We have seen quite a few OSHA inspections occurring in the cotton ginning industry lately. If you have never been through one, there are a few things you can do now to make it go much more smoothly. First, we...

CLEMSON — An unexpectedly severe drought joined forces this summer with a relentless heat wave in a one-two punch that is knocking many South Carolina farmers off their feet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 35 counties in the state...

ANKENY, Iowa - Monsanto Company and Albaugh, LLC announced today that they have entered into a royalty-bearing license agreement that allows Albaugh to make and sell specific glyphosate formulations in the United States, Canada and Europe. "For years, Albaugh has...

HURON, SD. (Aug. 31, 2015) — Today, AgSense® and Valley® Irrigation announce the release of the CommanderVP™, a new remote monitoring and control solution for Valley control panels. This is the first AgSense telemetry product to completely integrate into...

Cotton Incorporated Launches Cotton Cultivated (cottoncultivated.cottoninc.com) Memphis, TN - Cotton Incorporated has launched a new Web site to give the cotton growing community quick and easy access to important cotton information. Cotton Cultivated (cottoncultivated.cottoninc.com) provides a portal that integrates Web...

Paul Scott Poag Poag Scouting Jonesboro, Ark. (Northeast Arkansas/Southeast Missouri) I started scouting cotton in high school as a summer job, then had an opportunity to work on a few acres independently while I was attending college. When I completed graduate...

Cotton Council International (CCI), the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) export promotions arm, conducts a wide array of activities to help raise U.S. cotton’s global profile with the ultimate goal of enabling the fiber to command a premium in the...

What’s the best way to survive the current environment for cotton? I could try and give you a lot of answers to that question. And I could even offer some technical informaton from the industry experts, but I think...

ARKANSAS National Agricultural Statistics Service August Crop Production report projects Arkansas producers to harvest a record high yield of 1,226 pounds of lint per acre. This surpasses last year’s record by 81 pounds. The Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Program currently...

Not too long ago I wrote about challenges that we will be facing in the next 20 to 30 years regarding how we will feed the world’s growing population. The challenges with food and water shortages, as well as losing farmland, will no doubt be of great concern in our future and our children’s future. Today’s technological advancements are moving forward at an alarming pace that is downright eerie. I wish my grandfathers were both around so they could see how different things are now compared to the good old days. Occasionally, there are times when I reminisce about why I had to learn some things in school. I always thought that there would be no reason for me to use some of the things that I learned in graduate school once I made the transition into the real world. I am in research. So, as you know, it is a field that is technically oriented. Some of my fellow researchers may be a little quirky about how their research plots are laid out.

Timing is everything in the cotton industry. Whether it’s growing or selling the crop or launching a career, it’s all about the calendar. And that is certainly the case for a young Californian named Stephen Harmer, who recently graduated from the International Cotton Institute in Memphis, Tenn. More than a year ago, he earned a degree from the University of California-San Luis Obispo in wine and viticulture and thought he was headed for a career in that industry. It seemed like the right choice at the time. Then, his parents encouraged him to consider another offer from a cotton company in Bakersfield, Calif. It seems that the Jess Smith & Sons Cotton Company was looking for someone to hire, and Stephen’s name was passed along as a potential candidate for a job as a trader. After much discussion with his parents, he finally relented and decided to interview with the company – even though his knowledge of cotton was limited. It turned out to be a life-changing decision for Stephen. He was offered a position, fell in love with cotton and hasn’t looked back. He quickly settled into being a trader with the company, and his boss decided it would be advantageous if he participated in the International Cotton Institute in Memphis. The school would increase his contacts in the global cotton industry, while helping him learn more about all aspects of cotton. And, in a bit of irony, company owner Ernie Schroeder Jr. had participated in this same class in 1995, the International Cotton Institute’s first year.

By Rusty Mitchell Louisville, MS The objectives of any cotton defoliation program are to remove cotton leaves, assist in boll opening and desiccate weeds that can interfere in harvest efficacy. Timing of a harvest-aid application is determined by the crop maturity....

In the summer months, it’s always nice to travel to different locations in the Cotton Belt to see how the crop is progressing. But, for staying updated, you can’t underestimate the importance of attending field days sponsored by various ag companies. I wish I had my own private jet so that I could have traveled to all of the field days conducted from California to the Carolinas this summer, but I’ll keep dreaming about that option. Here are some highlights of the ones that I did attend here in the Mid-South. Thanks to all of the companies who sponsored these events. They were informative and showcased how ag companies are dedicated to keeping farmers and the media informed.The message from this event was quite simple. Effective nitrogen applications can have a significant impact on cotton, corn, canola, wheat, potatoes and forage crops. ESN uses a flexible polymer coating to encapsulate the N granule. The coating protects the N from loss mechanisms, releasing it when the crop needs it the most. The nitrogen can be applied in both the spring and fall, allowing the farmer to apply fertilizer for his specific schedule. What made this event impressive was the independent research conducted by Wayne Ebelhar and Bobby Golden at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research & Extension Center. That research supported much of the ESN information that was presented.