Bayer Opens New Greenhouse At Memphis Agricenter
Bayer CropScience recently celebrated the grand opening of its newest research facility, a $17 million, 76,000- square foot, state-of-the-art greenhouse and headhouse addition to its site in Memphis, Tenn. The site is a hub for cultivating cotton and soybean solutions for the international market.
The greenhouse, located at Agricenter International, is part of Bayer’s commitment to invest in research and development and capital expenditures, as well as expand global production capacities and seed breeding facilities from 2011 until 2016.
The new greenhouse includes a spacious headhouse and open office area and will accommodate research to increase the number of traits available for cotton varieties in the United States and international markets. Overall, the Memphis site supports all of the company’s brands, including Stoneville and FiberMax, as well as soybean breeding, molecular breeding and numerous stewardship management programs. For additional information, interested persons can visit www.bayercropscience. com.
Cotton Incorporated To Honor Industry Leaders
Cotton Incorporated has announced the formation of a Cotton Research and Promotion Program Hall of Fame, which will annually recognize U.S. cotton industry leaders who have made significant contributions to the Program or cotton industry, in general. As the Research and Promotion Program approaches its 50th year, we felt the time was right to acknowledge the contributions of those who have helped shape the modern cotton industry, says Berrye Worsham, president and chief executive officer of Cotton Incorporated.
The five inaugural honorees: J. Dukes Wooters (New York); Morgan Nelson (New Mexico); Marshall Grant (North Carolina); Fred Starrh (California); and Lambert Wilkes (Texas) will be recognized for their achievements at the combined Cotton Board/Cotton Incorporated Board of Directors meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla., in December.
- J. Dukes Wooters, the first president of Cotton Incorporated, is recognized for his innovative marketing of cotton to consumers, including the development of the now iconic Seal of Cotton trademark.
- Morgan Nelson, known as Mr. Cotton in his home state of New Mexico, was among the first persons named to the Cotton Incorporated Board of Directors.
- Marshall Grant, a staunch advocate of boll weevil eradication, is recognized for his foresight and tenacity in convincing local and national leaders to address one of the most serious threats to confront the U.S. cotton industry.
- Professor Lambert Wilkes (deceased), along with his team at Texas A&M, is responsible for the engineering of the cotton module builder, which dramatically increased the efficiency of cotton collection and storage.
- Fred Starrh provided many years of leadership to the industry, first as chairman of Cotton Incorporated and later as president and chairman of Cotton Council International.
Contact Stacey Gorman at (870) 226-1445 for more information.
First Bale Of Cotton Delivered In South Texas
It was a record-breaking year for the First Bale of cotton in South Texas, and it sold for $18,500, including add-ons and a $3,000 dollar donation at the First Bale Auction and Scholarship Fundraiser event.
The official certified First Bale of cotton in the United States was delivered to the La Feria Co-op gin by the Ruiz Brothers of Mid-Valley Ag. The bale was eventually sold to Bayer CropScience, Helena Chemical and Neuhaus and Company for $10,500.
Add-ons ranging from $200 to $1,500 were contributed by Rick Guerrero; Ron Olivarez; Sally Ross; First Community Bank; Sanders Chemical and Chris Sparks.
The Ruiz Brothers received the $3,000 from the Harlingen Cotton Committee for the First Bale, which weighed 1,500 pounds. The variety used was FiberMax’s FM 1830 GLT. For more details, interested persons can call the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce at (956) 423-5440.