Texas Tech Researchers Find Use For Low-Grade Cotton
Research conducted at the Nonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech’s Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) shows that low-grade cotton is highly effective at absorbing crude oil spills.
The study, published in the most recent issue of the American Chemical Society journal Industrial & Engineer-ing Chemistry Research, reveals that one pound of low-micronaire cotton can absorb more than 30 pounds of dense crude oil. In addition, the natural waxiness of raw, unprocessed cotton fiber keeps water out, making cotton an efficient and effective material for addressing ocean-based oil spills.
The study was supported in part by Cotton Incorporated. The new study includes some of the first scientific data on unprocessed cotton’s use as a crude oil sorbent.
Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar, lead author of the study and manager of the Nonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech’s TIEHH, says he and his colleagues found that low-micronaire cotton – one of the lowest-quality types of cotton – is highly effective at picking up oil.
Dow Receives Registration For Three-Gene Trait
Dow AgroSciences has announced that it has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of its in-plant, three-gene insect protection trait in cotton. The technology, the next generation of Dow AgroSciences’ WideStrike Insect Protection, will be offered exclusively in industry-leading germplasm developed by PhytoGen cottonseed.
Dow AgroSciences is the first company to provide the three-gene trait – two Cry proteins and a vegetative insecticidal protein (Vip3A) from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) – for enhanced, in-plant protection in cotton against a wide spectrum of key lepidopteran cotton insects, including cotton bollworm, budworm, armyworm, loopers and others.
With multiple modes of action, the three-gene package provides protection throughout the cotton plant from damaging worms, in addition to resistance management benefits.
For additional information, go online to www.phytogen.com.
Popular Deltapine NPE Song Now Available On iTunes
A popular original song written for and first played at the 2012 Deltapine New Product Evaluator (NPE) Summit in Nashville, Tenn., is now available on iTunes.
“Where Heroes Are Made” was written as a special tribute to Deltapine New Product Evaluators – cotton farmers who grow and evaluate pre-commercial variety lines in their fields. They are a key part of the system that keeps Deltapine varieties coming to market.
Because of its initial popularity with NPE farmers, the song has become a tribute to all of America’s cotton producers. The song is an anthem to a way of life, to those willing to put in the hard work and meet the many challenges of working the land.
Deltapine will donate all proceeds to a cause that supports the future of agriculture in rural America, to be announced at a later date.
In order to capture the spirit of the lyrics, an official music video is being produced for “Where Heroes Are Made” that will feature the generational story of an NPE cotton farmer and his family.
USDA Accepting Nominations For Positions On Cotton Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations for candidates to serve on the Cotton Board.
The Cotton Research and Promotion Act provides that the Board shall be composed of representatives of cotton producers and importers. These representatives are selected by the Secretary of Agriculture from nominations submitted by certified producer organizations (CPO) and certified importer organizations (CIO).
CPOs and CIOs are industry organizations that are certified by the Secretary pursuant to procedures set forth in the Cotton Research and Promotion Order.
USDA is seeking nominees to fill 19 member and 19 alternate member positions for vacancies in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri/-Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee/Kentucky, Texas, Virginia, and for importers with terms ending Dec. 31, 2016.
For additional information about the Cotton Board, go to www.cottonboard.org.