If local information from crop consultants or Extension agents is unavailable and a Western cotton producer needs quick access to crop information, there are a number of online resources available to help them explore late-season production options.
For agronomic, irrigation, pest control and defoliation concerns, California, Arizona and New Mexico producers can obtain up-to-date, seasonal information from grower organizations and state universities.
California Websites
The University of California site can be accessed by linking to cottoninfo.ucdavis.edu or by searching University of California Cotton. The site contains links to the Field Check Cotton Newsletter along with publications on late-season field situation and management conditions. It also includes links to plant mapping information, variety selection trial and short in-field cotton videos.
California has also done extensive work on late-season pest control, which may be helpful in other growing areas of the West.
The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, CCGGA.org, is a good resource with timely information on its “resources page,” which includes a cotton research database in the menu list.
Although this information is California specific, it also is helpful if producers in other Western areas are exploring options for their crops.
Arizona Online
In Arizona, the University of Arizona site, https://cals.arizona.edu/crop/cotton.html provides access to weather, research and other information. It can also be accessed by searching, University of Arizona Cotton. The University’s Web resource is managed through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Tucson. It provides growers with information on pest alerts; weather conditions, including heat stress; and research reports.
Researchers at the University of Arizona are working diligently to ensure re-infestations of pink bollworm and whitefly do not take place in the West. They work jointly with California and New Mexico on resistance issues and provide information on maintaining thresholds to keep these pests at bay.
Another important Web resource for Arizona producers is the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council, azcotton.org. This site provides useful links to research and insect eradication information.
For end-of-year information, azcotton.org provides specifics on the grower Plower Program as its administrator. The program requires all cotton producers in the state to terminate the crop in a specific manner to alleviate pest re-infestation.
Additional Assistance
The University of New Mexico publishes the Cotton Newsletter, which reports crop conditions and provides links to research conducted by the university that affects cotton producers along the Pecos and Upper Rio Grande valleys. Searching New Mexico State University Cotton or linking to aces.nmsu.edu/ces/ifcpm/cottonproduction.html lets you access the university’s site.
Cotton Cultivated Website
Finally, Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton Cultivated website, cottoncultivated.cottoninc.com, is a great tool for the cotton-growing community.
This resource was developed as a one-stop shop for cotton farmers across the Cotton Belt. The site contains information on crop development, research, weekly weather reports, economic and cotton news, and a link to Cotton Incorporated’s corporate website.
Brent Murphree is the Cotton Board’s Regional Communication Manager for the West. Contact him at bmurphree@cottonboard.org or (602) 810-1171.