Planting of cotton and peanut seed continues across the Southeast. But according to the weekly report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS), the number of acres planted are a bit behind what has been normal over the past five years. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says rain is causing delays, especially in cotton planting. In Alabama, …
Irrigation Key During Hot, Dry Conditions
By Clint Thompson Cotton and peanut plantings are well underway across the Southeast. Unfortunately with it being hot and dry, these are not ideal conditions as seed and plants are being put in the ground. Wes Porter, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension precision agriculture and irrigation specialist, stresses the importance of maintaining moisture in the soil. Irrigation helps promote …
Alabama Cotton Planting Should Accelerate This Week
A week of sunshine is just what the doctor ordered for Alabama cotton producers trying to get this year’s crop planted. Wet weather has stalled plantings so far this spring, says Alabama Extension cotton specialist Steve Brown. “We’ve been a good bit behind. The last few days have helped us. There’s still a few places that are probably a little …
USDA Releases Final 2020 Cotton Report
The United States Department of Agriculture released its 2020 final all cotton production report on Wednesday. Becky Sommer with the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Washington D.C. has the final numbers: The 2020 final all cotton production was estimated at 14.6 million 480-pound bales, 27% lower than the 2019 crop. The United States yield for all cotton is estimated at 847 pounds per …
Florida Challenged Over Pesticide Decision
(TALLAHASSEE, Wednesday, May 12, 2021/NSF) — Amid arguments about the troubled citrus industry and the health of farmworkers, a chemical company is challenging a state decision to block a pesticide that could help fight a disease that has caused massive damage in citrus groves. AgLogic Chemical, LLC filed an administrative challenge Tuesday, about three weeks after the state Department of …
Factors to Consider During Cotton Planting
Georgia cotton producers have begun planting this year’s crop. According to the University of Georgia (UGA) Cotton Team Newsletter, there are various factors to consider when planting your crop. One pertains to varieties that are not included in the on-farm variety trials. “Although the on-farm variety trial does a great job of evaluating varieties across a wide range of environments, …
GCC Encourages Nominations for Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) reminds cotton producers who are interested in serving on the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission, the deadline to receive nominations is Thursday, May 30. To serve on a Commodity Commission, a person must be a producer of that commodity, commit to attend meetings and represent the producers of that commodity. Those interested in …
Southeast Cotton, Peanut Planting Near Five-Year Averages
Many Southeast farmers dealt with cool, wet weather to start the 2021 planting season. But according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS), both cotton and peanut planting were close to the 5-year averages this past week. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says rain in other areas of the cotton belt hampered planting. …
Grower Enrollment for U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is Underway
Due to the ever-greater supply chain scrutiny and a growing demand for transparency, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol was developed. It sets a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton and brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to responsibly-grown cotton production and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics. And cotton growers across the Southeast are being reminded enrollment …
Cotton, Peanut Planting Underway
While the recent cool, wet weather hampered the start to planting season across the Southeast, both cotton and peanut seed are going in the ground. According to the weekly report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), planting progress is fairly even with what has been normal over the past five years. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says …