BY TOMMY HORTON EDITOR If it’s February, it can only mean one thing. Winter is almost over, and spring can’t be too far away. It also means that the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is right around the corner. Those are...

It’s no surprise that gin equipment is expensive. And being operated three to four months per year means there are eight or more months to repair the gin. Most gins do a great job of tearing down machinery and...

BY BRENT MURPHREE MARICOPA, ARIZ. Large-scale solar energy use on Western cotton farms has been slow on the uptake. However, cotton ginners in the West have begun looking at solar energy options to help cut electrical costs during ginning season. Nationwide, energy...

As planting dates get closer, producers often think of two things: picking the best varieties and ensuring they mature safely through the growing season. Two new webcasts from “Focus on Cotton,” a joint publication project between Cotton Incorporated and...

BY BILL ROBERTSON NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL The 2014 Beltwide Cotton Conferences (BWCC) were planned with the overall goal of supporting research and Extension efforts that bolster the U.S. cotton production system. Held last month in New Orleans, the 2014 Beltwide focused on...

Bob Glodt of Plainview, Texas, Cotton Consultant of the Year (CCOY) for 2013, was recently honored at a special reception and dinner at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in New Orleans. A crowd of more than 150 was on hand...

BY DARRYL EARNEST MEMPHIS, TENN. • Grew up in rural west Alabama. • B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Univ. of Alabama - 1990. • Started career in Greenwood, Miss., field office. • Served in Memphis 1991-2000, 2002-2005 and 2011-present; Washington DC 2000-2002 and 2005-2011. • Served...

BY TOMMY HORTON EDITOR When it comes to optimism about a new crop season, nobody exudes a positive attitude better than Texas cotton producers and ginners. Yes, the state is still in the midst of a three-year drought, but there are...

I couldn’t help but notice some of the reports that were coming out of the recent American Farm Bureau meeting in San Antonio on how journalists cover agriculture in the United States. It was an interesting panel discussion consisting...

BY CHUCK FARR CRAWFORDSVILLE, ARK. After 24 years of being an independent consultant I can honestly say I have been able to see and learn to do many things through my consulting business. I have to say that the most important...

Red River Crops Conference To Address Variety Of Topics Producers in the Red River area of Oklahoma and Texas will have a chance to hear an update on several important ag production topics on Jan. 28-29 at the Southwest Technology...

For all practical purposes, the 2013 cotton has been harvested. There may be a few isolated fields that haven’t been harvested, but these would be on the heavier, wetter soils that are prone to flooding. More importantly, the modules have been taken to the gins. I haven’t seen a module truck on the road for at least three weeks.

In the past few years, cotton acreage has taken a dip across the Belt as farmers reacted to attractive grain prices, and, in some areas, water issues. Despite this trend, many people in the industry have alluded to 2014...

TRENT LAMASTUS LAMASTUS COTTON CONSULTANTS, INC. CLEVELAND, MISS. I developed a love for agriculture while growing up and working on the family farm. While attending Delta State University, I worked during the summers as a cotton scout. This is when I was...

Honey bee health decline threatens the world’s agricultural enterprise and ecosystems, which rely on bees for pollination. Among several factors contributing to bee colony losses is the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, which was first detected in the United States in 1987. Researchers have agreed that this parasite remains the single most detrimental pest of honey bees and is closely associated with overwintering colony declines