By Clint Thompson
The Georgia Cotton Commission’s (GCC) research funding of $740,609 for the 2024 season is focused on helping the state’s producers remain sustainable now and into the future. But the GCC would like to hear from farmers about potential research ideas that may not necessarily be on the commission’s radar.
Taylor Sills, GCC executive director, invites farmers to communicate any research ideas they might have that would benefit the industry moving forward.
“As always, if there are other things that producers think the commission needs to be looking at, don’t take anything for granted. Feel free to reach out to us. My email is taylor@georgiacotton.org. If anybody has any questions or ideas, we’re here to meet and address those,” Sills said.
All projects are vetted by both the commission board of directors and State Support Committee, which is comprised of cotton producers from across the state, and the commission’s research review committee, which consists of researchers, crop consultants and local UGA Extension Agriculture/Natural Resource agents.
The money will fund 19 projects that will be administered by University of Georgia researchers and Extension specialists.
“Some of it is very applied like everyone notices with their Extension specialists who come to their farm and who work, whether it’s on research or on trouble shooting, but there is a lot of people who are lab focused who are doing a lot of neat things on cotton across the state,” Sills said. “We’re really excited about the team of people who do work on cotton across the state of Georgia on behalf of producers.”