The National Cotton Council-coordinated 2023 Beltwide Cotton Conferences (BWCC) will provide research results and other timely information on topics ranging from dicamba usage to drone optimization with the aim of maximizing the production sector’s efficiency, sustainability and profitability.
Who attends this annual event?
The BWCC, coordinated by the National Cotton Council, brings together university and USDA researchers, regulatory agencies, Extension personnel/agents, industry sales/support personnel, consultants and producers to exchange information about new products and production/processing systems that can be tailored to individual farming operations to maximize productivity. Three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands-on workshops and seminars provide attendees with information they need to help make key cotton production/marketing-related decisions. A diverse program, along with the opportunity to network with peers from across the Cotton Belt, make this conference unique.
Cotton producers, independent crop consultants and students who register before Dec. 14 for the 2023 BWCC on Jan. 10-12 at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, can take advantage of reduced registration fees of $80. After that date, the rate will increase to $100. Those planning to attend are encouraged to register by clicking on the registration tab at the BWCC home page, www.cotton.org/beltwide/. The home page also includes more information, including links to the forum’s final program and to housing reservations instructions (cutoff for BWCC room rate is Dec. 19).
How is the programming shaping up?
The BWCC’s Cotton Consultants Conference will run from the afternoon of Jan. 10 through the morning of Jan. 11. Topics being considered include updates on ThryvOn™ cotton; herbicide resistance; the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol®; changes in weather and climate patterns and the impact on crops; regulatory updates and pesticide impacts from the Endangered Species Act; new precision agriculture technologies; retail inventory and supply chain status of fertilizer and chemistries; and dicamba usage.
The BWCC’s 12 cotton technical conferences will provide findings from current research and updates on emerging technology and programs aimed at elevating U.S. cotton production and processing efficiency. Those sessions will meet concurrently beginning the morning of Jan. 11 and concluding by noon on Jan. 12.
For example, the Cotton Sustainability Conference will cover best management practices; industry, brand and retail sustainability goals; market opportunities/downstream perspectives; and new sustainability programs, including the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol®. The Cotton Agronomy, Physiology and Soil Conference will provide a forum for a discussion of the life processes of cotton plants and interactions among plant and soil variables that affect crop performance and profitability.
The Cotton Economics and Marketing Conference includes a session that will explore the market outlook as well as developments in policy and trade. Subsequent sessions, including poster displays, from researchers in industry, government and academia strive to improve understanding of economic and policy-related factors affecting cotton production and downstream industries.
Those with a vested interest in a viable U.S. cotton industry are urged to attend this world-class forum.