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...

 Jason Krutz, Irrigation Specialist,Dan Roach, Ext. Associate,Trent Irby, Extension Soybean Specialist,Bobby Golden, Agronomist, Delta REC, Mississippi State University,Darrin Dodds, Extension Cotton Specialist,Erick Larson, State Extension Specialist We are having lots of questions concerning the proper setup of surge valves. First,...

I can remember when the International Cotton Institute opened its doors 20 years ago, and the optimism was high as the American Cotton Shippers Association ventured into a new arena for educating young cotton leaders. There have been different cotton schools through the years that attempted to give instruction to students on how to succeed in the volatile world of cotton trading. But this new school would be different. First, it wouldn’t be a school that lasted a week or two that gave only an elementary view of what goes on...

Every time I have a chance to meet the younger generation of ag leaders in this country, it gives me a good feeling. That’s how I felt recently when I met a small group representing this year’s National Cotton...

By Amanda Huber Editor Thanks to the eradication of the boll weevil and the introduction of Bt transgenic cotton, the number of insecticide applications in cotton has been drastically reduced. Prior to these developments, usage of broad spectrum insecticides usually kept...

I grew up on a farm near Drew in the Mississippi Delta. My dad, H.T. Miller, Jr. sent me to a scouting school when I was 15 years old. During the summer months, I checked cotton for local farmers, then went on to study agriculture at Mississippi State University.

What Customers Want by Michael Morrell, President, Olah, Inc. New York, NY Quality Still Counts I just returned home from the Kingpins denim show in Amsterdam, which was produced by my company, Olah Inc. Cotton was widely discussed by both exhibitors and...

There seems to be a never-ending list of government proposals that would make routine agricultural practices difficult or impossible to perform – and the latest from two federal agencies could bring a raft of new requirements aimed squarely at...

Thrips are tiny, but mighty, insects that have the ability to delay maturity and damage cotton in the very early stages of growth, and, if not controlled properly, reduce lint yield at harvest. Gus Lorenz, University of Arkansas entomologist,...

Right now our cotton on the Coastal Bend is in the squaring stage of development. At this point, the primary pest that we worry about the most is the cotton fleahopper. This is a traditional pest that you'll find in the eastern and southern part of the state – and certainly more so than in the High Plains.