As we roll into October, it is time to start thinking about defoliating and harvesting our cotton crop. There are a few things I have been talking about as I venture around the state talking about defoliation, and some of the high points are below: Make sure the defoliation “trigger” is pulled at the right time. There are many ways …

Wesley M. Porter, Associate Professor and Extension Ag Engineer University of Georgia It’s that time of year again, it comes on us before we know it every year, but hopefully not before we’re ready for it. To quote Camp Hand, “The smell of Folex is in the air”. It’s easy to recognize that smell if you have spent any time …

For spring planted crops like cotton, a key market influence in the fall season is the refinement of the national production forecast.  U.S. cotton production forecasts are published monthly by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  For example, the current U.S. cotton production forecast is 13.13 million bales.[1]  The forecast is expressed in standard 480-pound bale equivalents (or statistical bales).  …

The Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) was first offered to cotton producers in 2015.  Along with the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), STAX is one of the area-wide plans of insurance that are designed to help a grower cover a portion of their underlying crop insurance deductible.  Unlike the underlying Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) policies, both STAX and SCO trigger indemnities …

Articles in this month’s issue include: Fixing Soil Fertility Problems: Too Late for This Year but Early for Next Year? (Glen Harris) Importance of End of Season Irrigation Termination and Disease Control in Cotton (Bob Kemerait, Wes Porter, David Hall, Jason Mallard, Phillip Edwards and Daniel Lyon) Late Season Management Considerations for Diseases and Nematodes in 2023 (Bob Kemerait) Weather …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In response to Tuesday’s announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) of a final Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, the National Cotton Council (NCC) released the following statement: “We are concerned that the EPA is continuing to expand their jurisdictional authority with this latest rule. Their revisions …

For Immediate Release –August 24, 2023 PERRY/TIFTON, Ga. – The Georgia Cotton Commission, Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of Georgia Extension Cotton and Peanut Teams, will co-sponsor a joint research field day on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, in Tifton, Georgia. The field day will start at 8:00 a.m. at the Tifton Campus Conference Center (TCCC) in the North Parking …

Since March 2022, The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has enacted eleven interest rate hikes accounting for a 525-basis point (5.25%) increase (FRED, 2023). We discuss how increasing this rate impacts agricultural lending in 2023. The Fed Funds rate indirectly impacts the cost of other market interest rates such as those for agricultural operating loans. The FOMC influences rates by …

News from the Cotton Research and Promotion Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 18, 2023 Oklahoma Cotton Producer, Mark Nichols, to Serve as Chairman of the Board & USDA Under Secretary Moffitt Addresses Boards During General Session (MEMPHIS, Tenn.) – The Cotton Board recently held its 2023 Annual Meeting in Durham, North Carolina, along with Cotton Incorporated’s Board of Directors. …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The National Cotton Council’s Producer Information Exchange program (P.I.E.) will enable Mid-South and Southeast cotton producers to see cotton and other agriculture-related operations in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend regions on August 20-25. After this year’s two P.I.E. tours, more than 1,200 U.S. cotton producers will have been exposed to innovative production practices in Cotton …

Articles in this month’s issue include: Cotton Insect Pest Update (Phillip Roberts) Current Thoughts on the Crop, and Helping Us Collect Data this Winter (Camp Hand) August Climate and Weather Outlook (Pam Knox) Rainfastness of PGR Products (Wade Parker) August is a Critical Month for Management of Target Spot and Areolate Mildew (Bob Kemerait) Cotton Irrigation Considerations for August (David …

In late July, the Commodity Commission Ex-Officio Committee met to make appointments to the Georgia Cotton Commission Board of Directors. Bulloch County cotton farmer Greg Sikes was selected to fill the seat of Lee Cromley, who had served on the Commission’s board since 2011. Morgan County cotton farmer John Ruark and Toombs County cotton farmer Chris Hopkins were each reappointed …