The National Cotton Council-coordinated 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences will share cutting-edge research results and other timely information to help U.S. cotton producers continue as global pacesetters.
What is the meeting’s objective?
The annual forum brings together university and U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers, regulatory agencies, Extension personnel/agents, consultants and industry sales/support personnel to exchange information about new products and production/processing systems.
They also will share updates on cutting-edge research and issues affecting U.S. cotton. Cotton producers and processors can use this data to maximize efficiency and foster sustainability in their operations.
Key topics to be covered?
Programming still is being finalized for the 2022 BWCC, set for Jan. 4-6 at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. However, the half-day Cotton Consultants Conference, which begins at 8 a.m., Jan. 4, and is open to all registered participants, plans to provide a focus on cotton varieties. Included will be updates on new varieties, varietal screening with herbicides, managing the maturity of varieties across the Cotton Belt and developments in Bt cotton.
Research into Pix use on racehorse varieties and a discussion of ThryvOn cotton and its effectiveness in providing season-long protection against tarnished plant bugs and thrips species will be addressed as well.
The conference presentations also will cover plant pathology and herbicide resistance concerns and other issues affecting U.S. cotton. Among them are:
• The Biden Administration’s effect on agriculture.
• Farm labor shortages.
• The Endangered Species Act.
• Changes in weather patterns and the effects on crops.
• Carbon sequestration at the field level.
• The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and that sustainability initiative’s enrollment progress.
The BWCC’s 12 cotton technical conferences will feature the second year of the Cotton Sustainability Conference. It will provide findings from current research and updates on emerging technology aimed at elevating U.S. cotton production and processing efficiency.
Those sessions will meet concurrently beginning on the morning of Jan. 5 and conclude by noon, Jan. 6. The Sustainability Conference will focus on the Trust Protocol, including multiple panel discussions with many name brands and industry leaders, as well as sustainability experts.
That conference also will focus on Field-to-Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and on carbon and organic markets. The Cotton Engineering-Systems Conference will cover data analytics, robotics, remote sensing and unmanned aerial vehicles, among others.
The Quality/Utilization Conference will feature multiple international textile manufacturers discussing their raw cotton needs.
How do attendees register?
Those planning to attend the 2022 BWCC are encouraged to register by clicking on the registration tab at the BWCC home page, www.cotton.org/beltwide/.
The home page also includes links to more information about the forum, including housing reservations. Registration costs for the 2022 BWCC before Dec. 16 are:
• $200 for NCC/Cotton Foundation members, university and USDA researchers, Extension personnel, associations and consultants.
• $500 for non-U.S. research, Extension, associations and consultants.
• $400 for non-NCC/Foundation members.
• $80 for students.
On-site conference self-registration kiosks will be available 24 hours a day starting on the evening of Jan. 3. Beginning on the morning of Jan. 4, NCC staff will be available for attendees needing assistance with registration and name badge printing.