WASHINGTON, May 14, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $6.5 million in the Ogallala Aquifer region this year to help farmers and ranchers conserve billions of gallons of...
Recipients Will Pursue Research Dedicated To Insect Pest Research Across All U.S. Row Crops
ST. LOUIS (May 7, 2015) - Monsanto Company has announced that six recipients will be awarded research grants as part of the Insect Management Knowledge Program (IMKP)....
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Twelve U.S. cotton industry members have been chosen to participate in the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) Emerging Leaders Program for 2015-16.
Participants include: PRODUCERS -- Rafe Banks, Clarkedale, Ark.; Brandon Brooks, Phoenix, Ariz.; Matt Coley, Vienna, Ga.;...
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (April 30, 2015) – Key textile executives from 11 Pakistani companies will tour the U.S. Cotton Belt May 3-9 to observe U.S. cotton production, processing and marketing and to meet with U.S. cotton exporters.
The COTTON USA Pakistan...
When I was about 13 years old, my father gave me my first real paying job on the farm, and I was very proud to become a part of the team. My assignment was to ride on the planter....
Transform Receives Section 18 Exemption
Dow AgroSciences has announced that, in response to the states’ requests, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted Section 18 emergency-use exemptions in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas for the application of Transform WG...
Where is the budget appropriations process?
The House and Senate agricultural appropriations subcommittees conducted hearings with USDA agency officials to review their budget requests and priorities before beginning the development of their respective funding bills. The final Congressional budget resolution being negotiated between the House and Senate will set the overall level of funding available for fiscal year 2016.
What are U.S. cotton’s funding priorities?
Essential is maintaining resources for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to complete boll weevil and pink bollworm eradication. These programs continue to produce documented economic and environmental benefits.
Mid-April marked the release of Cotton Incorporated’s new advertising campaign with a heartfelt look at why cotton is a consumer favorite and a call to action to check your labels for cotton content.
The new campaign focuses on real stories, from real people talking about their favorite cotton items. The “favorite” commercials feature various cotton staples such as denim and shirting but will also include trending favorites such as athletic apparel.
Kim Kitchings, vice president of corporate strategy and program metrics for Cotton Incorporated, says that many cotton pieces have a great story to tell.
Farmers are making plans for the coming season, and in some regions crops are already in bloom. A big question for many farmers is whether they’ll have enough workers to harvest those crops. Well, Congress has been busy making plans, too. In the last few weeks, the buzz around immigration has picked up on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, the plans Congress has in mind stop short of what agriculture needs, and would do farmers more harm than good.
The House Judiciary Committee recently pushed forward so-called e- Verify legislation that would require workers to present a more secure form of identification before they could be hired. Congress, in short, seems ready to require stricter enforcement of immigration laws without first repairing the broken immigration system that exists today.
When I look back over the years since I first moved to Lubbock to begin my career with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service working in cotton, several things are clear with regards to cotton production in the Texas High Plains and Panhandle regions. Producers in the region are highly progressive and always looking for and trying new technologies and varieties that enable them to continue to produce high yields of excellent quality cotton. Also, their faith in God is unwavering as proven by their resolve even when faced with less than favorable growing conditions in an ever-changing environment.
As I have heard, and have repeated several times myself, “if you don’t like the weather in Lubbock, just wait a minute, it will change.” As we have witnessed over the years, each growing season is different with its own set of “challenges” that producers must overcome in order to have a successful cotton harvest. More recently, Texas High Plains and Panhandle producers have dealt with extreme drought conditions that have, just this winter, shown significant signs of improvement.
ARIZONA
Nearly all of the cotton is in across the deserts of Arizona. Cotton in the far West region of the state is quickly approaching first bloom, and the remainder of the state is nearing first square. Decisions regarding irrigation...
The Bootheel of Southeast Missouri is home to about 98 percent of the state’s cotton acreage. Cotton, as a high-value commercial crop, has seen a significant increase in pesticide use over the past five years. With this increased use, more attention is being paid to those insecticides that are not only most appropriate for pest control in individual fields but also affect the pest, crop and surrounding environment. Insecticide choices must be concerned with efficacy, selectivity and secondary pests. In addition, frequently used insecticides must be continually monitored for pest susceptibility (i.e. evolving resistance).In the case of pesticide sprays, the monitoring of pest incidence and intensity is nothing new. What are new are the technology tools that make pest observations more than just numbers.
Across the Cotton Belt, the strategy is the same this year – no matter the location. Producers must find a way to manage this crop efficiently. And that means planting on time and starting the season strong – much like a racehorse bolting out of the starting gate at top speed.
It will be a challenge as farmers deal with low cotton prices, a new farm law, weed resistance and water availability in many locations – namely in California and Texas.
Add in the big front-end investment with the seed, and you begin to get the picture. Nobody wants to re-plant the crop, and it is essential that young cotton seedlings have plenty of vigor and growth potential.
