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Cotton News

August 4, 2023

Welcome to the August 4, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Pictured (left to right): Mauricio Ulloa, Ph.D., USDA-ARS Research Geneticist; Zabardast Buriev, Ph.D., Academy Sciences of Uzbekistan Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics Director; Bunyod Mamarakhimov, Ph.D., Tashkent State Agarian University Center for Cotton Seed Production Director; Lloyd Arthur, Crosby County producer; David Arthur, Lloyd’s son; Shukhrat Otajonov, Ph.D., Republic of Uzbekistan Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Department Head; Shodmon Namozov, Ph.D., Research Institute of Breeding, Seed Production and Agricultural Technology of Cotton Cultivation Director. Not pictured: Sherbek Ibragimov, Republic of Uzbekistan Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Expert.

Uzbekistan Delegation Tours Crosby County Farm

While Uzbekistan is different than West Texas in terms of structure, history and climate, farming isn’t.

“It’s funny how just talking farming, we can all face the same challenges regardless of geographic location,” said Lloyd Arthur, Crosby County producer. “They have some challenges we don’t, obviously, and vice versa, but at the end of the day farmers can find common ground with other farmers no matter where any of us come from.” 

Uzbekistan has an arid climate similar to West Texas; however, it typically doesn’t get hotter than 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer with colder winters. Before USSR was dissolved in 1991, 100% of Uzbekistan crops were cotton. Today it’s 80%. 

Most of Uzbekistan cotton is hand picked. The supply chain is “in-house” in their country, as harvested cotton is processed, milled and spun all within Uzbekistan. 

“They do have more water than we do — most of it is flood irrigation,” added Arthur. “I showed them my drip irrigation and how we have to conserve water out here in West Texas.” 

The Uzbekistan delegation was brought out to our part of the world by Mauricio Ulloa, Ph.D., research geneticist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), who has been collaborating with Uzbekistan since 2007.

The Uzbekistan delegation gifted Lloyd Arthur with tokens from their country.

 

ARS partners with the Uzbekistan Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics on cooperative research projects to control and identify resistance to the highly contagious Fusarium wilt pathogen, which threatens cotton production in both countries. The partnership also includes work identifying and developing resilient gerplasm to plant stress and diseases.

“While I have been in collaboration with most of these men for many years, this was their first time to come visit,” Ulloa said. “It was a great experience to be able to show them cotton in this part of the world. We appreciate Lloyd for showing us his farm, farm equipment, and sharing his farming practices with us.” 

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2023 Crop Outlook Better Than Last Year

Last August, PCG predicted 60% to 70% abandonment in the High Plains region for the 2022 crop. Turns out, the estimate was conservative as the actual percentage was just shy of 80%. 

Producers experienced a better start to the season for the 2023 crop, as much needed rainfall was received in the area. While some of the rain was problematic, most everyone agrees they would rather have rain than not, regardless of when it decides to come. 

Many PCG counties were able to get a crop up this year, different than last year, but another rain is needed to keep it going. 

Most of the northern Panhandle counties lost their cotton to poorly timed precipitation and storms, but with a good rain, the southern High Plains could see a much better dryland crop than last year. Even so, PCG is predicting a 35% to 40% abandonment for 2023.

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Pest Pressure Increase

The 2023 crop has seen more insect pressure than was present last year. However, the balance of beneficial bugs to pests has these IPM agents feeling optimistic.

Cochran, Hockley and Lamb Counties
According to IPM agent Kerry Siders, small clusters of three- and five-colony aphids are present in fields. For now, the beneficials (spiders, etc) are taking care of them. 

“But it wouldn’t take much to tip the scales in the aphid’s favor,” he added. “The wrong selection of insecticide could remove your beneficials, too, so make sure what you’re using is specific to aphids.” 

Gaines County
The beneficial pest population is “phenomenal this year,” according to IPM agent Keegan McCollum. 

“Our organic fields have had some Lygus problems,” he added. “And we have had some fields sprayed for stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs.” 

Bailey, Castro and Parmer Counties
“We’re on the lookout for boll worms this month as we have a couple of full moons coming,” said IPM agent John Thobe. “These full moons may increase the flight pattern, so we’re getting ready for that possibility.” 

Hale and Swisher Counties
IPM agent Blayne Reed noted that his fields have seen quite a few boll worm eggs recently and some worms have already hatched out, yet not quite at threshold. “While the beneficial populations are good, there is a lot going on in fields right now and we need to be alert.”

To listen to the High Plains IPM Podcast, click here.

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July 28, 2023

Welcome to the July 28, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Cotton field in Idalou, Texas. Photo taken July 21, 2023.

The Only Certainty This Crop Year

From plowed up cotton fields to neighboring crops that look like ‘the Garden of Eden,” the only certainty regarding this year’s crop is that there is none.

Cotton field in Spearman, Texas. Photo taken on July 20, 2023.

“As you travel through PCG counties, you can find pretty much whatever you want to find,” added Plains Cotton Growers Director of Field Services Mark Brown. “We’re still not sure what’s going to happen this crop year.” 

The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 12, has some people scratching their heads given the conditions seen in PCG’s region. 

While the July report did reduce planted acreage nationwide from 11.26 million planted acres to 11.09 million estimated planted acres, Darren Newton, cotton trader for Viterra, believes this to be too high. 

“Personally, I think our planted acres have been ill defined up to this point, so the August Farm Service Agency certified acreage report is going to be important this year,” Newton said. “However, the National Agricultural Statistics Service won’t use that data until the September crop production report and that should give us a clearer picture and more accurate projection.” 

The High Plains is not the only region facing uncertainty, which could affect projections further into the season.

“Last week I was out in Arizona and I have never seen as much cotton blooming out the top there at this time of the year before,” said BASF Western Region Agronomic Manager Kenny Melton.

Goanna Ag Vice President of Commercial Research and Development Paxton Peyton added that areas near Altus, Oklahoma, are really dry and just don’t have enough water to finish their crop out.

As has been said time and again, conditions across the High Plains are a mixed bag — some counties are faring better than others.

Panhandle
If there is any remaining cotton in the northern Panhandle, it’s behind and weather beaten. The picture on the right of the field in Spearman was the only cotton Brown has seen of late when traveling in that area.

Cotton field north of Dumas, Texas. Photo taken on July 20, 2023.

Floyd, Hale and Swisher Counties
Floyd County may be considered one of the bright spots of the High Plains. “It seems a little better there,” Melton said. “Some of the irrigated cotton there was planted late, but most is progressing well and looks good.” 

Blayne Reed, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent-IPM for Hale and Swisher Counties said Hale County is down in terms of potential production, but Swisher is ‘not down as much.’

“We’ve got some good looking cotton in Swisher,” he added.  

Howard, Martin and Midland Counties

While some areas in the High Plains received rainfall in July, Howard, Martin and Midland Counties did not. “It’s really unfortunate because they actually had a crop up and things were looking pretty good there,” Brown said. “But they didn’t receive any moisture this month.” 

As to how this crop year will work out, only time will tell. 

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Don’t Delay Fertilizer Applications

In his newsletter this week, Kerry Siders, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent-IPM for Cochran, Hockley and Lamb Counties, emphasized the importance of fertilizer applications by the end of July.

According to Siders, two things happen with late fertilizer applications on cotton. First, cotton maturity can be delayed. Second, aphids love this late excessive nitrogen.

“Producers should be vigilant in scouting fields for pests as many of them are applying fertilizer right now,” Siders said. “I occasionally see a cotton aphid, but beneficial insects and spider numbers are very good.”

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The Roller Coaster Ride of a Speculative Market

Wednesday, July 26th saw an uptick in the market price, the highest since March at 88 cents. However, the export report released the following day by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service showed a net negative in sales. With more cancellations than purchases, it looks like we took one step forward Wednesday then two steps backward Thursday. 

Darren Newton, cotton trader for Viterra, said this is how a speculative market behaves and even when the price begins to run up, it’s going to be hard to maintain without demand. 

“I’ve said it over and over again, but better demand needs to show up to build confidence in seeing higher prices” he added. “Supply helps but demand has to be there.”  

Newton emphasized the need to stay on top of the market as a producer. As was the case this week, you may only have one day to make a decision with how volatile the market has been.

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July 21, 2023

Welcome to the July 21, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Bright Spots in High Plains Crop Conditions: ‘Just Need a Rain’

Jon Jones, producer in Floyd County, “Our dryland is a little late, but we had a phenomenal rain this weekend. We’re thankful for it.”

As the Plains Cotton Growers Inc. Board of Directors made their introductions at the start of the meeting on July 19th, it became clear that crop conditions are all over the map in the PCG region.

While PCG Director of Field Services Mark Brown reported major losses (an estimated 70% of acres) in the northern Panhandle area due to heavy rains and storms during planting, most of the southern High Plains would be doing well if it rained soon. 

Both Lubbock County producer Dahlen Hancock and Dawson County producer Julie Holladay agreed that the irrigated cotton in their respective areas looks really good, even “pretty darn fabulous,” said Holladay. While Hancock added, “There have been a lot of guys work hard to make a crop this year and have put effort and inputs into it — fertilizer on dryland — so we’re optimistic but it needs to rain pretty quick.”   

R.N. Hopper, Hale County producer, noted that while the crop is slightly behind schedule, it looks good with good rains and no flooding, while Lubbock County producer Scott Harmon agreed.

PCG CEO Kody Bessent provided an update on PCG’s strategy for the 2023 Farm Bill legislation, Brady Raindl, cotton trader for ECOM provided a marketing report, while Hale County producer Steve Olson provided insight into global agricultural practices. 

“We’re blessed to farm in the U.S.,” Olson said. “and we should do all we can to pay that forward.”   

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USDA-NASS Publishes Annual Cotton Review Report

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service published its Annual Cotton Review report July 20, 2023. 

Final 2022 Upland Cotton production for Texas was estimated at 3.06 million 480-pound bales, down 60% from 2021. The average yield was estimated at 734 pounds per acre, up 68 pounds from last year. 

Acres harvested were estimated at 2 million, down 3.55 million acres from the previous year.

Final 2022 Upland Cotton production for the United States was estimated at 14.0 million 480-pound bales, down 19% from the previous year. The U.S. average yield for Upland Cotton was estimated at 942 pounds per acre, up 129 pounds from 2021. Harvested area was estimated at 7.13 million acres, down 29.7% from the 2021 harvested acreage of 10.1 million.

 

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July 17, 2023

Welcome to the July 17, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

PCG President Martin Stoerner discusses production challenges at the West Texas Farm Bill Roundtable with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)

West Texas Farm Bill Roundtable with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)

“Agriculture is a very high risk, high dollar enterprise,” said Kody Carson, past chairman of National Sorghum Producers. “Our farm bill budget is two-tenths of one percent of the U.S. budget. But if that’s too much to ask to feed underserved children and underserved individuals in the U.S., then we might ought to look at our priorities a little bit differently. Farmers aren’t asking for a handout. We’re asking for a level playing field in the world markets and in our trade negotiations so that we are viable to take care of the U.S. people that we love and believe in.”

The West Texas Farm Bill Roundtable with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was held Monday, July 17, at the FiberMax Center for Discovery in Lubbock, Texas.

PCG CEO Kody Bessent, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and PCG President Martin Stoerner.

Moderated by Tom Sell of Combest, Sell & Associates, agricultural industry groups representing research and education, cotton, corn, dairy, sorghum and wheat, gathered to voice their concerns and needs to the Texas Senator.

While there were several cotton producers at the table, solely representing cotton were Kevin Brinkley, president and CEO of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association and Martin Stoerner, Plains Cotton Growers Inc. President. 

Discussion from all participants centered on the challenges of doing business as an agricultural producer, yet much appreciation was shown the Senator for his support of the industry and his recognition of the differences in geographic areas. 

“We need to make sure that West Texas is heard in Washington,” Cornyn added. “It’s very different farming here than it would be in Iowa or Michigan. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that works with legislation like the Farm Bill, which encompasses a diverse array of products, practices and landscapes.” 

At the conclusion of the roundtable discussion, a press conference was held where reporters asked Cornyn about Farm Bill status and challenges with the legislation. 

He said it was most probable that a Farm Bill would not be passed by the end of September, but rather extended toward the end of the year. 

“That doesn’t mean the work will stop,” he added. “The committees just need a little more time to write an effective bill to help our farm families.” 

He also noted that working across the aisle takes time, but that the bipartisan nature of the Farm Bill is what makes it effective. Cornyn said he understands and believes the Farm Bill to be of the highest priority to ensure our nation’s farmers and ranchers are able to feed and clothe the world while also staying in business. 

“We appreciate the Senator for supporting us as he has done for so long and coming here today to listen to what we need,” Stoerner said. “We were able to have a good discussion with Sen. Cornyn in Washington D.C. back in April and know he is a viable ally for cotton and all of agriculture in Congress.” 

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Crop Scan Ag Report with Kerry Siders, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent-IPM for Cochran, Hockley and Lamb Counties

This report was originally published by Cotton Grower

Cotton ranges from 7 to 14 true leaves with square set/retention averaging a good +85%. I am just now starting to see first bloom in the more advanced fields. Generally, it will be after July 20 before we see cotton beginning to bloom, if not later in a good majority.

Our last effective bloom date (the date on which we can say with a high percent chance that a bloom will result in a harvestable boll) ranges from August 10-15, from Morton to Ropesville. So, if you do not begin to bloom until August 1, this gives you about 12 days of good bloom period, or time for about four first position bolls to be formed. In that scenario, yield is limited.

A field which begins to bloom on July 15 has about a 28-day effective bloom period, which can result in ~9 first position bolls. This is not counting second or possibly third positions in either case.

Cotton insect pests remain quiet. In the IPM Scouting Program, I have noted only a handful of adult fleahoppers. To date, none of these infestations have reached a threshold to justify treatment. Weeds continue to be the most dominant pest currently. A long-varied list of weed species is noted throughout the area, with Palmer amaranth still at the top. Remember, these weeds serve as host to many of our crop pests.

Another cotton issue that I am seeing and am concerned about as we move into another very hot period is heavy wheat stubble which served a great purpose back a few weeks ago as protection from the various elements, mostly wind. Now, however, it can be a detriment to the cotton since intact stubble can wick moisture from the soil.

I would encourage you to somehow break or sever that stem/straw from the roots. Using a sweep or knife to undercut this will help, or I have even seen stalk chopper units moved into the row middle and used to lay that stubble down, breaking that continuum of straw and roots and limiting the wicking effect.

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July 7, 2023

Welcome to the July 7, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Property Tax Relief Legislation Breakdown

On June 27, 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott called a second extraordinary session of the 88th Texas Legislature to convene to consider and act upon two items:

  • Legislation to cut property tax rates solely by reducing the school district maximum compressed tax rate to provide lasting property tax relief for Texas taxpayers; and
  • Legislation to put Texas on a pathway to eliminating school district maintenance and operations property taxes. 

In response to the called extraordinary session, both the Senate and House have filed and acted upon their respective bill versions through Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1. Currently SB1 is now awaiting action by the House and HB1 is awaiting action by the Senate to resolve differences between the two bills. 

Based on information received, the comparison chart below shows the two bill versions side-by-side and their approaches to addressing the Governor’s action items.

Source: Legislative Budget Board

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2022 Final County Yields Announced; STAX and SCO Payments Going Out

Following announcement of final 2022 county yields for Upland cotton on June 22, 2023, the USDA Risk Management Agency has begun sending final indemnity payments to Upland cotton producers who purchased 2022 crop year Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) or Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) policies. For most of Texas the combination of below average yields and Upland cotton harvest prices set the stage for both SCO and STAX payments to be triggered in most counties.

Looking specifically at 2022 STAX policies purchased in PCG’s service area, all of PCG’s member counties triggered STAX indemnities at some level. The amount of loss across the region varied significantly. Several counties in the northern part of the High Plains triggered less than maximum payments, while other counties triggered maximum payments for both irrigated and dryland practices.

Reviewing the counties individually shows three High Plains counties (Potter, Roberts and Carson) that triggered STAX payments at less than maximum levels for both irrigated and dryland acres. Four other High Plains counties (Deaf Smith, Hutchinson, Moore and Oldham) triggered a maximum payment for non-irrigated cotton, but less than the maximum payment for the irrigated practice. One county (Gray) triggered a maximum irrigated STAX indemnity, but less than a maximum payment on non-irrigated acres.

Click on the chart below to download a PDF version.

*Maximum payments calculated using x1.2 Protection Factor

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June 30, 2023

Welcome to the June 30, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Let’s Talk Mental Health in Agriculture

By Kara Bishop

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. So I could write an article on mental health with research-backed findings on suicide rates among farmers. I could write about why farmers’ mental health is now a concern that’s gained traction in the health care industry. I could include tips and tricks to proactively maintain a healthy mental state. 

But the truth is, I wouldn’t want to read that, and you probably don’t either.

If you’re a farmer or work in the ag industry at all, you don’t need to be told why the mental struggle is real. It’s not a surprise to many of us in this industry why this is a topic the health care industry has been increasing its efforts toward. 

Mental toughness only goes so far when you’re staring at a plummeting market price. It only goes so far when the land you care so much about hasn’t seen rain in 18 months. It only goes so far when the tools you need to do your job well increase in price by 150% to 300% — and no one’s there to take care of your overhead because you own the business. Mental strength doesn’t fix an ever-increasing inflation rate or interest rates at the bank — you already have a risky business on paper, let’s add inflation to it with bottom-of-the-barrel prices. 

And I think the main problem with all of these problems is the fact that they are totally outside of the farmer’s control. The farmer doesn’t dictate the weather or set the commodity price. The farmer doesn’t control the economy, nor can he or she solely lower the risk of the operation. 

Plus, every year is different. Even good years come with challenges that add to the uncertainty of the current crop or next year’s crop. 

Last year was a bleak one for the Texas High Plains cotton industry. This year, while we’ve had some rain, is still a mixed bag. It’s hard to watch a $1.40 price in May 2022 dwindle to 79 cents in June 2023. It’s hard to watch a much-needed rain come with tragic tornadoes and baseball-size hail. And I haven’t even mentioned labor.

It’s just hard. But it’s not new. 

I was talking to a farmer last year, back when prices were in the $1.40 range. He said it was hard to find motivation to start planting and ‘get going,’ because it was so dry. He didn’t think he would be able to make a crop, which was depressing in light of the best prices seen in decades. As he’s going through all of the challenges his operation was facing, I literally asked, “So, what keeps you from jumping off of a bridge?” 

And his response was something that the health care gurus don’t really talk about. 

“Yeah, it’s hard, OK?” he said. “But to make it through every year, a farmer has to be grounded in their faith — hard.” 

Faith. That isn’t a popular topic when addressing mental health on a clinical level. And I’m not knocking clinical help or medication. We all deserve to be the best versions of ourselves, and counseling and medication are excellent tools when faced with insurmountable pressure. But I do believe faith should at least be part of the equation. 

We all love the anonymous quote: “There is no greater demonstration of faith than a man planting seeds in a field.” Because all the factors outside of a farmer’s control rest in the hands of a higher power.

Farming can also be isolating. Chances are you’re not around many people during the day. It can be easy to retreat socially during busy seasons. When we do get together, it’s not popular to tell the friend group that we’re struggling mentally. When farmers hang around other farmers, it’s usually to talk about farming — not the mental stress they’re facing alongside the farming. 

Yet, it’s also common to hear people talk about how friendly the agricultural industry is — how neighborly we are. And it’s true. Farmers will help other farmers do just about anything. Check each other’s fields as they’re driving by, work on a pivot together, etc. So why not share each other’s mental burdens? 

There are resources for everyone when it comes to taking care of mental health. Telemedicine has made huge waves in rural health care availability. If you need a counselor, you can download an app on your phone, pick one and do a session right from the tractor if you wanted to. 

But wouldn’t it mean more if you could talk to someone who knows what you’re going through? Who is living it with you? Sometimes a good vent session is the healthiest thing you can do.

And while we’re being neighborly, let’s look out for each other. Check in with one another if you feel a friend has retreated mentally and/or physically. Because like it or not, the rate of suicide among farmers is 3.5 times higher than the general population. It’s an issue and we need to be observant. 

And when it comes to observation, it’s typically not the ‘complainers’ you need to worry about. 

It’s the ones who have stopped talking. 

Let’s all do our part to keep the conversation going. Don’t dismiss mental health. It’s vital to our success both as farmers and human beings. 

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USDA Releases Planted Acreage Report

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its most recent planted acreage estimate June 30, 2023.

According to NASS, total cotton planted area for 2023 is estimated at 11.1 million acres, down 19% from last year. Upland area is estimated at 11 million acres, down 19% from 2022. American Pima area is estimated at 109,000 acres, down 40% from 2022. 

Upland cotton planted acres for Texas are estimated to be 6.1 million acres, down from 7.8 million in 2022, but on par with the state’s historical average. 

“Based on Texas’ planted acres estimate — although there are still several variables in play — the High Plains region acreage could see between 3.2 and 3.5 million acres, which is on track with our historical average planted acres,” said Kody Bessent, PCG CEO. 

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Cotton Industry Seeks Volunteer Leaders

The success of the High Plains cotton industry, like any group effort, is tied to the willingness of qualified individuals to volunteer to serve in various leadership positions. 

PCG encourages all qualified producers interested in representing the Texas High Plains as a representative to the Cotton Board, National Cotton Council or Cotton Incorporated to call the PCG office for more information: 806-792-4904.

Qualified producer nominees should be actively engaged in the production of cotton at the time of nomination. 

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June 23, 2023

Welcome to the June 23, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Dryland field in Petersburg, Texas (Hale County).

Texas High Plains Crop Conditions — Need Another Rain

Mid-May, PCG’s reporting focused primarily on the necessity of drought relief. By the end of May, fields in certain areas of PCG’s 42 counties were flooding and planting was delayed. On June 9,

2023, we were concerned about heat units and the need for warmer temperatures. We saw temperatures come up to the high 90s for most of June 12 through the 16th. Now, with established stands and some squaring observations, we could use another rain. 

And we may just get one, if historical data is anything to go by. According to historical rain data for Lubbock, anytime May has recorded five or more inches of rain, there has typically been good precipitation through June and the rest of the growing season. Hopefully that will be the case this crop year. 

The cotton that did emerge and was not damaged by weather conditions has looked pretty good. “We have seen more uniform stands this year than we have in the past,” added Kody Bessent, PCG CEO. 

According to PCG Director of Field Services Mark Brown, the crop north of Plainview is suffering. Large storms, hail and tornadoes have hit the region hard. “We lost 1,400 more acres of cotton right after the Perryton tornado,” said Quentin Shieldknight, producer in Hansford County. 

Brown added that east of Lubbock, the situation is better. In his spot checks, Brown said he has seen cotton all over the board in terms of growth and development — from emergence to one true leaf all the way up to match-head squares. “If a producer has match-head squares in their field today, it’s more than likely they’ll have blooms by the July 15, which is pretty typical in a normal growing season,” Brown added.   

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Pest Management Report

While rain is always welcome, it does increase the insect pressure. Experts report thrip and grasshopper activity in fields, but what is most concerning are wireworms. Wireworms can be hard to find when scouting and can be hard to treat after the cotton has emerged. 

“We have product options with grasshoppers, fleahoppers and thrips, but once you plant, there’s nothing you can do to prevent wireworms,” said Suhas Vyavhare, Ph.D., extension entomologist.   

Shawn Holladay, producer in Dawson and Marting Counties said he’s seen more wireworms this year than he’s ever seen before. 

“We’ve learned a valuable lesson this year,” he added. “We won’t plant irrigated cotton that’s not seed treated again.” 

Vyavhare also said to be on the lookout for plant bugs now that plants are beginning to square.

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Hale County Goes to Amsterdam

Steve Olson, producer in Hale County, served as a panelist discussing regenerative agriculture at a cotton conference overseas.

“One thing that really stands out to me in these global experiences is how fortunate we are here in America,” Olson said. “There was a panelist from India that talked about the ability to finally purchase oxen to help him on the farm. There was also a woman discussing using her farm profits to put her children through school. It’s humbling to think about.” 

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Intern Perspective

Riley Gryder and Josiah Keck were named Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association summer interns in May.

By the end of the summer, Gryder will have worked with Adobe Walls Gin, Edcot Gin, Johnson Gin, LoneStar Gin and Top of Texas Gin.

Keck is working with Petersburg Co-op Gin and will finish his internship at Smith Gin Co-op in South Texas. 

Intern Story: Gryder

Riley Gryder

Originally published in TCGA’s “The Ginnery” newsletter.

With my first month as a TCGA intern coming to an end, I am proud to say that I have learned far more than I expected to. Assigned to Phillip Kidd at Edcot Gin in Edmonson, Texas, I have traveled around the Panhandle working alongside many great people such as Landon Kidd, Daniel Jenkins, Steven Birkenfeld, and Malcom Jones. Learning the ins and outs of ginning, I have toured and worked at three Windstar gins – Edcot Gin, Johnson Gin, and Top of Texas Gin.

My internship began with an extensive, hands-on tour of Edcot gin led by Landon Kidd. Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to learn about trading seed, lint, and even got to tour BC Supply and MTS in Lubbock. The second week, I stayed in Turkey, Texas with a great host and manager – Daniel Jenkins. While traveling back and forth to the Johnson Gin in Silverton, I got to see how the caprock affects cotton growers in the area. With entirely different planting dates, it looks like this area might have a higher yield of cotton compared to the Caprock, which has had a tough season.

While at the Johnson Gin, I had the opportunity to work with Kevin Williams and learn what happens inside of gins to keep them running. Pulling wires and putting in new control panels was our main focus here at Johnson Gin, as well as Top of Texas Gin. Working under Malcom Jones, I was tasked to shadow a group of skilled electricians as we installed new module feeder and shaft monitoring control systems. While the job isn’t done, I plan to revisit Top of Texas Gin in the coming weeks, along with Adobe Walls Gin and Lonestar Gin in Pampa, Texas. Overall, I have had many great experiences with many great people. I have learned more in two weeks than most get to learn in a lifetime. I would like to thank Aaron Nelsen for giving me this opportunity and Phillip Kidd for organizing and allowing me to have these great opportunities. I cannot wait to learn more about cotton growing and ginning all over Texas.

Gryder is a mechanical engineering student at Texas Tech University.

Intern Story: Keck

Josiah Keck

Originally published in TCGA’s “The Ginnery” newsletter.

I have been working for Myles Ramsey, manager of Petersburg CO-OP Gin, for the first half of my internship. I have been learning the process of cotton ginning from Mr. Ramsey. The first week I helped take apart augers in the distributor. Next, I took apart the hangers which are attached to the augers. I cleaned and replaced chains around the sprockets and checked for any damage around the drive shaft, sprocket, and ball bearings. Later that same week, I helped one of my co-workers clean out and replace the gin stand saws. Mr. Ramsey also took me on several tours. We toured PYCO, RAM Manufacturing, and where the cotton samples go to be graded. PYCO was one of the most fascinating to me. PYCO is where the cotton seed, after being ginned, goes to be made into cottonseed oil. There I learned about the process of how a cotton seed is turned into oil. What was very fascinating to me was the lint around the cotton seed. PYCO has three cleaning processes of taking the lint off the seed, they later turn the lint into bales. One of the coolest facts I learned from the lint is that Samsung buys some of this lint to make their devices. During my time at Petersburg Cotton Gin, I have been asking lots of questions about the sales side of cotton. I talked to one of the PCCA workers and learned about the pool and grades of cotton. PCCA buys portions of cotton to add to their pool. The pool helps get more leverage in the cotton market.

The first part of my internship was a blast! I have learned a lot from Mr. Ramsey, and I appreciated the time he has put into teaching me the ins and outs of the cotton gin. In the second part of my internship, I will be working for Smith Gin Co-op in Odem Texas. I am very excited to also get to see how the gins are run during the season.

Keck is an agricultural systems management student at Texas A&M University.

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June 16, 2023

Welcome to the June 16, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

USDA Accepts More Than 1 Million Acres in Offers Through the Conservation Reserve Program General Signup

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than 1 million acres in this year’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup. This is one of several signups that USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is holding for the program. The results for CRP General signup reflect the continued importance of CRP as a tool to help producers invest in the long-term health, sustainability, and profitability of their land and resources. The signup’s results include more than 190,000 acres in Texas.

“This year’s General CRP signup demonstrates the value and continued strength of this voluntary conservation program, which plays an important role in helping mitigate climate change and conserve our natural resources,” said Kelly Adkins, FSA State Executive Director in Texas. “Today’s announcement is one of many enrollment and partnership opportunities within CRP, including opportunities through our working lands Grassland CRP, Continuous CRP, and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). USDA will continue working to ensure producers and landowners have the information they need to take advantage of the options that work best for their operations.”

Offers for new land in this General CRP signup totaled about 295,000 acres nationwide. Producers submitted re-enrollment offers for 891,000 expiring acres, reflecting the successes of participating in CRP longer term. The total number of CRP acres will continue to climb in the coming weeks once FSA accepts acres from the Grassland CRP signup, which closed May 26. Additionally, so far this year, FSA has received 761,000 offered acres for the Continuous CRP signup, for which FSA accepts applications year-round.

The number of accepted acres that are enrolled in General CRP will be confirmed later this year. Participating producers and landowners should also remember that submitting and accepting a CRP offer is the first step, and producers still need to develop a conservation plan before contracts become effective on October 1, 2023. Each year, during the window between offer acceptance and land enrollment, some producers ultimately decide not to enroll some accepted acres, without penalty.

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End in Sight for 2023 Cotton Planting

Originally written and published by Cotton Grower.

Another big week in planting progress for the 2023 U.S. cotton crop.

USDA’s Crop Progress report for the week ending June 11 shows that 71% of the U.S. crop is now planted – up another 10 percentage points in the past week, yet 5 points behind the 5-year national average for this week. Most states have now topped the 90% planted mark, with growers in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas trying to catch up despite weather issues and delays in the High Plains/Panhandle/Northern Plains areas.

In all, 12 of the 15 cotton-producing states are currently ahead or equal to their respective state 5-year averages for this date.

Squaring is now reported in 11% of the U.S. crop – up 5 percentage points in the past week but still 3 points off the 5-year average. Squares are now found in 14 of the 15 cotton-producing states.

Overall cotton condition this week shows that 49% of the U.S. crop is rated good/excellent, 36% fair, and 15% poor/very poor.

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Jimie Reed Honored by Plains Pest Management for 50 Years of Service

Originally published by Plains Pest Management

Jimie Reed receiving a gift from Plains Pest Management President Ronald Groves for 50 years of work with the IPM Program.

Jimie Reed, a producer in southern Swisher County, was honored this month by Plains Pest Management for his 50-year involvement with the organization, 35-plus of those years serving as an

elected officer on the steering committee. As an officer Jimie represented his fellow member producers and helped guide the program’s direction. Jimie and his father were active in the organization of Plains Pest Management, the larger, State-wide, Texas Pest Management Association, and the foundation of the Texas IPM Program in the early 1970’s. These organizations work in partnership with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Integrated Pest Management

Programs to address evolving pest issues, advance agriculture, and offer integrated pest management education through pest monitoring and independently conducted local research trials.

Ronald Groves, Plains Pest Management President and Hale County Producer recently addressed the group’s membership at the group’s spring meeting, “Not every county has an IPM Program. Just counties that need that specialized education and are willing to work with and even help fund an agent. The Hale and Swisher IPM Program has been critical in seeing us through many problems and continues to do so. We have had a strong IPM Program for many years and continue to do so with good agents and great volunteer members like Jimie Reed.”

Jimie retired from the Plains Pest Management steering committee in 2023 with his nephew, Jeremy Reed being elected by the membership to be his replacement marking three generations of family volunteerism to the Hale & Swisher IPM program. 

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June 9, 2023

Welcome to the June 9, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Pictured: a stand in Meadow, Texas, on May 30.

Texas High Plains Crop Conditions Report

“It’s amazing how things can change in a couple of weeks,” PCG Director of Field Services Mark Brown remarked at the Plains Cotton Advisory Group meeting June 9.

Brown said Gaines County is estimated to have received the least amount of rain this year in the PCG service area, while counties in the northern Panhandle have been flooded with precipitation.

Umbarger, Texas, in Randall County, has received 16.74 inches of rain year-to-date, according to the West Texas Mesonet. Nearly 13 of those inches were received in May.

“I’ve seen really uniform stand emergence this year, but it’s been through some weather these last couple of weeks and some of it has experienced some damage,” Brown added.

Emergence in northern Gaines County near Four Way Gin.

Weed Pressure

Brown also noted that with the recent rains has come some weed pressure. Trent Murphree with BASF agreed and said pigweed is becoming aggressive and producers may need to start applying chemical to keep it at bay. “Some producers applied chemical in March and you can definitely tell — those fields are cleaner,” he added. “And where producers may not have done as much, there’s a solid carpet of pigweed. And you have fields that have Kochia and Russian Thistle as well so be on the lookout for those. Residuals are going to be key this year.”

Field with a stand near the New Mexico state line. True leaves have formed but do show signs of wet weather blight.

Insect Pressure

Suhas Vyavhare, Ph.D., Texas A&M University Extension Service entomologist, said insect pressure remains light for the most part with good looking cotton in Hockley County this week. “If you go north of US 70, you see quite a bit of thrips injury, which is where we normally see higher thrips pressure. Usually, in the South Plains the threat from thrips to seedling cotton subsides substantially by mid-June.”

However, Vyavhare went on to say that due to the amount of “baby cotton” still present in the area and just emerging, his scouting window for thrips would be much wider this season than normal since we’ve had cooler weather and planting delays.

Heat Units 

PCG CEO Kody Bessent likened emerging cotton to a newborn baby, stating, “Baby cotton needs to incubate and get warmed up, and so far, it has not been warm enough.”

However, looking into next week, temperatures are projected to be in the 90s with low chances of rain in the forecast.

10-day forecast for Lubbock, Texas.

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Panhandle Planting Status

Given the deluge of rain the Panhandle experienced in May, some cotton acres will shift to other crops.

Severe flooding in Hereford, Deaf Smith County, Texas, over Memorial Day weekend.

“We probably had about 70% of our booked cottonseed planted,” said Steven Birkenfeld, gin manager for Top of Texas Gin in Deaf Smith County. “But 70% of that will be failed out.”

Leland Gabel, producer in Carson County, struggled to meet the May 31st planting deadline due to the excess moisture.

“I will never complain about the rain and I hope no one else does, either,” he added. “We needed this moisture bad and at least it gives us options to still grow a crop, even if it’s not cotton.”

Quentin Shieldknight, producer in Hansford County, filed for Prevent Plant insurance on all of his irrigated acres; lost 600 dryland acres to hail and flooding; and is struggling with root rot hitting some varieties he did get planted.

Hansford County received 10 to 12 inches of rain in May, according to Shieldknight. He plans to plant cover crops at the end of June on his prevent plant acres. Many producers in the area are planting milo and corn, he said.

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June 2, 2023

Welcome to the June 2, 2023 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.

Ag Disaster Relief Grant Not Included in State Budget

A valiant effort to secure $50 million for disaster relief for cotton infrastructure for the 2022 crop year was unfortunately not included in the final budget and supplemental adopted by the Texas Legislature, despite approving a $321.3 billion budget for the biennium as they adjourned Sine Die over the Memorial Day weekend. 

Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. is extremely appreciative of Sen. Charles Perry (District 28) and Rep. Cecil Bell (District 3), as well as South Texas Cotton & Grain Association and the Texas Cotton Ginners Association for the countless hours everyone spent advocating for this much-needed assistance to the cotton industry. Additionally, we would like to thank D. Williams & Co., Inc. as well as many other cotton industry affiliates for their assistance in this effort.

For context, Perry filed a proposed budget rider in the Senate on March 2, 2023 on behalf of the cotton industry that would have established a one-time agricultural disaster relief grant out of federal funds appropriated to the state from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The sole purpose of providing a block grant was to address necessary expenses related to losses of revenue by cotton infrastructure because of natural disasters — including drought during the 2022 crop year. At the behest of the industry, Bell filed an identical budget rider in the House. 

Negotiations ensued and the budget rider was then elevated for consideration among Senate and House Conference Committees for HB1/SB1 and the Supplemental Budget SB30 respectively. 

The rider ultimately was not included in the final legislative package, not for a lack of advocacy, but a lack of overall discretionary spending available in HB1/SB1 by the legislature and competition with repurposed funding available through ARPA within the Natural Resource category. 

For reference, Texas was awarded federal funding through ARPA to be expended or obligated in seven general categories related to COVID-19 assistance. The Natural Resource category was the most applicable category in the supplemental budget for this issue. However, as the supplemental budget was completed, all unexpended and unobligated balances remaining in this category were repurposed for providing supplemental assistance to food banks in response to COVID-19.

While we are disheartened with the current outcome and still acutely aware of the severe financial strain on the overall cotton industry coming out of the 2022 crop year, I remind readers of this not to despair. If you recall, it took almost three years, multiple attempts and countless hours of strategy and strong leadership to ultimately enact the seed-cotton policy producers have today.

This effort relating to infrastructure support is no different in that perspective. While unsuccessful on this attempt, we simply have to regroup, restrategize and refocus on a long-term solution that will help ensure the survival of the cotton industry in times of peril due to forces outside our control. 

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US Ambassador Remarks at Cotton USA Seminar

This is an excerpt of the remarks given by U.S. Ambassador Pete Haas at the Cotton USA Seminar last month (May 2023). The full transcript can be read here

Through substantial cooperation and collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and immense support from the cotton industry, Bangladesh conducted a risk assessment and concluded that U.S. growers, as of May 16, can now ship cotton to Bangladesh without any market access barriers. 

For our American friends in the room, this is a major win that will unlock U.S. potential in this growing market.   

As I am sure you are all aware, Bangladesh is the second largest global importer of cotton.  It represents the seventh largest export market for U.S. cotton, exceeding $475 million in export value in 2022, and has one of the largest ready-made garment (RMG) export industries in the world. 

For our Bangladeshi friends here today, this is also a huge win.  

Previously, fumigation imposed a days-long delay in the delivery of U.S. cotton, with you, the Bangladeshi importers, picking up the tab, spending a million dollars annually.   

Bottom line: U.S. cotton is the best in the world.  It is high-quality and sustainable—and we have the data to prove it.   

And now it is much easier for you to procure.  

Working together with Bangladesh to solve this issue is a great example of how our two countries can collaborate to increase prosperity and remove trade barriers.   

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Kerry Siders Crop Report

Kerry Siders, is the Texas A&M University Extension Agent-IPM for Cochran, Hockley and Lamb Counties. He wrote this report for Cotton Grower’s Crop Scan report. 

As I write this, it is raining. Now don’t for a minute think that I am saying that our drought is over, but only that we have been heading in the right direction the last few weeks. In May here at my office in Levelland, we received 3.28” of precipitation. Really nothing to brag about for spring rains. However, many parts of this and surrounding counties have had upwards of 7” during May.

This weather during planting has caused some delays and poor stands. Looking at some of my variety trials on the last day of May, I would say that 50% of those will need to be replanted. The soil temperature has been good, but our nighttime temperatures have continued to hover in the mid to upper 50’s — too cool.

Cotton here on the Southern High Plains of Texas is mostly planted. There are dryland acres which still need to be planted as soon as it dries enough to get back in the field. This weather has thrown us a curve ball in the completion of planting, but I think producers will stick with cotton for as long as they can and then may divert acres to alternative crops such as grain sorghum or corn.

Cotton stand evaluations are our priority as we visit fields. Most of our cotton acres are on 40” rows, so we generally count the number of plants in 13’ of row (1/1000th of an acre). We would consider 26 plants (2 plants per foot) in that 13’ space to be 26,000 plants per acre. This would be a minimum good stand on irrigated cotton. Ideally, your stand would have closer to 40,000 plants per acre or closer to 3 plants per foot. Dryland acres can dip down into the 19,000 range or 1.5 plants per row foot.

Weed pressure has really increased with these rains. As soon as planting is over and stands are established or maybe even sooner, producers need to turn their attention to weed management. Post-emerge herbicides like Roundup, Liberty, XtendiMax, or Enlist will need to be used along with the addition of a residual herbicide.

Another issue that producers will need to revisit due to the recent rains is their fertilizer program, matched up with a new realistic yield goal. We often do this recalculation too late in June or July and are behind the growth curve to do much good and can cause delay in cotton plant maturity. Here very soon will be the time to react to these rains.

Thrips have been light up to this point. As this cotton has been slow to grow-off and many acres are just now emerging, thrips could rapidly develop and be devastating. Fields must be scouted! A good field scout can pay for itself.

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