Regional Research Flourishes at the New Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Research and Demonstration Farm
Christi Short, Southwest Regional Communications Manager, The Cotton Board.
For many years, growers and researchers in the Southern Rolling Plains of Texas have worked to establish a research facility that would serve the region’s growers and provide a permanent home for long-term research projects. In 2024, that effort paid off with the opening of the Southern Rolling Plains Research and Demonstration Farm in Wall, Texas. The effort was made possible through the collaboration, hard work and dedication of the Southern Rollins Plains Cotton Growers Association, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension personnel, and the surrounding communities.
Dr. Reagan Noland and Gregory Wilson are leading researchers at the research farm and have served the area producers for many years. Dr. Noland is an Associate Professor and Extension Agronomist and Greg is the IPM Extension Program Specialist for the area. The facility allows researchers to focus on multi-year projects that might otherwise be challenging to effectively get results on growers’ fields. This farm also provides opportunities for research trials in weeds and pests, where having an untreated check is an important part of obtaining usable results.
Many of the research projects conducted at the farm are supported through the Cotton Research and Promotion Program, with producer checkoff dollars invested by Cotton Incorporated through the State Support Program (SSP). SSP funds are allocated back to states based on production. Research projects are then evaluated by a committee of growers to determine which research priorities are relevant for their region and their state and then those projects are funded accordingly. One project, funded in part by Cotton Incorporated, focuses on evaluating weed management strategies and herbicide application practices. A small research plot is easier to implement 5, 10, or even 20 treatments in a small area, it allows for the experimental application of new herbicides, and it allows for applications on various weed sizes that are not feasible on a growers’ fields where they are focused on controlling all weeds and preventing weeds from going to seed.
“It is challenging to ask a grower to let weeds grow up on one side of their field so we can come out and test different herbicide applications or collect samples, that impacts their crop yield and can cause weed problems for many years,” Dr. Noland said. “Growers in this area have always been generous in allowing our research team to use parts of their field for studies, and on-farm trials are still necessary for some objectives, but this research farm will allow us to really expand our projects to provide valuable data while minimizing the burden on our growers.”
The Southern Rolling Plains Research and Demonstration Farm consists of 39 acres in Wall and is adjacent to Wall ISD school buildings and the Wall Volunteer Fire Department. Bill Thompson, Executive Director of the Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association, said the research farm would not be possible without the community support leading up to the opening in 2024. Since the official opening, the area growers and businesses have donated equipment, loaned equipment, volunteered their time to assist with plantings and plowings that are needed.
Dr. Noland and his team are also in their third year of reniform nematode trials, evaluating continuous cotton over multiple growing seasons and rotations with different grain crops, something that would again be difficult to accomplish on a grower’s operation. Other projects include evaluating cotton row spacing using 30, 40 and 60 inch rows, as well as studying cover crop termination timing to determine how to maintain sufficient residue to support successful cotton production. Greg’s IPM program works to stay at the forefront of pest management for regional crops, testing management options for a range of critical pests, quantifying impacts on cotton growth and development, and maintaining sentinel plots to track the seasonal arrival of several new and established pest species. These projects are designed to provide practical, research-based recommendations that growers can apply in their own operations.
“We receive funding from Cotton Incorporated that allows us to carry out these projects- weed management, nematode research, and agronomy trials especially. Through my years as the extension agronomist, the work and results I can provide back to the Southern Rolling Plains Growers would not be possible without the support of Cotton Incorporated and the Texas State Support Committee,” Dr. Noland said.
Dr. Gaylon Morgan, one of Cotton Incorporated’s Ag and Environmental Research Directors and the project manager for Texas research projects, has been thrilled to watch the Southern Rolling Plains Research and Demonstration Farm come to life. He’s watched research in the area over the years and seen how much the growers value and are vested in the unbiased research being done by this team.
“This research farm is a real success story of a group of growers rallying behind their research staff for the benefit of the entire area,” Dr. Morgan said. “The research team has been instrumental in providing timely and unbiased information to cotton growers in the Southern Rolling Plains to help their farming operations. It’s been an excellent investment of producer checkoff funds through the Texas State Support Committee dollars to continue supporting projects that Reagan and Greg have in Wall. This research facility enhances their ability to focus on research areas that matter to the growers, and Reagan and Greg are great at relaying the findings out to growers through field days and other events.”
While still in its early years, the Southern Rolling Plains Research and Demonstration Farm is already providing researchers with resources to tackle production challenges that directly impact growers. As projects continue, the facility is expected to deliver practical, research-based information that will benefit cotton producers, researchers and industry partners across the region for many years to come.
Christi is the Southwest Regional Communications Manager for the Cotton Board. She can be reached by email at [email protected].
If you have any questions about the Texas State Support Program or projects funded in Texas through the Research and Promotion Program, please contact Dr. Gaylon Morgan at [email protected]
Christi Short, Southwest Regional Communications Manager, The Cotton Board.
