Specialists Speaking
Ben McKnight
TEXAS
As I write this on March 10, dry conditions are still prevalent across most of Texas. Currently, 98% of the state is either abnormally dry or in some form of drought and 50% of the state is...
Specialists Speaking
Randy Norton
ARIZONA
Many of the pests that are of economic importance in Arizona cropping systems are readily identifiable through scouting of fields. However, one of the most damaging pests in our production systems that often go unseen is the plant...
Specialists Speaking
Tyson Raper
TENNESSEE
As I write this on the tenth of March, our plan for this season is still quite fluid. The conversation may have flipped again by the time you read this, but there is currently a hint of excitement...
2026 Cotton Outlook And Market Situation
YANGXUAN LIU / TIFTON, GEORGIA
TAKEAWAYS
Cotton remains financially strained: High input costs, elevated interest rates, and weak prices have left U.S. cotton producers with ongoing negative profit margins, continuing a long-term trend of economic...
IAN SMALL, DR. FANNY IRIARTE AND KELLY O’BRIEN / UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
In the summer of 2024, University of Florida plant pathologists at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy detected stem canker and dieback disease of...
Uncovering The Roots Of Climate-Resilient Cotton
DENISE ATTAWAY / CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Cotton is an essential crop for the United States economy, but traditional breeding practices have unintentionally left modern cotton varieties vulnerable to climate change.
A new study is shedding light...
Watch for stink bugs in crops in 2026
Linda Geist / Columbia Mo
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Something’s been stinking in Missouri soybean, corn and cotton crops since the 1990s.
University of Missouri Extension state field crops and forage entomologist Ivair Valmorbida says...
USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE
What is Soil Health?
Soil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops...
DR. John R.C. Robinson Professor and Extension Specialist for Cotton Marketing
It is never too early to develop a marketing plan for the next crop year.
Longer run price outcomes for the 2026 crop depend on expectations of supply and...
Anthony Bly / SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist
Written collaboratively by Debankur Sanyal, Johnathon Wolthuizen and Anthony Bly.
Soil has always been considered as a living system due to its biological components: fungi, bacteria and plant roots. While physical properties maintain...
Rosemary Brandt / Senior Director, Strategic Communications & Creative Services / arizona.edu
Cotton is a famously thirsty crop, yet Arizona is one of the top U.S. producers. But how does a crop that thrives on water and humidity manage to...
Linda Geist /Sr. Strategic Communications Consultant / College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, MU
Stink bugs vary in size and shape, but they are generally described as having shield-shaped bodies. Adult green stink bugs are usually light green. The...
DR. Cheryl Mackowiak Associate Professor
Soil and Water Science
North Florida Research and Education Center
Fertilizer source is one of the four Rs of fertilizer management (Right source, Right place, Right time, and Right placement). Mineral fertilizers are typically synthesized (i.e., nitrogen from the...
merri.day / agrilife.org
Agriculture has always faced uncertainty. Although agricultural risk management has come a long way in recent years, producers face a multifaceted risk landscape that is constantly changing due to unpredictable weather, evolving regulatory frameworks, and volatile markets....
Low prices, a difficult growing season and expensive inputs could spell a shift away from cotton for growers in 'survival mode.' (Division of Agriculture photo.)
SARAH CATO
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
With excessive rainfall at planting and hot, dry weather mid-season, Arkansas cotton...
