How does the BWCC elevate U.S. cotton’s competitiveness?
In fact, the BWCC’s success can be attributed to the alliance of the NCC and its many partners. Federal and state agricultural experiment stations, Cooperative Extension Service, universities, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cotton Foundation members, news media, and other regional and national cotton organizations all play an essential role to help increase U.S. cotton industry productivity.
The BWCC features three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands-on workshops and seminars that cover practical applications in cotton production and processing. Specifically, the performances of crop inputs and production systems are examined along with other production challenges and opportunities. The NCC believes that by helping industry members tailor new products and production/processing systems to their operations, the BWCC is fostering a healthy U.S. cotton sector.
The Conferences’ reports subsequently are made available on USB drives and online at www.cotton.org/beltwide/. Those who come to the BWCC also gain valuable information from informal dialogue with their fellow attendees.
What about 2020 BWCC programming?
■ The half-day Cotton Consultants Conference will feature an expert panel of entomologists discussing timely topics ranging from Bt resistance to results of testing Bollgard 4. Among other key issues will be water restrictions, including the status of aquifers across the Cotton Belt; an update on precision agriculture technology; a discussion of Environmental Protection Agency’s role in the plant protection chemicals’ review and registration processes; and a briefing on a multi-state potash study.
The 10 BWCC cotton technical conferences will meet concurrently beginning the morning of Jan. 9 and conclude by noon, Jan. 10. The Engineering-Systems Conference, for example, will feature a panel discussion on sustainability while the Economics Conference will cover such topics as crop insurance, disaster assistance and trade.
The Ginning Conference will include the latest on the development of systems to detect and eliminate plastic contamination, fiber quality preservation, the use of RFID technology, and new products from machinery manufacturers. There also will be two panel discussions that include fiber quality and the cotton industry’s emphasis on increasing length uniformity as well as a panel discussing methods to transfer technology to the ginning industry.
2020 BWCC attendees are encouraged to pre-register and secure housing at www.cotton.org/beltwide/. Registration fees before Dec. 16 are: $200 for NCC/Cotton Foundation members, university and USDA researchers, Extension personnel, associations and consultants; $400 for U.S. non-members of NCC or The Cotton Foundation; $500 for international participants; and $80 for students. To guarantee the special Conference room rate, all reservations also must be made on or before Dec. 16.
Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America. He and other NCC leaders contribute columns on this Cotton Farming magazine page.