By Steve Adler
California Farm Bureau Federation
Now that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the agricultural overtime bill, Assembly Bill 1066, employment specialists are working to interpret its provisions and help farmers and ranchers prepare for them.
The new law will...
Cotton producers in West Texas got a sneak peak at up to a dozen potential new varietal releases during Deltapine's annual field day at Blaine Nichols Farm near Seminole.
Nichols and his father, Mark, are two of about 200 producers nationwide that participate in Deltapine's NPE, or New Product Evaluators, program. For the past 10 years or so, the Nichols have planted advanced experimental lines in large 3- to 5-acre plots.
They farm the plots as they would their commercial acreage, with each plot being harvested, graded and milled separately.
Come December or January when the data on the experimental varieties has been disseminated, NPE producers participate in a conference call to vote on the varieties they think should be released.
Between the experimental and commercial varieties, the Nichols have about 20 Deltapine large-scale plots on their farm this season.
Mark says they continue to participate because of the benefits the NPE trials provide the industry. Blaine says he's anxious to see how the new XtendFlex system will work once the low-volatility formulation of dicamba is registered.
The varieties have been engineered to contain genes that impart resistance to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides sprayed over the top.
Although the Nichols have several XtendFlex varieties on their farm, the plants were only sprayed over the top with Roundup. Blaine stays on top of weeds using the Roundup Ready system as well as several different residual herbicides. He also has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to weeds, but he says controlling Palmer amaranth and Russian thistle as well as a host of others is a constant challenge.
After rallying to the upper 70 cents per pound range during the month of July, new crop cotton futures prices appear to be working their way back down. For much of 2016, new crop cotton futures prices seemed to be stuck in an upper 50 cents to low 60 cents per pound trading range.
All of the fundamental supply and demand news pointed to larger acreage and larger production in 2016. With no significant signs of improved domestic or export demand, the potential for a large 2016 crop weighed heavily on the market.However, as the summer progressed, the development of hot, dry conditions in Texas and parts of Georgia along with dry conditions in India began to foster concerns of lower cotton supplies. This introduced a considerable amount of risk premium in the markets and helped support prices.
Speculative interests took this momentum and continued to push prices higher by going from a net short position (selling more contracts then purchasing) in early 2016 to the highest net long position (purchasing more contracts then selling) in more than two years. However, this has brought prices to levels that are not fully supported by the underlying supply and demand fundamentals.
Before members of Congress left Washington for the political conventions and August recess, the House of Representatives passed a 2017 appropriations bill that included California drought-relief provisions.
California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger says passage of the appropriations legislation by the House represents an important step toward addressing problems that limit the flexibility of the California water system.
By a vote of 231-196, the House passed the 2017 Interior appropriations bill, HR 5538, including the California-related water provisions.
The inclusion of the provisions on water could help set the stage for negotiations with the U.S. Senate this fall, says Erin Huston, CFBF federal policy consultant.“This is the first time the House has passed an Interior bill since 2009, which can be seen as a milestone in itself,” Huston says. “This bill provides a potential path for desperately needed federal drought legislation. We are still working under a very limited calendar, but we will continue to urge a federal legislative solution.”
By Kay Ledbetter
Texas A&M University
After eight years of research on no-till advantages and disadvantages with cotton crops, Dr. Paul DeLaune is convinced it’s not as much about the tillage as it is about the cover crop and/or rotation.
DeLaune,...
Growers Pair Conservation Tillage With Winter Cover Crops To Reduce Soil Erosion And Improve Water Infiltration
By Vicky Boyd
Managing Editor
With conservation deep seeded in his roots, Walter Lentz is a firm believer in cover crops and reduced tillage to help minimize...
Cotton Ginning Cost-Share Signup Deadline Ends Aug. 5
The National Cotton Council reminds producers eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program they have until Aug. 5 to sign up. There will be no deadline extension. USDA...
A.J. Hood knows firsthand the personal gratification derived from taking the time to compose a heartfelt essay about how his community could be transformed. Hood, a grower and farm manager for Tillar & Co., an 18,000-acre tract of land in southeast Arkansas, was motivated to enter the contest in 2015 for very personal reasons. His brother had lived for more than 40 years with several disabilities before losing his courageous battle this past spring.
Transform My Community, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences and Cotton Farming, is a way for cotton growers and crop consultants to parlay suggestions on how local communities could be “transformed” with the positive experiences they’ve had using Transform® WG insecticide. The 2016 Transform My Community contest kicks off Aug. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2016. Due to Section 18 label use restrictions, only cotton growers and consultants in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee are eligible to submit essays.
The Cotton Research and Promotion Program continues to support Western cotton growers with research programs specifically tailored to the region through Cotton Incorporated’s State Support Program. This program allows regional cotton organizations to have direct input into the funding...
By Carroll Smith
Editor
Matt and Sherrie Miles come from multi-generational Arkansas cotton families. Although cotton is in their blood, they farmed only 180 acres last year. In 2016, they embraced the crop once again by planting 3,300 acres. “Cotton...
Cotton Incorporated is dedicated to providing valuable tools and resources to cotton farmers as part of an overall commitment to improving the profitability of growing cotton. To help achieve the goal, Cotton Incorporated has partnered with the Plant Management...
By Guy Collins And Keith Edmisten
North Carolina State University
Authors’ note: These general irrigation guidelines were developed several years ago by other faculty at the University of Georgia. In some cases, deviating from this model may be appropriate. Much of...
Technology improves water-use efficiency and profitability.
By Carroll Smith
Editor
Part 1
Irrigation Strategies – Part 2 is available here. In that installment, irrigation experts will address efficient, profitable irrigation methods used in the Southwest and West regions of the Cotton Belt.
Watering cotton to prevent drought stress...
By Rad Yager
Whether you’re a cotton breeder, researcher or grower, it’s time to consider using soil moisture sensors if you irrigate. Basically, they will help you understand what’s going on deep below the soil surface. Here are some tips...
Protect yield and quality from cotton insect pests.
By Carroll Smith
Editor
The boll weevil was a legendary cotton pest that tortured farmers for years. “Wanted” posters featuring the insect’s “mug shot” adorned the walls of many farm offices in South...
