Cover Story

West Tennessee producer/ginner Richard Kelley has observed many changes in the cotton industry for the past 40 years. In this interview with Cotton Farming, he discusses some of the major issues as harvest and ginning seasons approach. What's uppermost in your mind as ginning season approaches? The thoughts that come to mind are "survival" and the future of cotton in our area. These are challenging times for cotton as we deal with weak demand, larger carryover and lower prices.

Arkansas Producer Sam Stuckey's Crop Has Weathered The Storm Cotton has always had a reputation for being able to withstand a lot of adversity during a long production season. If you want proof of that statement, pay a visit to the...

  Western Farmers Trying to Cope with Serious Drought Blame it on weather patterns, urban expansion, water rights, battles or politics. No matter where you live in California or Arizona, the hottest issue today for cotton farmers comes down to one...

Every cotton insect pest has its own calling card. But when it comes to unpredictability and consistent threat potential, the plant bug is in a class by itself. Maybe that's why it continues to be a nemesis for...

Remember the names of Vance and Mandie Smith. What they accomplished on their cotton farm in 2013 was nothing short of spectacular. No one in their part of Texas recalls a yield on an upland field that came close to equalling the 6.9 bales per acre they achieved.

Encouraged By Mississippi’s Cotton Acreage Outlook In 2014 By Tommy Horton Editor If you’re a cotton producer in Mississippi or other parts of the Mid-South, you’re feeling cautiously optimistic about the 2014 season. In fact, you might say that there is a...

  By Tommy Horton Editor When it comes to learning important lessons, Missouri cotton producer Steve Droke and his son Skyler are in a class by themselves. They have learned through experience what it takes to prepare for a new crop season...

Call it a Texas home run that was hit out of the ballpark. Or maybe it was the crop season of the decade. Put whatever label fits, and it might come close to describing what happened to Texas producer Robbie Harkey and his cotton crop in 2013. To the uninformed outsider, it would seem impossible that a producer could deliver a four-bale yield on acreage north of Lubbock near Hale Center

No matter what month of the season, you can always find these unsung heroes’ “footprints in the field.” Through the years, the cotton consultant has always been a crucial part of any producer’s operation. He walks the fields, monitors the...

Georgia cotton producers have dealt with their fair share of challenges in the past decade. You name it, and they’ve seen it. Drought problems, resistant pigweed, stinkbugs, the loss of a popular cotton seed variety, hurricanes and tropical storms are just a few of the issues that have confronted them while growing cotton.

By Tommy Horton Editor When attempting to grow cotton on the Texas High Plains, it pays to expect the unexpected. In other words, be prepared for unusual weather and try not to become easily discouraged. This is the simple philosophy that...

By Tommy Horton Editor The Missouri Bootheel region has always had a reputation for producing high-quality cotton. However, it takes a united effort from producers and ginners to maintain such an enviable record of achievement. One example of how this region’s ginning...

By Tommy Horton Editor The idea of planting a cotton crop early sounds so logical and simple to implement. Why wouldn’t any producer be willing to plant the seed earlier, avoid additional insect and weed pests, lower input costs – and...

By Tommy Horton Editor When agricultural researchers in the Southwest look into the future, one issue stays near the top of the list as a major priority. No matter what happens in any other ag-related area, all roads lead back to...