By Brent Murphree: Raised beds have been the standard row configuration in the West since modern cotton farming began more than 100 years ago, but that doesn't mean all Arizona producers have to be tied to the method.Wuertz should know about water conservation. His family has raised cotton on drip irrigation, a major water saver, in Coolidge for many years. However, on ground that is leased or where the cost of drip irrigation installation outweighs the advantage, planting on level ground seems to give the producer a savings advantage.
Pat Cockrill, another producer in the Coolidge area, says he saves a great deal on his water bill as well.
"It depends on the year," he says. "We can save at least half an acre-foot and sometimes close to a full acre-foot of water."
In Coolidge, Ariz., several producers have been planting their crops on level ground with borders for irrigation. It is a traditional method for crops such as grain and alfalfa...
PhytoGen Introduces New Varieties For 2015
PhytoGen has announced its lineup of new cotton varieties for 2015, and they will have three-gene insect trait technology and industry leading rootknot- nematode (RKN) and bacterial blight resistance.
One of the most broadly adaptable...
It suddenly dawned on me recently that there is a lot of history in the Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) program. That is a natural conclusion to reach when you consider that this program – co-sponsored by Cotton Farming and Sygnenta – has been around since 1981. That means 34 different industry leaders have been honored during this period of time.
As I was walking around a crowded room at the CCOY reception at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in San Antonio, that thought was reinforced everywhere I turned. It’s a good thing everybody was wearing a name tag. Otherwise, it would have been difficult identifying so many friends. I recognized the faces, but the name tags made it much easier to connect with each person.
Then I realized that I had interviewed and photographed 14 of the winners, and that covers a lot of time. The years fly by way too fast in this business, but no amount of time will make me forget about how each consultant in our industry fulfills an important mission. This is a fraternity that is as strong...
Everyone producing cotton, especially in the Mid- South, remembers the days not so long ago when Temik (a carbamate pesticide) was used in our furrows as the main line of defense against thrips. Everyone knows how careful one had...
Every cotton producer has his own special way of growing the crop each year. You might say that South Carolina’s Jason Waltz has an unusual – but effective – approach. He does it all and rarely relies on anybody else for advice.
In today’s environment where farmers lean on consultants, marketing experts, scouts, entomologists and agronomists, Waltz is a one man show. He wears all the hats.
Think about that for a moment. Here is a young farmer who grew up watching his father Glen deliver a crop each year in the St. Matthews area, just southeast of Columbia, S.C.
Deputy Ag Secretary Krysta Harden has announced the availability of more than $18 million in funding to help educate, mentor and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. This support is available through the Beginning Farmer and...
U.S. cotton has weathered several storms but also capitalized on many opportunities, and fortunately the industry is prepared to meet the challenges presented by future business climates.
Are you optimistic about the cotton industry’s long-term future?
The U.S. cotton industry has...
We have known for a long time that young cotton farmers are different from their fathers in many respects. Maybe that’s a generational fact of life on the farm, but there is no denying that we are witnessing a...
Everything you need for a profitable 2015 season. Be there when the doors open!
If you’re a farmer or ginner, this is the time of year for finding new information that can make a difference during the 2015 cotton production...
OK, I’ll admit that I am overly sentimental and nostalgic about events from the past. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about high school, college, old neighborhoods, careers or anything else. There is something very entertaining and special when we reminisce about our past. And as we prepare for the National Cotton Council’s Annual Meeting at the Peabody Hotel here in Memphis on Feb. 6-8, I can’t help but recall the first NCC Annual Meeting I attended in January of 1986 in Orlando, Fla.
The industry and NCC have changed a lot since those days, but it’s interesting how first impressions stay with us for a lifetime. That is how it was 29 years ago. I had only worked in the NCC Communications Department for less than six months when I made the trip to this meeting. Naturally, I was a bit apprehensive since I didn’t know that many people in the industry. However, before this meeting ended, I found that my circle of friends would increase dramatically – mainly because cotton people might be the most congenial folks in the world.
ALABAMA
Charles Burmester On Feb. 1, I will have worked 35 years for Auburn University in northern Alabama. As I have been packing my office and preparing to retire, I once again realize how quickly cotton farmers must change to...
Dr. Robert Lemon
PhytoGen Cotton Development Specialist
Dow AgroSciences, East Texas
I recently was visiting with some Upper Gulf Coast growers, reflecting on the outstanding cotton crops we’ve made over the past three years. We’ve had numerous growers break the three-...
Another bearish cotton supply and demand report is released and ongoing issues continue with Turkey – our second largest market. Cheap oil means cheaper polyester. A generation of our greatest leadership is retiring in Phil Burnett, Mark Lange, Wally...
The Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association extends to you an invitation to join us at our 108th Annual Meeting and Trade Show in Lubbock, Texas, on April 9-10.
Our theme for this year’s event is “Full Speed Ahead” as we move...
