Cotton jassids, also known as two-spot cotton leafhoppers, have been detected in cotton in Alexandria. Two adult jassids were captured in approximately 200 sweeps using sweepnets. This detection follows last year’s finding of cotton jassids on cotton regrowth in Louisiana, confirming the need for continued monitoring in cotton fields this season.
Read MoreFor row crop producers across the nation, late winter and early spring is a key seasonal window for fertilizer sourcing. Just as producers are making their final cropping decisions for the coming planting season, they will also think about plant and soil nutrition.
Read MoreIt has been a challenging time for farmers. First tariffs, and more recently, restrictions on ships in the Strait of Hormuz carrying fertilizer or the elements and compounds in it, have increased the cost of bringing crops to harvest.
LSU Ag Center’s Dr. Peters Egbedi said farmers have dealt with the increases in different ways. Some, anticipating price hikes, purchased extra fertilizer early.
Read MoreThe U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol today announced that 2.34 million planted acres now provide field-level data through the program for the 2026 crop year, representing nearly one in four of the 9.85 million total U.S. cotton acres planted this season.
This reflects the continued commitment of U.S. cotton growers to responsible production, even as they navigate a challenging economic landscape. Despite facing fluctuating input costs, unpredictable weather, and shifting market dynamics, growers are choosing to formalize and voluntarily provide data on their sustainability practices.
Read MoreThis month’s 2026/27 U.S. corn outlook is for smaller supplies, greater exports, and reduced ending stocks. Corn beginning stocks are cut 125 million bushels to 2.0 billion, reflecting an increase in feed and residual use that is partly offset by a reduction in corn used for ethanol for 2025/26. Feed and residual use is raised 150 million bushels based on indicated disappearance in the June 30 Grain Stocks report.
Read MoreFor row crop producers across the nation, late winter and early spring are key seasonal windows for fertilizer sourcing. Just as producers are making their final cropping decisions for the coming planting season, they will also think about plant and soil nutrition.
But in 2026, this final run-up to planting was packed with a confluence of circumstances that made fertilizer sourcing an especially painful undertaking.
Read MoreUSDA’s much-anticipated Acreage Report was released on June 30th. Corn acreage stayed large, but lower-than-expected corn and wheat stocks gave traders enough demand support to trigger relief buying and short-covering after a sharp June selloff.
Grain markets treated the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports as less bearish than the headline corn acreage number first suggested. USDA pegged corn planted area at 95.343 million acres, above the average pre-report trade estimate near 94.99 million acres, with harvested area for grain forecast at 87.434 million acres.
Read MoreAfter spring planting is complete, agricultural producers in Louisiana should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) parish office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline.
Read MoreIt is difficult to sit in the chair today, with December futures trading at 75-76 cents. I have procrastinated as long as I can in trying to get the market above 80 cents. I again suggest growers seek protection on any movement above the 79-80 cent level.
Read MoreOne of the most common observations during the early growing season is uneven crop growth within the same field. While some areas emerge quickly and develop vigorous canopies, others appear delayed or less uniform. These differences can be frustrating for producers, especially when planting conditions seemed favorable and management practices were applied uniformly across the field.
Read MoreSouthern crop agriculture occupies a prominent position in the history of the U.S. crop safety net (Coppess). Thus, understanding its role in U.S. crop agriculture is important.
Over the last 100 years, harvested crop acres have declined more in the South than the rest of the U.S. Cotton accounted for most of the decline during the first 50 years.
Read MoreThe 2026/27 U.S. corn outlook remains virtually unchanged relative to last month. June’s WASDE report calls for fractionally higher beginning and ending stocks for 2026/27, reflective of mostly offsetting trade and domestic use changes for 2025/26 with adjustments to imports, corn used for ethanol, and exports based on data to date. The 2026/27 season-average farm price received by producers is unchanged at $4.40 per bushel.
Read MoreThe cotton jassid or two-spot cotton leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula, is an invasive leafhopper species threatening Louisiana. First detected in 2023, it was reported in Florida during 2025 and spread across multiple southeastern states later the same year
Read MoreThe cotton market trudged through the week, looking for even a sliver of the bullish momentum it had enjoyed the prior two-plus months. Yet it finds itself stuck in the high 70s and unable to break above the 80-cent barrier, which has now become a rather stiff price resistance level. The only fundamental of consequence at work in the market is Mother Nature.
Read MoreThe Agriculture Department announced a new Great American Cotton Plan on Thursday, saying it aims to strengthen cotton farm income, expand trade and increase demand for U.S.-grown cotton.
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