By Carroll Smith, Senior Writer
The Mid-South is a humid region, which typically has abundant rainfall during the cotton-growing season. Even so, producers have continued to increase their irrigated cotton acres and are curious about how to manage irrigation to...
Every summer Cotton Farming takes a closer look at a topic that never seems to go out of date. It's as relevant today as it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. The circumstances have changed, but the message...
We're fortunate to live in what some people call the Sunbelt, but we call it the Cotton Belt. The winters are normally (last year excepted) mild, and spring and fall are usually beautiful. The summers… well they're SUMMER. Hot...
Water is a precious and valuable commodi ty on the High Plains of Texas. As a farmer on the High Plains, I often wonder how many times over my career I will reflect upon the words, "If we had...
FLORIDA: David Wright
It is very important to protect bolls that are being set in July as 90 percent of the yield is often set during this month. Plant bugs and stink bugs have become more of a problem...
Before it was signed into law in mid-June by President Obama, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) was overwhelmingly approved by the House (412-4) and Senate (91-7). The WRRDA authorizes the construction of major navigation and flood risk management projects. Of additional significance to agriculture is that the new measure also contains language designed to give farmers and ranchers some relief from EPA’s Spill Prevention Control
TIP, CRP Programs Still Important
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that farmers, ranchers and landowners committed to protecting and conserving environmentally sensitive land were able to sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) beginning June 9. The Secretary...
Larry Walton Field Scientist, Dow AgroSciences Tupelo, Miss.
Growers focused on maximizing cotton yield in the Mid-South must be prepared to manage plant bugs. For a successful ending to any season, Larry Walton says growers must plant on time, scout...
Physical parameters are no longer the only indicators for the quality of cotton. New characteristics have come into play when referring to quality. Sustainability, transparency and social compliance are increasingly important to the end consumer today although the definitions and understanding of these terms can vary considerably. During my 10 years of working in the jeans industry, critics often question how clean our supply chain is. Those brands and retailers that are motivated to continuously reduce their environmental impact are a strong force. Both governmental and non-governmental organizations are pushing toward this continuous improvement.
The chief executive officer of Levis Strauss, Chip Bergh, recently made headlines by sharing some unusual advice for those of us who wear denim jeans.
What is his advice? Don't wash your jeans, ever.
He says keeping jeans out of the...
This is my 34th year as an agricultural consultant on the Texas High Plains. As I look back over those years, I am amazed at the advancements that have taken place. The way producers farmed 34 years ago is certainly different from today. However, one thing that hasn't changed over all these years is that water is a yield-limiting factor, and there is no substitute for water.
In a cascade of notices, the California Water Resources Control Board told junior water rights holders in the state's major watersheds recently to immediately stop diverting water. The board says extreme drought leaves the watersheds without enough water to...
On Meeting Voluntary Metering Program Goal
On June 30, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced the initial phase of the voluntarily metering program supported by the Delta Sustainable Water Resource Taskforce has been officially met.
MDEQ Office of Land &...
Western Farmers Trying to Cope with Serious Drought
Blame it on weather patterns, urban expansion, water rights, battles or politics. No matter where you live in California or Arizona, the hottest issue today for cotton farmers comes down to one...
