Friday, April 10, 2026

For The Love of Cotton

Cotton has always been a part of my life. I got “lost” in a cotton field as a toddler in south-central Louisiana while my parents were visiting friends. My mom rescued me although I wasn’t frightened. I was just...

Law of Physics and Economics

When I was invited to write this column, I was asked “to tell some stories of things, people and events you may have encountered through your career.” Quite frankly, some of those stories are best told and not written. I...

Deltapine NPE Grower Kevin Gardner, Mocksville, SC – New Varieties Shaping the Future of Cotton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DJ6TsaSNxg Do you think Bollgard II® XtendFlex® cotton technology will shape the future of cotton? Deltapine NPE grower Kevin Gardner, of Mocksville, SC, explains why he thinks new Deltapine cotton varieties and technologies will ease resistant weed pressures and improve growers’...

Webcasts Provide Real-Time, Reputable Information

Cotton Incorporated is dedicated to providing valuable tools and resources to cotton farmers as part of an overall commitment to improving the profitability of growing cotton. To help achieve the goal, Cotton Incorporated has partnered with the Plant Management...

‘Lions And Tigers And Bears…Oh, My!’

There were images evoked of the cotton ball diet, and baking with candle wax and a dirty crop and Indian farmer suicides. There was a boldface statement that screamed, “Cotton is not food,” followed by an ominous whisper, “It’s...

A Welcome ‘Shot In The Arm’

The National Cotton Council (NCC) is urging U.S. cotton producers to participate in USDA’s Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program (CGCS), a one-time initiative with a June 20-Aug. 5 sign-up window. What is the CGCS program’s purpose? Using administrative authority it has under the...

Manage Bloom Period Carefully

ARKANSAS Even with the difficult start we have experienced with this crop, we should be on track to find flowers by July 4. The status of our cotton plants at first flower reveals much about the past and gives us...

Irrigating For High Yields

By Guy Collins And Keith Edmisten North Carolina State University Authors’ note: These general irrigation guidelines were developed several years ago by other faculty at the University of Georgia. In some cases, deviating from this model may be appropriate. Much of...

OSHA Finalizes New Rules For Tracking Workplace Injuries And Illnesses

On May 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published the final regulations for the Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. The first two parts of this rule become effective on Aug. 10. Part one requires employers to inform their...

Irrigation Strategies

Technology improves water-use efficiency and profitability. By Carroll Smith Editor Part 1  Irrigation Strategies – Part 2 is available here. In that installment, irrigation experts will address efficient, profitable irrigation methods used in the Southwest and West regions of the Cotton Belt. Watering cotton to prevent drought stress...

Setting The Record Straight

The hardest part of writing this story is that even though I can remember it like yesterday, it happened 38 years ago. Well, at least the first part of it did. This recounting will attempt to set straight a...

Irrigating Cotton With Sensors

By Rad Yager Whether you’re a cotton breeder, researcher or grower, it’s time to consider using soil moisture sensors if you irrigate. Basically, they will help you understand what’s going on deep below the soil surface. Here are some tips...

Whole Farm Program Merges Four Key Components

By Carroll Smith Editor If standing the test of time is an acceptable measure of success, then AgriEdge Excelsior, which has been in place for 15 years, satisfies this requirement. What started off as a cotton program from Syngenta has evolved...

Cotton Incorporated offers science-based rebuttal on cottonseed oil

This month’s Editor’s Note on page 4, “‘Lions And Tigers And Bears...Oh, My!’” talks about Food Babe blogger Vani Hari’s recent declaration, “Cotton is not a food” and the warning she issued to her followers to avoid consuming cottonseed oil. Cotton Incorporated posted a rebuttal on her blog, bringing facts and science to the table. To read Hari’s Food Babe blog ( https://foodbabe.com/2016/05/16/this-ingredient-isnt-food-but-most-americans-eat-it/ ) and Cotton Incorporated’s rebuttal...

Industry News for July 2016

Cotton Ginning Cost-Share Program Approved Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency will provide an estimated $300 million in cost-share assistance payments to cotton producers through the new Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program to...

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