How are you dealing with the current situation? I could probably write a book about this. First, ginners love to gin cotton, but we know it will be a different fall with the reduced cotton acres. To me, the best thing to do is think positive. You can’t shut the doors while the game is still going on. We’ve had something that has been good, and it will probably be good again. It’s all about maintaining an attitude that will help you survive. Can cotton survive in a diversified crop mix in your area? We are definitely looking at a major shift in acres in Arkansas. Frankly, I don’t think we need to go back to a “fencerow to fencerow” cotton environment. I think we need to diversify. The farmers need it, and the soil needs it. The problem occurs when you see cotton harvesters on acres that reduced cotton by 25 to 50 percent. That is a concern.

Is it possible to find opportunity in the midst of difficult times? If you are a cotton ginner in the Mid- South, that is probably your mindset these days. It certainly was the overriding theme at the Southern Cotton Ginners Association’s (SCGA) summer meeting at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville in July. “Once a ginner accepts the reality that we are in challenging times, he can move on to what he should do about it,” says Tim Price, SCGA executive vice president. “Everybody wants to find a way to work through all of this.” Tim Price says ginners remain hopeful. The main program included an impressive lineup of speakers, and the highlight was the final presentation from Anthony Tancredi of Louis Dreyfus Commodities in Memphis. Not surprisingly, he focused on the cotton market in India and China and the future ramifications for the U.S. market. Price says all Mid- South ginners are aware of how cotton acreage has decreased in the last few years. The drop was particularly significant in 2015 because of low cotton prices. For example, initial projections called for 176,000 cotton acres in Tennessee. But unexpected weather conditions, low cotton prices and competition from grain crops wound up lowering cotton acreage to 100,000. “There’s no question that these are difficult situations, but our members are looking down the road,” Price says. “They are looking for ways to be more efficient. Most importantly, they are looking for ways to get past this situation. That proves to me that they are truly innovative.”

For the 2015 back-to-school season, Cotton Incorporated wanted to learn what parents’ priorities are when making back-to-school purchasing decisions for their children – and to see how cotton fits into the back-to-school picture. Cotton Incorporated used its Lifestyle Monitor...

Normally, you wouldn’t find a special report on a college football game in this space, but occasionally there’s an exception to every rule. This is one of those times. For several years, Texas Tech University has participated in an early season “Celebrate Cotton” promotion for one of its home football games at Jones AT&T Stadium. Call it the perfect marriage between the cotton industry, the High Plains of Texas and college football. Before, during and after the game, you’ll find messages about cotton no matter where you are seated in the stadium. Cotton equipment and booths will be located everywhere and even in special areas where fans enjoy tailgating parties. Cotton officials will be introduced during pre-game ceremonies. Promotional messages about cotton will flash on the scoreboard. In other words, it will be hard to avoid seeing or hearing an important message about cotton for about three hours. Several years ago, when this idea was first discussed, it seemed like a perfect way to promote cotton’s importance in the High Plains. And it still is. Even though the cotton crop in this part of Texas won’t be harvested until late October or early November, this is one Saturday afternoon in September when farmers will gladly make the trek to Lubbock for a football game. What could be better than non-stop cotton promotion in front of more than 50,000 fans.

At its July board meeting, the Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) Board of Directors approved its Fiscal Year 2016 budget which includes over $600,000 to fund the GCC research program. A total of $605,588, or about 24% of the overall...

• By Carroll Smith, Senior Writer • Transform My Community Contest Winners Announced Grand Prize Winner: A.J. Hood, Cotton Producer, Tillar, Ark. First Place Winner: Steve Robert, Cotton Consultant, Wynne, Ark. Second Place Winner: Frank Phelps, Cotton Consultant, Mer Rouge, La. Third Place Winner: Stephanie Miller,...

Has this been an unusual year for cotton producers in many parts of the Belt? Most would agree with that assessment. First, there is the frustrating cotton price that has stayed in the 60-cent range for months. Then came the floods in Texas and the Mid- South and dry conditions in the Southeast and West. One theme, however, remained consistent – the need for an effective strategy that could deal with weed resistance, namely pigweed. While most producers understand the concept of “starting clean and staying clean,” technology is assisting in the quest to reduce production costs even more. You’d be hard pressed to find a more forward-thinking farmer than Jason Luckey of Humboldt, Tenn., in the western part of the state. He, father Rege, brother Ken and nephew Zac have consistently adhered to a diversified crop mix involving cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat. They rarely increase acreage for any one crop and have succeeded in their dryland operation by staying with this philosophy.

Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association (TCGA) members know how to adapt. No matter how unusual the production environment or number of issues, this organization usually finds a way to adjust quickly. Not surprisingly, members had plenty to talk about at TCGA’s Summer Meeting recently at the Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. “We certainly discussed a wide range of issues at our meeting,” says TCGA executive vice president Tony Williams. “Our organization is optimistic and hopeful about the size of the crop our farmers can deliver this year – even though we know that some areas couldn’t even plant.” In one of his reports to the TCGA Board of Directors, Williams presented data that supports the idea that a large cotton crop is possible this year – despite lower planted acreage statewide. The latest USDA crop report pegs cotton acreage in Texas at 5.2 million acres. That is a reduction of one million acres compared to 2014.

ARKANSAS Tracking nodes above white flower (NAWF) from first flower to cutout (NAWF=5) can offer great insight on the condition and potential of the crop. As we approach this time of the season, we are interested in using this tool...

John Richburg, Ph.D. Field Scientist R&D Coastal Crops – East, Dow AgroSciences Headland, Ala. Uncharacteristic to the Southeast, cotton growers in Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle have experienced isolated hot spots of tarnished plant bugs, prompting growers to be diligent in scouting...

The National Cotton Council (NCC) continues to urge the use of scientific research and local solutions, such as state pollinator plans, as ways to improve pollinator health. Why is this action necessary? As directed by President Obama’s 2014 memo, a Pollinator...