Cotton Quality and Yields

  ARIZONA In my travels around the state over recent weeks, I have observed cotton fields at all stages of development. The crop in western Arizona has now been terminated and is being prepped for harvest. The remainder of the state...

By Carroll Smith Editor The bulk of the cotton acres in Tennessee fall within Tipton, Fayette, Madison, Hardiman, Haywood, Crockett and Lauderdale counties. Dow AgroSciences and PhytoGen experts recently held a reporter field day just inside Haywood County to share their...

The National Agricultural Statistics Service October Crop Production report estimated Arkansas cotton production to be at 1,088 pounds lint per acre, unchanged from last month but down 4 pounds from 2015. This exceeds our 5-year average of 1,073 pounds lint per acre by 15 pounds. Our crop continues to be ahead of schedule. As about half of our crop has been harvested this season, the 5-year average for the same date was just shy of 30 percent harvested. Reports of fiber quality have been good. Lack of rainfall during much of the harvest season has resulted in excellent color grades. Just over 45 percent has received a color grade of 31 or better. About 80 percent of the bales classed have a leaf grade of 4 or less. Micronaire values this season have averaged 4.6 with less than 17 percent in the discount range of 5 or greater. In Arkansas, we generally expect to see our early crop outyield our later crop. This is not what most farmers are experiencing this season. The extended wet and cloudy August weather came just as our early crop was starting to open. Reports of 1.25 to 1.5 bales per acre were heard from our early cotton as the occurrence of boll rot and hard lock was great. Fortunately, yields improved as harvest progressed. Our good fields are yielding in excess of 3 bales per acre. The 4-bale yield potential we had in many fields the first part of August slipped away.

CALIFORNIA California Central Valley farmers have finally been blessed with some decent rain, snowpack and irrigation water supplies for this year. Although we have water, variable cool weather periods mean a limited acreage of cotton seed was in the ground...

From planting depth to thrips control, North Carolina cotton experts designed these reminders to help you achieve optimal stands and good early season growth. By Guy Collins North Carolina State University The wet and cold 2016 planting season we encountered in North...

In the Texas Permian Basin where vast open land meets the horizon, Bo and Russ Eggemeyer are dedicated to growing white gold. These sixth-generation farmers are taking advantage of new subsurface drip irrigation technology to maximize water-use efficiency across their cotton acres. The brothers also grow varieties bred to deliver a high-yielding, high-quality crop. This is their story.

West Tennesseans Committed To Family And Farming Cotton By Carroll Smith Editor ‘Farming must be sustainable, and raising cotton is how I can make that happen,” says Clinton Evans, who farms with his son, David III “Buddy,” in West Tennessee as Clinton...

ARIZONA Deciding on the appropriate time to begin planting cotton in the spring can be a difficult decision. Warm, early spring days will sometimes provide an “itch” to get into the field and start planting. However, warm spring days can...

NCGA Elects Officers, Emphasizes Research And Safety At the National Cotton Ginners’ Association 80th membership and board meeting in Dallas, the NCGA announced its 2017 officers: president – David Blakemore, Campbell, Mo.; first vice president – Stanley Creelman, Tulare, Calif.;...

Southern Southeastern ANNUAL MEETING By Carroll Smith Editor Southeast cotton producers and ginners gathered in Charlotte, N.C., prior to the beginning of the 2017 season to meet and share ideas about how to address important issues that affect the industry on...

Alabama Farmer Anticipates 69th Crop By Carroll Smith Editor When referencing events that happened almost a century ago, most people preface their anecdotes with, “I have a photograph.” Otis Shiver begins his stories with, “I remember….” This 93-year-old cotton farmer was born...

The National Agricultural Statistics Service October Crop Production report estimated Arkansas cotton production to be at 1,088 pounds lint per acre, unchanged from last month but down 4 pounds from 2015. This exceeds our 5-year average of 1,073 pounds lint per acre by 15 pounds. Our crop continues to be ahead of schedule. As about half of our crop has been harvested this season, the 5-year average for the same date was just shy of 30 percent harvested. Reports of fiber quality have been good. Lack of rainfall during much of the harvest season has resulted in excellent color grades. Just over 45 percent has received a color grade of 31 or better. About 80 percent of the bales classed have a leaf grade of 4 or less. Micronaire values this season have averaged 4.6 with less than 17 percent in the discount range of 5 or greater. In Arkansas, we generally expect to see our early crop outyield our later crop. This is not what most farmers are experiencing this season. The extended wet and cloudy August weather came just as our early crop was starting to open. Reports of 1.25 to 1.5 bales per acre were heard from our early cotton as the occurrence of boll rot and hard lock was great. Fortunately, yields improved as harvest progressed. Our good fields are yielding in excess of 3 bales per acre. The 4-bale yield potential we had in many fields the first part of August slipped away.

Aaron Martinka Editor’s note: Cotton Farming editor Carroll Smith went into the field this fall to capture the story of farmers’ experiences with the new Deltapine Bollgard II XtendFlex varieties. Following is her special report. Texas cotton producer Aaron Martinka, who...

By Carroll Smith, Editor Cody Ewing farms with his grandfather, Jerry Marsh, in Blount County, Ala., between Huntsville and Birmingham. Marsh began farming cotton many years ago, ventured into soybeans in the 1980s, and later tried his hand at fruits and...

The industry’s first Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton variety with root-knot nematode (RKN) resistance and a high-performing early to mid-maturity cotton variety were named to the Deltapine Class of 17 during the ninth annual New Products Evaluators (NPE) Summit. DP 1747NR...