Wednesday, June 24, 2026

It’s Time To Prepare For Defoliation

At this time, our cotton is about two weeks behind our normal development. Much of the cotton growing area has had about six inches of rain or more within the last month, with most of it coming in two weeks. We normally refer to the July and August rains as “million dollar” rains because it helps revive the non-irrigated cotton, and it lowers irrigation costs.

Managing A Late Crop

In many areas of the Belt, the cotton crop is somewhat behind schedule this year, requiring producers to make adjustments to their “normal” production practices. Thirty percent of the Web Poll respondents say they have had to deal with adjusting...

Crop Maturity And Timely Harvest

If there was one factor that I could change in our approach to cotton harvest in the Southeast, it would be to get it done…IN A HURRY. Timeliness preserves yield and quality. But 2013 presents the challenge of picking much of the crop in a timely fashion and, yet, on some late, late cotton, waiting until the last possible moment to pull the trigger.

Navigating The Regulatory Maze

By Mark Lange NCC President/CEO The National Cotton Council remains fully engaged in ever evolving regulations that can challenge producers’ ability to compete in the world marketplace. What about environmental issues? The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the pit bull of environmental laws....

Small Gins Know How To Compete

By Tommy Horton Editor Sometimes we can learn more about farmers and ginners by spending an entire day with these folks and tracing their steps during a typical work day. In other words, unless we can understand the numerous decisions made...

Texan Enjoys Cotton School

By Tommy Horton Editor Cotton SchoolIt might have seemed unlikely that a Texas warehouseman could benefit from attending the Inter-national Cotton Institute this summer at the University of Memphis, but that is exactly what happened for Atticus Miller. The young president of...

Large Crowd Turns Out For Southern Ginners Meeting

The Southern Cotton Ginners’ Association (SCGA) attracted a crowd of more than 200 to its summer meeting at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Biloxi, Miss., and a wide range of issues was discussed at the event. Several key speakers made...

Want A Snack? Pass The Cottonseed

It is simply amazing how many products count on some part of the cotton plant to make them complete. For example, cotton linters are used to help give ice cream body and are also used to make hot dog...

Apparel Industry Knows Importance Of Cotton Quality

By Gus Floris Editor Apparel Insiders Monitoring Cotton Trends As editor of a major apparel news service, I have opportunities to speak with dozens of clothing companies and retailers about their products, the demands of their customers and how they plan on meeting...

Robert Royal : SCGA’s President Wants Cotton Stability

EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Royal is a farmer-ginner in Midnight, Miss., and is currently serving as president of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. In this in-depth interview with Cotton Farming magazine, he discusses a wide range of issues confronting the...

Bayer’s Support Will Boost Lubbock Museum

In case anyone missed the announcement, something very significant occurred in Lubbock, Texas, the other day, and it will have a serious impact on the promotion of agriculture for years to come. Bayer CropScience is now the primary sponsor...

West Tenn. Farm Stays Loyal To Cotton

It’s refreshing when you can find a farmer here in the Mid-South who remains loyal to cotton, despite the temptation to follow the market and chase those high grain prices. Such a farming operation exists in West Tennessee, and...

New Truck And Tractor Rules Put Burden On California

If you all are wondering what the implications of this current Federal administration might be, California could give you an idea of just how bad things are. It was only a year ago that cotton gins in California finished...

A Winding Road To Home

BY TRENT HAGGARD KENNETT, MO. A quarter century ago, I excitedly left my hometown of 10,000 to attend the University of Missouri. I was plunging into a student population of more than 25,000. Just the students amounted to two and a...

PGRs Crucial In A Late Crop

By Andrea Jones Associate Extension Cotton Specialist University of Missouri This year cotton planting in Missouri got started around May 10; therefore, we have a late crop. Hopefully, by now we’re managing our crop for earliness and have planned for a timely...

Quick Links

E-News Sign-up

Connect With Cotton Farming