Seven students were selected from 17 qualified applicants for the 3rd annual AMVAC Cotton Industry Advancement Scholarship. Each scholarship recipient received $2,000.
“Every year, it’s amazing to see the skill, knowledge and passion these students have for the cotton industry, and it’s an honor to support young leaders as they pursue their dream careers,” said Paul Vaculin, cotton marketing manager at AMVAC.
Read MoreThe explosion in cotton prices continued this week as U.S. and offshore funds poured bags of cash into both the New York Cotton Exchange and the Chinese ZCE. The climb to the top continues, wherever that is. The price objective of $1.25 to $1.35 is still in the realm of possibility, although I am a bit dazed by the limit up to limit up trading.
Read MoreBoth traditional and organic producers are increasing their use of cover crops for a variety of reasons — to control erosion, choke out weeds, improve soil health and enhance water availability. Now research by University of Georgia scientists is examining which cover crops may also provide important habitat for predatory insects that could help control disease- and damage-causing pests in cotton.
Read MoreA cold front blew through yesterday, chasing off clouds in the overcast sky and replacing them with sunshine and a crispy nip in the air. It was as if the stars had aligned just right on the first day of fall. October has always been my favorite time of the year.
One of my fondest memories is going out to the farm with my dad early in the morning. He stood at the edge of the field and smiled as he looked out over the open cotton. To me, it seemed the lines on his face were not as deep and his demeanor was more relaxed than it had been during the hectic months leading up to harvest.
Read MoreThe 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences (BWCC), set for January 4-6 at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, will offer attendees timely updates on the latest research, technology and issues affecting U.S. cotton production and processing.
The BWCC, coordinated by the National Cotton Council, annually brings together university and USDA researchers, regulatory agencies, extension personnel/agents, consultants, and industry sales/support personnel to exchange information about new products and production/processing systems that can be tailored to individual farming operations for maximum efficiency.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for October 2021, which are effective Oct. 1, as well as marketing assistance loan rates for upland cotton in 2022. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Read MoreThe cotton crop in the Deep South is later than normal. Weather didn't cooperate. But there's time to thread the needle on timely aggressive harvest aids to grab more quality yield from some fields.
Read MoreCotton is one of the oldest textile fibers in the world, reaching back until the fifth or fourth millennium B.C., with some of the earliest cultivation occurring in Mexico, India, Egypt and China. One of the earliest reports of its cultivation in what is now the United States dates to 1556 in Florida, though it was found growing in the wild by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and along the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries by subsequent explorers. The first reported cultivation in Louisiana dates to 1729, but reports tracing to the early 17th century exist. Louisiana State University Agricultural Experiment Station bulletins mentioning cotton fertility research appeared in 1886, and the first testing of 22 different cotton varieties appeared in 1887. Then, cotton variety trial yields ranged from 420 to 586 pounds of lint per acre. More than a century later, the state’s average yield has doubled.
Read MoreThe weather is cooperating with some areas more than others. East Louisiana and Arkansas are experiencing perfect harvest weather, but it’s been raining in south Mississippi for four days with another week of rain in the forecast.
Early planted cotton is ready for defoliation in most areas and has started in Arkansas. As soon as rain lets up, south Mississippi will be defoliating, harvesting soybeans and treating late leaf spot in peanuts.
Yields for all crops look good, but Hurricane Ida has impacted prices and timeliness. Talk of cover crops and wheat planting is ramping up.
Read MoreThe U.S. cotton industry loses from $600 million to $750 million per year to contamination that creates production and quality issues for mills.
“That’s a significant loss,” says USDA ARS Engineer John Wanjura, at the USDA ARS Gin Lab in Lubbock, Texas.
Contamination, mostly plastic, results in a loss in premiums U.S. cotton merchants once enjoyed because of its reputation as a cleaner, higher-quality fiber compared to cotton from competing trade areas with similar quality, Wanjura says.
Read MoreThis week, the House Agriculture Committee passed its portion of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, including more than $94 billion in new spending related to agriculture.
For Louisiana, there is a glaring hole in that spending plan as it is lacking supplemental disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers after Hurricane Ida ravaged the state last month.
Read MoreWorld cotton demand continues to recover. In August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected world consumption of 123.3 million bales, which is 4.3 million bales more than the 2020-21 marketing year.
If realized, this would be the highest level since the 2007 marketing year and the third highest level on record.
Read MoreCotton defoliation is starting in Louisiana, Arkansas and other areas. Although too soon to know for sure, many are optimistic about yields compared with the projected yields in July. Hopes of dry weather for the remainder of the season are high, and September is off to a great start.
Rice, corn, soybean and grain sorghum harvest continues. Peanuts are drawing to a close with the last watering for Arkansas soon.
Read MoreThe U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will present six live enrollment webinars focusing on how the program helps U.S. growers meet the changing demands from their end customer while also better documenting and verifying the sustainability practices and advances already incorporated into their farms.
Read MoreThe U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will present six, live enrollment webinars focusing on how the program helps U.S. growers meet the changing demands from their end customer while also better documenting and verifying the sustainability practices and advances already incorporated into their farms.
Launched in 2020, the Trust Protocol is a farm level, science-based program that sets a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics– land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.
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