related crop insurance and why the counties designated by the Risk Management Agency do not match what they...

⋅ BY PENG W. CHEE AND DONALD C. JONES ⋅ UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA For most crop species, it usually requires 10 to 12 growing seasons of generation advancement and selective breeding to produce a new variety. Winter nurseries are, therefore, essential...

How The Old Rotation And Cullars Rotation Contribute To Alabama Agriculture ⋅ BY CASSIDY NEMEC ⋅ ASSOCIATE EDITOR On the campus of Auburn University in East Central Alabama stands two of the oldest cotton experiments in the world. The Old Rotation remains...

⋅ BY CASSIDY NEMEC ⋅ ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ronald Rawls planted his first crop of cotton in 1979. Since then, his three sons Neal, Ryan and Chad have joined him in the operation as fourth-generation growers, and they have excelled at adopting...

Cotton Watering Decisions Vary Across The Belt Although cotton is an arid crop, farmers often turn to irrigation to provide adequate water, especially during the critical growth stages. However, across the Cotton Belt, irrigation is not a one-size-fits-all practice. ARIZONA For example,...

Georgia Cotton Experts Offer Tips To Optimize Planter Efficiency ⋅ BY WES PORTER AND SIMER VIRK ⋅ UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Editor’s Note: To achieve a healthy stand of cotton, it’s important to properly prepare your planter. Drs. Wes Porter and Simer Virk,...

Are They Right For You And Your Operation? Editor’s Note — Hunter Frame, Virginia cotton specialist and Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center field crop agronomist, recently sat down with associate editor Cassidy Nemec to discuss the benefits, challenges and...

Pros, Cons And Alternatives To Transferring Property ⋅ BY TIFFANY DOWELL LASHMET ⋅ TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE Editor’s Note: This article by Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension, was first published on the Texas Agriculture Law Blog and is based on Texas law....

Missouri Farmer Explores New Technology From Planting To Harvest ⋅ BY CARROLL SMITH ⋅ EDITOR Fourth-generation Missouri farmer Allen Below grew his first cotton crop on 1,000 acres in 1993. That fall, Below and three of his neighbors went in together and...