Southern Cotton Ginners Honors AR Cotton Breeder
Dr. Fred Bourland, cotton breeder and researcher at the Northeast Research and Extension Center at Keiser, Arkansas, recently received the A.L. Vandergriff Cotton Pioneer Award from the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. He is a professor of cotton breeding and genetics for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The award recognizes a career of innovative cotton research accomplishments. Bourland has a lengthy list of recognitions on his resume, including the 1999 Arkansas Cotton Achievement Award from the Division of Agriculture, the 2000 Genetics Research Award from the National Cotton Council, the 2010 International Cotton Researcher of the Year from the International Cotton Advisory Committee, and the 2015 Cotton Research and Promotion Program Hall of Fame from the Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated, among many others.
But Bourland says he was not expecting to receive the A.L. Vandergriff Cotton Pioneer Award from the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. “It was a total surprise to me,” he says.
American Cotton Producers’ 2021 Chairman Announced
Mark McKean of Riverdale, Cali-fornia, was reelected as 2021 chairman of the American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council during the NCC’s virtual 2021 annual meeting.
He was formerly an ACP vice chairman and currently serves as an NCC director. McKean has served on and continues to serve on various ACP and NCC committees and task forces.
McKean is also an adviser and former chairman of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association.
Advance Denim Joins U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol welcomes one of China’s top three denim manufacturers, Advance Denim, as a member.
This system provides mills and manufacturers the critical assurances they need to prove to their customers that they are an approved supply chain partner for brands and retailers who are sourcing more sustainably grown cotton.
Advance Denim’s membership marks a significant step in the firm’s ambitious sustainability program which employs advanced technology and innovation to minimize environmental impact. Retail customers want to make sure its brand and retailer customers have transparency throughout their supply chain.
This is why Advance Denim has decided to source more sustainable fiber through the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, says, “Advance Denim is committed to playing a leading role in sustainable solutions for the denim industry, and we are delighted to be supporting them in this ambition.”
Advance Denim’s membership in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol comes at a time when demand for denim is increasing among brands seeking to satisfy customers and their love for the versatile fabric.
BASF Celebrates Fifth Year Of Stoneville Legacy Club
For the fifth year, the Stoneville Legacy Club with record enrollment celebrated cotton growers who, despite unprecedented times, proved their ability to grow high-quality, high-yielding Stoneville cotton. The Stoneville Legacy Club honors cotton growers across the entire Cotton Belt who pair the high-caliber performance and premium quality of Stoneville cotton with their own skills to maximize yields.
Forty growers earned membership to the Stoneville Legacy Club for the 2020 season, and every cotton-producing state was represented. Those who qualified had harvest yields in the top 10% of their state, with an opportunity to enter yields in the irrigated and/or non-irrigated/dryland divisions. Ten growers harvested more than 2,000 pounds per acre with a club record-setting yield of 2,903 pounds per acre.
“In a year unlike any other, our growers have truly demonstrated what it means to be ‘Stoneville Strong,’” says Rachel Walters, cottonseed marketing manager at BASF. “Their resiliency and commitment to quality, combined with Stoneville’s modern germplasm, custom varieties and extensive trait choices, resulted in outstanding yield performance as evidenced by this year’s club enrollment. As always, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with these growers and recognize their accomplishments.”
The growers named in the above table received special awards for their 2020 Stoneville cotton yields in addition to being among the top 10% of yields in their state to receive membership.