south carolina

New varieties, coupled with improved nematode management and fertility practices, have helped increase cotton yields. And Clemson University cotton specialist says if environmental conditions cooperate, South Carolina cotton farmers could see an increase in yields this year. During the 2021 Cotton Growers Meeting, held online, Clemson Cooperative Extension Service cotton specialist Mike Jones said variety and environment are key to ... Read More »

If you want to see a slice of heaven, drive through Calhoun County, South Carolina, in the fall when the cotton is open. It’s an idyllic sight. Perhaps the picturesque landscape and dark fertile soil caught the attention of Drake Perrow’s ancestors when they arrived in the area in the 1700s. They stopped, smiled and put down stakes for what ... Read More »

This season’s cotton crop results are right around the corner, but growers are already eying their strategy for the 2021 growing season. Some of them already have a preliminary attack plan in their head, if not yet entirely on an Excel spreadsheet. “Mother Nature dealt us a fairly significant setback early this season,” says Lyle Carraway, a Lynchburg, South Carolina, ... Read More »

Irrigation is an important tool that likely has been used in agriculture for about as long as humans have been cultivating plants, but just how much water is enough? One project, funded by the South Carolina Legislature, is developing software that can help take the guessing out of irrigation system efficiency. It is a GPS-based center-pivot auditing software used to ... Read More »

• By Brad Robb • South Carolina cotton producer Rusty Darby understands what negative impacts the U.S. trade war with China and the global pandemic continue to have on world cotton demand. Therefore, he assumed his role as the new president of Southern Cotton Growers Inc. with a proactive mindset and a long-term vision. Darby’s tenure on national and regional ... Read More »

All cotton is not created equal, and a Clemson University student is looking to bring back a species that once dominated South Carolina cotton fields. Sarah Holladay, a master’s student studying plant and environmental sciences, is working with Clemson Extension Service cotton specialist Mike Jones and Agricultural Research Service cotton geneticist Todd Campbell to determine if Pima cotton can be ... Read More »

I am a third-generation farmer in Dillon, South Carolina. The farm began as a dairy and tobacco operation and remained that way until the 1980s. My father, Roy Baxley, grew the farm and converted it to all row crops, consisting of cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans and wheat. My dad gave me my love for farming, especially cotton. Growing up on ... Read More »