The Georgia Cotton Commission is pleased to announce that Audrey Young has joined the commission staff as the Outreach and Education Specialist. In her new position at the Commission, she will be responsible for creating and executing communication and informational programs for both producers and the public. Young is a native of Tifton, Georgia. She received a Bachelor of Science …

(Washington, D.C., July 9, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced today that agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for $16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). To expedite the implementation of SDRP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering assistance in …

Exports are an important source of demand for U.S. cotton. From 2015-2024, the U.S. has exported an average of 13.6 million bales per year, 85% of annual cotton production (USDA FAS-PS&D). The monthly variation in U.S. cotton exports is tied to production cycles and global demand.  In particular, U.S. export variation is directly tied to the U.S. production cycle, and indirectly …

Articles in this month’s issue include: Georgia Cotton Commission Mid-Year Meeting – July 23, 2025 (Camp Hand) A Deeper Dive into Summer Cover Crop Species Selection (Taylor Singleton) July Mid-Season Cotton Irrigation Considerations (Jason Mallard, David Hall, Phillip Edwards, and Wes Porter) Thoughts Entering July (Camp Hand) Bug Management in Blooming Cotton (Phillip Roberts) READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The National Cotton Council (NCC) applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for its passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which includes provisions critical to the future of U.S. agriculture. The bill now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. “The National Cotton Council commends the House of Representatives for their diligent work and …

As we noted back in December 2024, the American Relief Act provided $30.78 billion in relief for agricultural producers—$10 billion for economic assistance and $20.78 billion for natural disaster relief. Signup for the economic assistance—known as the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP)—began on March 19, 2025, and runs through August 15, 2025. Initial ECAP payments were factored by 85% to …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The National Cotton Council (NCC) applauds the efforts of the U.S. Senate, and the Senate Agriculture Committee, to ensure passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act. This key legislation includes language that strengthens the farm safety net and provides necessary enhancements to support farmers navigating the current economic environment. “The NCC appreciates the momentous effort …

By: Dr. Jody Campiche & Tas Smith, National Cotton Council Georgia cotton producers are in the middle of another production season of high input costs and lower market prices, yet they are still operating under the 2018 farm bill, which is far too antiquated to address the current economic crisis. Based on harvest yields, total 2025 per-pound production costs are …

2025 Georgia Cotton Commission Newsletter July Kemerait My Wheelhouse: disease and nematodes after bloom Twenty-five years ago, I spoke to growers about managing plant-parasitic nematodes and seedling diseases. As tactics to reduce damage from both are applied at-planting, or very early in the growing season, there wasn’t much for a cotton pathologist/nematologist to do for the rest of the season. …

Managing Late Planted Cotton in 2025 The 2025 cotton crop in Georgia is certainly off to a start. We have cotton ranging from just planted to entering peak bloom, and sometimes those fields might be right next to each other. There was quite a bit of replanting done across the state, particularly on cotton planted after Mother’s Day. But now …

Insect Pest Management: Scout and Use Thresholds to Maximize Profitability (Roberts) June 25, 2025 Cotton growth stages range from being planted and emerging to squaring and setting bolls.  Weather conditions and the length of our growing season allow cotton to be planted from April to June.  Regardless of planting date, it is vitally important to scout fields, use thresholds, and …

Weeds Gone Wild (Culpepper).  Loss of in-crop dicamba, ESA challenges, crop injury from foliar tank mixtures, antagonism from tank mixes, challenging weather conditions, goosegrass, nutsedge, spiderwort, and, of course, Palmer amaranth are teaming up to make what used to be a simple weed management program into an extremely complicated, expensive, and time-consuming nightmare. This newsletter is meant to provide a …