cotton farming, september 2014

Cotton FarmingCotton Farming®

www.cottonfarming.comwww.cottonfarming.com

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES SEPTEMBER 2014ONE GROWERPUBLISHING, LLC

SMARTGINNING

RICHARD KELLEY’S GOAL –

DEFOLIATION:ART OR SCIENCE?

GINNINGMEMORIES

RICHARD KELLEY’S GOAL –

SMARTGINNING

DEFOLIATION:ART OR SCIENCE?

GINNINGMEMORIES

Sept Cover _CF 11/13 template 8/18/14 10:09 AM

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COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014 3

D E P A R T M E N T S & C O L U M N S

Cotton FarmingPROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES SEPTEMBER 2014Vol. 58 No. 9

www.cottonfarming.com

4 Editor’s Note6 Cotton’s Agenda15 Industry News

16 Specialists Speaking22 My Turn

F E A T U R E S

ON THE COVER: West Tennessee’s Richard Kelley is readyfor another ginning season. Photo by Tommy Horton.

ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMSeveral industry organizations are raisingawareness about the importance of preventinglint contamination.

14

WHAT IS DEFOLIATION?Rusty Mitchell of Louisville, Miss., analyzeswhether defoliation is art or science.

10

West Tennessee producer/ginner Richard Kelley has seen alot of changes in the cotton industry in the past threedecades. No matter how difficult those challenges were, heand his family found a way to adjust and adapt. He hasalways believed that it was important to be committed toimproving the gin and staying competitive.

Always Adapting 8

COTTON FARMING (ISSN 0746-8385) is published monthly January through December for $40 per year by One Grower Publishing LLC, 1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38119. PeriodicalsPostage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sunbelt Fulfillment Services, 307 Southgate Court, Brentwood, Tenn. 37027-7987 (Phone: 615-377-3322) (Fax: 615-850-5319). International rates are $55.00 in Canada/Mexico, $90.00 in all other countries for air-speeded delivery. Surface Delivery not available due to problems in reliability.

EPA’S NEW RULESIt is important that ginners understand how andwhy EPA is updating new power plant rules.

20

Cotton Farming Editor Tommy Horton has traveled to numerousfield days in the Mid-South for the past month. He offers anoverview of what he saw in a special report. Look for it at www.cottonfarming.com.

WEB POLLRESULTS

WEB EXCLUSIVE

How can U.S. producers prevent cottoncontamination before it reaches the gin?

Go to www.cottonfarming.comfor the results.

3_3 8/19/14 12:49 PM

4 COTTON FARMING SEPTEMBER 2014

Editor’s Note

Through the years, I have found that it’s easier to go to an expertwhen you want to learn more about any segment of the U.S. cottonindustry. Believe it or not, there is always somebody around toanswer your question. And when it comes to ginning, I can’t think

of a more trusted expert than veteran producer/ginner Richard Kelley ofBurlison, Tenn.

If you have read our magazine for any length of time, you have spottedRichard’s name on these pages. He is the kind of person willing to shareinformation with anybody if it will help promote a better understanding ofcotton. Maybe that’s why so many industry groups visit the Kelleys’ farmand gin in West Tennessee. He and his wife Charlotte are two of the bestgoodwill ambassadors you could find for U.S. cotton. Whether it’s an inter-national group of textile mill representatives or some producers fromCalifornia, the Kelleys are ready to talk to anybody who comes calling.

So, it seemed only natural to make a quick trip to Burlison just west ofCovington, Tenn., and check in with Richard. Since our September issue isprimarily devoted to ginning, I couldn’t think of a better person to discussan assortment of topics. And let’s face it. There are enough issues affectingcotton today to write several books. Prices, farm law regulations, technolo-gy, competition from polyester and China policy were just some of thethings we talked about.

In our cover story on pages 8 and 9, Richard answered a lot of questionsin a wide-ranging interview. He was candid as he always is and refuses tobe discouraged. Yes, the current cotton prices are quite a bit lower thanwhat we saw several months ago when the range was between 80 and 90cents a pound. But instead of moaning and groaning, he and his family (Charlotte, sons-in-law Brad and Michael and daughters Kerry and Leslie)are intent on finding ways to cut costs while staying committed totechnology in the gin and on the farm.

Anybody who has been around cotton for a long time knows the volatilenature of this commodity. But, for Richard, he’ll evaluate the crop mix,study gin capacity and do what he has done for many years. Find a way tosurvive and stay in business.

This isn’t the first challenge for Burlison Gin and the Kelley family. Andit probably won’t be the last. In Richard’s mind, it boils down to a couple ofgoals. Stay competitive and make smart decisions.

That’s what you call a formula for success.

If you have comments, send them to: Editor, Cotton Farming Magazine,1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tenn., 38119. Or send e-mail to: [email protected].

Tommy Horton

Interested In Ginning?Talk To Richard Kelley

One Grower Publishing, LLC1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tennessee, 38119

Phone: 901-767-4020

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COOPERATION: Cooperating withCOTTON FARMING are various cotton producer organizationsacross the Cotton Belt. Many representatives of producer organiza-tions serve on COTTON FARMING’s editorial advisory board.Opinions expressed and conclusions reached by contributors arenot necessarily those of the cooperating organizations or the edi-tors. All statements, including product claims, are those of theperson or organization making the statement or claim. The pub-lisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its ownand any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect theopinion of the publisher.Copyright 2014

ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing,LLC also publishes RICE FARMING, THE PEANUT GROW-ER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH.

Mike Lamensdorf PRESIDENT/TREASURER

Lia Guthrie PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION

Editor/Editorial Director Tommy Horton

[email protected]

Senior Writer Carroll Smith

[email protected]

Southeast EditorAmanda Huber

[email protected]

Art DirectorCarol Watson

ADMINISTRATION

Publisher/Vice PresidentLia Guthrie (901) [email protected]

Associate PublisherCarroll Smith (901) 767-4020

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For circulation changesor change of address, call

(800) 888-9784

Cotton FarmingCotton Farming ®

David Burns – North Carolina David Lynch – South Carolina

Bob McLendon – GeorgiaLarkin Martin – Alabama

Mike Sturdivant Jr. – Mississippi Charles Parker – Missouri

Jimmy Hargett – TennesseeAllen Helms – Arkansas

Jay Hardwick – Louisiana Ronnie Hopper – TexasRon Rayner – Arizona

John Pucheu – California

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

ONE GROWERPUBLISHING, LLC

4_ 4 8/22/14 9:33 AM

WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT

Quality – A Mill PriorityThe National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) is the

voice of the U.S. domestic textile industry in Washington, DC.With more than 150 current members, NCTO represents manu-facturers from every major sector of the industry, including fiber,yarn, fabric, home furnishings and finished apparel producers.NCTO is focused on influencing federal policies, programs andregulations that advance the interests of the U.S. textile sector.

High-quality cotton is of the utmost importance to the textileindustry, and, in particular, yarn spinners. It is fortunate that theUnited States produces the best quality cotton in the world. Theease of access and price of quality cotton in this country hashelped to create a surge of foreign direct investment into the pro-duction of yarn spinning here over the past year.

As a whole, mills are experiencing a resurgence due to manyfactors, including availability of high-quality cotton, competitiveenergy and transportation costs.

NCTO has witnessed five foreign companies makingannouncements of their intentions to set up yarn spinning opera-tions in the United States this year. Our organization continuesto see domestic yarn spinners expand operations, build newoperations and continue to hire more American workers during

this same time period.

Momentum ContinuesOver the past 25 years, the United States has completed a

series of free-trade agreements that include a yarn forward ruleof origin* for textile and apparel products.

This rule has helped the U.S. textile industry become the thirdlargest exporter of textile products in the world. Over the past 10years, U.S. textile exports have grown dramatically, from $12.7billion in 2003 to $17.9 billion in 2013 – a 40.6 percentincrease over that period. High-quality cotton, paired with theyarn forward rule, will help the textile industry attract foreigndirect investment.

It is critical that free trade agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, include the yarn forward rule to furtheradvance the industry in the global sourcing arena.

* Yarn Forward Rule of Origin is a tariff break for imported apparel made with U.S. yarn.

Sponsored By

“High-quality cotton is of the utmostimportance to the U.S. textile industry,

and, in particular, yarn spinners”– Augustine Tantillo

High QualityCotton CrucialFor U.S. Mills

By Augustine TantilloPresident/CEO

National Council of Textile Organizations

As president of the National Council of Textile Organizations, Augustine Tantilloemphasizes the need for high-quality cotton for today’s textile mills.

From Fiber To Fabric• Mills need high-quality cotton.

• U.S. cotton has excellent reputation.

• Foreign investment helps U.S. spinners.

• Yarn forward rule aids U.S. mills.

• Trade agreements are crucial.

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Cotton’s AgendaMark Lange

Cotton LEADS™, a unique supply chain initiative advocating and demonstrating responsible cotton pro-duction practices, has gained more than 200 partners across the global cotton textile supply chain sincebeing initiated by the Australian and U.S. cotton industries in 2013.

Why was Cotton LEADS™ initiated?■ Australian and U.S. cotton producers annual-ly devote $20 million and $50 million, respec-tively, to agricultural research. This investment:1) enables them to achieve continual and sub-stantial environmental improvements; 2) elimi-nates the alternative of farm level certificationprograms; and 3) extends the research activitybeyond the farm gate to all sectors associatedwith the manufacture of cotton yarns, textilesand apparel. Cotton LEADS™ was initiated toraise awareness of these producers’ environmen-tal advances – as they operate in a regulatoryenvironment unlike anything faced by theworld’s other cotton producers. Measures ofenvironmental gains over the past 30 yearshave been established by USDA and otherthird parties.

Founded by Cotton Australia and The CottonFoundation, Cotton LEADS™ is being stronglysupported by the Australian Cotton ShippersAssociation, Cotton Incorporated, the NationalCotton Council and its export promotions arm,

Cotton CouncilInternational. Theno-cost, no-certifi-cation program isdriven by produc-ers, scientists andp r o f e s s i o n a l sstriving to ensurecotton is producedresponsibly foryears to come.Producers areasked to operateunder the pro-gram’s five princi-ples consistent

with sustainability, the use of best managementpractices and traceability in the supply chain.Those principles and more Cotton LEADS™information is at www.cottonleads.org.

How do supply chain firms participate?■ Yarn spinners, textile and apparel manufac-turers, retailers, brands and even other cottonindustry firms can become Cotton LEADS™participants by specifying the program as one oftheir preferred cottons and signing the“Commitment to Cotton.”

Noteworthy is that the program was designed tohave minimal interference in the market andnot impose additional costs on producers, supplychain companies or retailers and brands. Byencouraging a reliable supply of responsibly-pro-duced raw fiber for the global cotton industry,the program continues to attract textile busi-ness interest globally. That’s helping cottoncompete for market share among other fibers,including man-made fiber. And we believeCotton LEADS™ should help in maintaining oreven increasing the world demand for cotton –as the fiber’s perception will be elevated.

Is the program gaining partners?■ Cotton LEADS™ now has more than 200partners. That includes many prominent U.S.yarn spinners and textile and apparel manufac-turers – suppliers to some of the world’s mostrecognizable brands. Partners also includemany of those key retailers and brands such asTarget, Brooks Brothers and Gerber Childrens-wear. All of these companies have formallyacknowledged the merits of Cotton LEADS™cotton and now include it within their sustain-able sourcing guidelines.

They acknowledge that cotton, grown under thestrict Australian and U.S. regulatory environ-ments, helps assure customers of their firm’scommitment to sustainability and traceability inthe cotton used in their products. These part-ners also have the opportunity to supportresearch projects, help disseminate informationon best practices or create important partner-ships for continual improvement.

Mark Lange is the president and chief executive officer for the National Cotton Council of America.He and other NCC leaders contribute columns on this Cotton Farming page.

Taking The Lead

Increased use of conservation tillage has helpedreduce soil loss by 68 percent in the last 30 years.

6_9 8/19/14 1:41 PM

Bob GriffinGriffin Ag ConsultingJonesboro, Ark.

I began my career scouting cotton for the Cooperative Extension Servicein 1979. While obtaining my degree, I managed the entomology test plotsat the Cotton Branch Experiment Station in Marianna. After graduating, Ibecame the research entomologist specialist there. In 1987, I left thestation to start Griffin Ag Consulting.

Plant Bugs: Major Pest In 20142014 has been another radical weather year, being cooler and wetter

than any year I recollect. We were able to get almost all the cotton plantedduring the first 10 days of May with very little replant necessary. Cottongrew off slowly and has crept along at a snail’s pace all year. Althoughmaturity of the later cotton is a concern, I constantly tell my growers that Iwould much rather have mid-80 degree highs and mid-60 degree lowsthan 75-80 degree lows and 100-plus degree highs.

Plant bugs have definitely been our major pest this year followed by afew aphids and very limited spider mites. Adding Diamond two times toour plant bug applications starting about the third week of squaring reallyseemed to reduce nymphal buildup. However, incorporating Transform at2 oz/A, when adjacent corn and milo fields began to mature, was the bestdecision I made to control plant bugs. Transform was amazing, giving 10to 21 days control.

Preparing The Crop For HarvestIt is the middle of August at this writing, so I want to discuss harvest

preparation. Now is not the time to get plants revved up to produce moresquares or bolls in our area. The last effective bloom date has alreadypassed, so we now need to focus on getting the cotton ready to pick asquickly as possible without sacrificing yield or quality. Making PGRapplications on late fields is a good idea.

Curtailing irrigation in both amount and spacing is necessary to let theplants naturally senesce and not start greening up again. As bolls startopening, we will begin slicing them to identify when to make the firstdefoliation application followed by a second application seven to 14 dayslater. If the bolls five to six nodes down from the terminal are mature, withno jelly or gaps, we will begin to defoliate. I do not base defoliation onpercent open bolls. Using my method, I have seen variation from 10percent open to 70 percent open compared to last effective boll maturity.We have the potential for a very good crop this year and need to startpreparing to get it out of the fields.

It is my job as a consultant to ensure my clients’ profitability by keepingabreast of all new technology and incorporating profitable components intotheir operations. As far as yields go, I think we have the potential in someareas to make as good a crop as we had last year, and it was the best weever had. However, because commodity prices have bottomed out, alwaystry to identify a number that is profitable for you and lock it in.

1. Although maturity of the later cotton is a concern, I would muchrather have mid-80 degree highs and mid-60 degree lows than75-80 degree lows and 100-plus degree highs.

2. Plant bugs have definitely been our major pest this year. AddingDiamond two times to our plant bug applications starting about the third week of squaring really seemed to reduce nymphal buildup.

3. However, incorporating Transform at 2 oz/A, when adjacent cornand milo fields began to mature, was the best decision I madeto control plant bugs. Transform was amazing, giving 10 to 21days control.

4. We need to focus on getting the cotton ready to pick. Making PGRapplications on late fields is a good idea.

5. As bolls start opening, we will begin slicing them to identify whento make the first defoliation application followed by a secondapplication seven to 14 days later.

6. Because commodity prices have bottomed out, always try to identify a number that is profitable for you and lock it in.

Recap: Plant Bugs Handled, Crop Prep Next ▼

• B.S. degree in Plant Protection/Pest Management – Universityof Arkansas-Fayetteville, 1984

• Consults in Arkansas: Lee, Phillips, Monroe, Crittendenand Craighead Counties

• Consults on cotton, corn, soybeans, milo and wheat

• Twice past president of Arkansas Agricultural ConsultantsAssociation (AACA)

• Past Chairman of the Arkansas Certified Crop Advisers Board

• Serves on Craighead County Farm Bureau Board

• Married to wife, Cheryl, for 30 years. Three grown children:Kellye, Morgan and Sarah. One grandson, Noah, and agranddaughter, Olivia, on the way

• Enjoys fishing, snow skiing, cooking and playing spades

Sponsored By

Plant Bugs Handled,Crop Prep Next

Cotton Consultant’s Corner

®Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow. Transform WG is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.

9 Sept CF CCCv1_CF 11/13 template 8/20/14 11:40 AM


EDITOR’S NOTE: West Tennessee producer/ginner RichardKelley has observed many changes in the cotton industry forthe past 40 years. In this interview with Cotton Farming,he discusses some of the major issues as harvest andginning seasons approach.

What’s uppermost in your mind as ginning season approaches?

The thoughts that come to mind are “survival” and thefuture of cotton in our area. These are challenging times forcotton as we deal with weak demand, larger carryover andlower prices. That’s one leg of the stool. Then, we also haveweed pressure and high input costs for the farmers. Let’salso not forget about the uncertainty of how the new farmlaw will work and the safety net farmers need to have.

What is your immediate thought on how the industry can survive thisprice environment?

Gins will survive if cotton survives. I tend to think that ginsand gin operators can weather the storms and might evenbe more optimistic than producers. The infrastructure onthe farm side is what concerns me. Plus, I am hopeful thatthe desire to grow cotton will still be there for farmers.

As a ginning leader for several years, how do you deal with the realityof consolidation and lower capacity?

Reduction in ginning operations because of consolidationconcerns me quite a bit – because we are definitely losing alot of gins. But we’ll still have plenty of capacity eventhough it will be fewer and larger gins. When cotton acrescome back, the cotton will get ginned, but maybe not asquickly as some would like.

CompetitiveWest Tennessee Ginner

Richard Kelley Trying To Stay

SNAPSHOT – RICHARD KELLEY

COVER STORY

• Bought Burlison Gin in 1989.

• Farms 14,000 acres of cotton.

• Also has 8,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat.

• This year gin will likely handle 30,000 to 35,000 bales.

• Family operation involves Kelley, wife Charlotte, daughters Kerry

and Leslie, sons-in-law Michael Roane and Brad Williams.

• Southern Cotton Ginners Association’s “Ginner of the Year.”

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How have your cotton acres changed through the years?

It’s been a long roller coaster ride, and it all started with the1985 Farm Bill. That set the stage for the next 30 years andhas brought us to the present. Across the Belt, we have seena rapid decline in cotton acreage from 2006 to the present –and possibly the lowest acreage since the mid-1970s.Personally, we’ve built our cotton acres to nearly 14,000acres. But we have numerous issues that await us as welook ahead – including China’s huge reserves, weed pres-sure, competition from polyester and regaining markets.

The issue of contamination has been discussed a lot at ginnermeetings this year. How serious is this problem?

I don’t think it’s a crime to talk about this problem. We needto be sensitive to all comments about contamination. Weheard a timely report from Anthony Tancredi at theSouthern Cotton Ginners summer meeting on this verytopic. It concerns me when I hear complaints from millsabout plastic being found in bales. We must stay proactiveand not let anything affect the reputation of U.S. cotton.Through the years our hard work has carried us to the top.

When you were president of the National Cotton Ginners and SouthernCotton Ginners, what were those experiences like for you?

It certainly gave me a better perspective on how the indus-try is trying to deal with problems like contamination. I’mjust thankful that we have the National Cotton Council andginner organizations to help on so many fronts. It’s amazinghow these organizations deal with issues before producersand ginners ever see them in Washington or in a committeemeeting. These groups are problem solvers for us.

How would you describe your approach to ginning?

I am a hands-on ginner who has an engineering approach toginning. I always like to go into the gin and find ways to bemore efficient or fine-tune some aspect of our operation. I’dlike to think that we’re helping the customer make moremoney by doing this.

Does being a producer and ginner present any unusual opportunitiesduring the course of a crop year?

Being able to control production, harvest and ginning givesme a chance to solve a lot of problems before the cotton ever

reaches the gin. This kind of crossover involvement helpsfarming and ginning complement each other. Naturally, wehave a bit more independence because we don’t gin as much cotton from other producers as we have in the past.

How important are ginning and farming to you?

Well, in the early days farming is what paid the bills. Theginning came out of necessity because we needed a place togin the cotton. Today, my sons-in-law (Michael and Brad)help in both the farming and ginning operations. They weara lot of hats, and I’m lucky to have them helping me. This isour life, and we’ve worked hard to get where we are today.

What are the advantages of having a family operation run theginning and farming business?

When a farmer has two daughters, you never know whatthe opportunities will be for having a family operation. ButMichael and Brad came on board when they married mydaughters (Kerry and Leslie). In the early days, they rarelyquestioned my decisions. As we have grown in the business,I now find myself rarely questioning any of their decisions.It has turned into a wonderful situation.

When you look back on the growth of your farming and ginningoperation, what thoughts do you have?

It used to be that there was hardly enough time to geteverything done on the farm and at the gin. But after all ofthese years, my wife Charlotte and I find ourselves movinginto a transition where we want to preserve what we have.We think that’s a natural progression. As I said, we’re verythankful for what we have.

If you have any kind of message for producers and ginners in theindustry, what would it be?

My hope is that my fellow farmers and ginners have savedsome money and invested well for the future. We are head-ed into a three or four-year period where we will be facedwith a scenario crucial to U.S. cotton’s future. I keep repeat-ing myself, but we must protect our infrastructure. We haveseen up and down cycles in cotton, and now it’s importantfor us to be smarter in everything that we do.

Contact Richard Kelley at the Burlison Gin in Burlison,Tenn., at [email protected].


Q Why is it important never to let the Burlison Gin sit idle for any length of time?

AYou can’t just fire up a gin after shutting it down for a couple ofyears and expect it to be top notch. The technology continues toadvance, and we can’t fall behind. We’ve spent more moneyrecently on technology than we have in the last 10 years.

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Ihave been fascinated with cotton my entire life. I recallmy father, while working on his graduate degree at theUSDA Boll Weevil Research Lab in Starkville, Miss., inthe late 1960s, returning from a trip to Guatemala and

Mexico. He told me of native cotton plants he had seen thatwere large enough to support a man. At that young age, itwas explained to me that cotton was a woody perennialplant that man had modified togrow as an annual. Thus, it is ofno surprise that as we prepareto terminate the crop, it tendsto resist.

Think about it. From the timewe place the first seed into theground, we begin the prepara-tion for crop termination.Throughout the entire season,all management practices aredirectly or indirectly gearedtowards the production of lintand termination of the crop. Weselect varieties and a plantingdate for earliness. We managefruit set for uniform maturityand boll load. We utilize plantgrowth regulators to minimizevegetative growth and develop a plant stature that is con-ducive for its final act, defoliation.

Defoliation is the use of synthetic chemicals to enhanceleaf removal and allow the harvesting of a cotton crop in atimely manner. It’s a balancing act. Your objective is toenhance the natural physiological process of creating theabscission zone, the area that separates the living tissuebetween the plant and leaf petiole.

If you are too aggressive with your chemicals, the leafmay die before the abscission layer develops, resulting in“stuck” leaves. On the other hand, if you use too few chemi-cals, the abscission process may not be stimulated, resultingin inadequate leaf removal. The process is of significantimportance from a profitability standpoint as it eliminates amain source of trash and stain, resulting in better grades.

There are basically two types of chemical defoliants: her-bicidal and hormonal. Herbicidal defoliants, such as PPOinhibitors Aim, Display, ETX, Folex and Sharpen, injure the

plant, resulting in increased production of ethylene to pro-mote the formation of the abscission layer in the leaf andultimately leaf drop. Hormonal defoliants, such as thidi-azuron and ethephon, increase ethylene synthesis in theplant, resulting in the activation of the abscission layer inthe leaf petioles and boll wall.

Boll maturity is the single most important factor to con-sider in timing a defoliation application. Remember, mini-mal maturation occurs after the removal of leaves.Premature leaf removal can result in the reduction of cottonyield and lint quality. However, late defoliation can result inincreased boll rot and lint quality loss due to weathering.

The defoliation process can typically begin when 60 per-cent of the bolls are open, and the youngest boll one expectsto harvest is mature. To check boll maturity, choose theuppermost bolls you intend to harvest and slice them cross

section with a sharp knife. Ifmature, they should be diffi-cult to slice. Fiber shouldstring out when cut, and theseed coat should be lightbrown in color with the seedcavity completely filled with nojelly center.

Another method often usedto time defoliation applicationsis counting the nodes abovecracked boll (NACB). Researchhas shown that at least fournodes above the highest firstposition cracked boll will bemature enough not to beaffected by the application of aharvest aid.

But it’s not as simple as esti-mating open bolls or counting NACB. Nothing ever is! Onehas to consider the proper harvest-aid product(s) required toachieve your specific objectives: removal of leaves, enhanc-ing boll opening, regrowth suppression, weed desiccation,etc. And there are other factors which can directly impactthe effect of your product choice – the overall condition ofthe plant, weather condition at the time of application, daysfollowing application and the application itself.

In closing, remember, no one harvest-aid product, rate orspecific timing is the solution for every field. Decisionsshould be made based on prior experience, crop maturity,environmental conditions, yield potential and crop value.It’s no wonder you hear about the act of defoliation as moreof an art than a science. May you be blessed with a success-ful defoliation season.

Contact Rusty Mitchell in Louisville, Miss., at (662) 773-6674 or [email protected]

VIEWPOINT

Defoliation – Art Or Science?

BY RUSTY MITCHELLLOUISVILLE, MISS.

• Resident of Louisville, Miss.• Southern Region Technical Support Lead for FMC

Agricultural Solutions.• Earned B.S. and M.S. from Miss. State University.• Earned Ph.D. from LSU in entomology.• Has served in numerous positions at FMC in product

development and technical support.

Mississippi

•

10_16 8/19/14 2:20 PM


Southern cotton ginnersknow how to adapt tochanging market con-ditions. In fact, you

might say that they have re-written the book on this topicin the last few years.

That “flexibility” was amajor topic of discussion atthe Southern Cotton GinnersAssociation’s recent summermeeting in Branson, Mo. Inshort, because of changingacreages for cotton, corn andsoybeans, Mid-South ginscontinue to adjust to a com-pletely new environment.

In addition to having fewercotton acres in the region,ginners have had to dealwith a new farm law, increased cottonstocks, fluctuating cotton prices, com-petition from grain crops as well asChina’s unpredictable policies.

“This has made for a challenging sit-uation for our Mid-South cotton pro-ducers and ginners,” says Tim Price,executive vice president of theSouthern Cotton Ginners Association.

“I have to give our group a lot ofcredit for dealing with so much changein the last few years.”

Full Agenda Of SpeakersIt is understandable that the agenda

for the summer meeting addressedwhat ginners are currently facing.

Some of the key speakers offered thefollowing comments:

• Dr. Abner Womack, research pro-fessor at the Food and AgriculturalPolicy Research Institute (FAPRI) atthe University of Missouri, says manyfactors will impact the chances for cot-ton acreage stability in the Mid-South.

He pointed to price volatility, cottonstock buildup, global economic slow-down, lack of demand, crop insuranceincrease and loss of direct paymentsas some of the major factors affectingcotton acres.

• Dr. Wes Burger, associate director

of the agricultural experiment stationat Mississippi State University, gave abroad overview of issues confrontingagriculture. With an increase in worldpopulation, he says ag technology isneeded now more than ever to findsolutions. As part of his staff’s man-date to identify ag research goals, arecent survey was conducted. Some ofthe top priorities identified in the survey included: weed control, weedresistance, bacterial blight, use of dicamba and 2-4D, physical drift andnutrient management.

• Kaelin Hanks of Entira Marketingoffered an update on the future ofUnmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) inagriculture. She said the biggest bene-ficiaries of this new technology willbe in the ag sector – specifically preci-sion agriculture.

•Tommy Valco of USDA-ARS inStoneville, Miss., reported on theincreased cost of ginning across theBelt. At present, there are 613 activegins in the country. The average vari-able cost of ginning a bale hasincreased from $20.84 in 2010 to$24.88 in 2013. He pointed to a reduc-tion in labor and energy expendituresas a way to reduce costs.

• Memphis merchant Anthony

Tancredi of Louis Dreyfus Commodi-ties concluded the meeting by giving amarket update on U.S. cotton. Hepointed toward the continuing uncer-tainty in China’s cotton policy as amajor contributor to today’s marketvolatility. He predicted prices areheaded into a trend in the 60-centrange or even lower.

Too Much CottonTancredi also says there “is simply

too much cotton in the world rightnow.” He says a slight rebound in con-sumption would help in recapturingU.S. cotton demand. But he expressedfrustration because no outside observ-er can accurately say what China’snext move will be because nobodyknows what the country’s policyreally is.

Finally, Tancredi urged ginners toremain vigilant in preventing contami-nation of U.S. cotton.

“Our industry has a reputation forthe best quality cotton produced in theworld,” he says. “But we continue toreceive reports of contaminated cotton,and we have to do a better job.”

Contact Tommy Horton at (901) 767-4020 or [email protected].

SPECIAL REPORT

BY TOMMY HORTONEDITOR

Southern Ginners AdjustTo New Environment

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American cotton is consideredto have some of the lowestlevels of contamination in theworld, and that reputation for

low contamination levels has come tobe expected by foreign and domesticmills. With this low contaminationreputation comes increased scrutinyand in the last year there wereincreased reports of plastic contamina-tion in U.S. cotton.

Cotton Incorporated is part of anindustrywide effort that includes TheCotton Board, National CottonCouncil, National Cotton GinnersAssociation and USDA-ARS to preventand bring awareness to the contamina-tion issue.

Dr. Ed Barnes, senior director ofagricultural and environmentalresearch at Cotton Incorporated says,“Contamination prevention is criticalfor the preservation of the reputationof the U.S. cotton industry. Contam-inants can end up in yarn and fabricproducts, resulting in defective fabricsand significant costs to textile manu-facturers. It can also reduce the valueof cotton to the grower.”

Steps For PreventionDr. Tommy Valco, USDA-ARS tech-

nology transfer coordinator inStoneville, Miss., has been compiling alist of steps to prevent contaminationfrom the field to the gin. Plastics arethe most frequent culprit in contami-nation – plastic trash that collects incotton fields, black plastic film used asmulch in fields, plastic twine typicallyused for baling and yellow plastic filmused for round module wrap can allend up causing contamination.

These contaminants are typicallyintroduced prior to ginning, butmechanical processes at the gin canbreak up and shred the plastics so thatthey become more difficult to detectand remove. Therefore, the best timeto remove plastic is when it is still inlarge pieces and not after it has beenshredded by gin equipment.

When handling round modules, safecutting zones must be identified to pre-vent the inner tail, which is not in con-tact with the tacky portion of the

second segment of the wrap, frombeing separated from the wrap andending up in the cotton. If it doesmake its way into the cotton, there is ahigh probability that it will end up inthe gin and be shredded into smallpieces, thus contaminating the bale.

Another step in preventing contami-nation is replacing worn or tornmodule covers. It is important thatmodule covers are in good conditionto protect cotton from moisture andforeign debris.

It is also important to use onlyapproved marking ink, like Brand-A-Bale or Sta-Mark. These inks are onlyavailable in black. Any other colorindicates a non-approved ink thatwould likely cause permanent discol-oration to the cotton, resulting inmajor problems at the mill.

For U.S. cotton to maintain its sta-tus as “contamination-free,” the indus-try must strive diligently to preventcontaminants from entering the cottonstream and to eliminate them whenthey slip in undetected.

The Cotton Board, which administersCotton Incorporated’s Research andPromotion Program, contributed infor-mation for this article.

Industry MustStop Contamination

RESEARCH & PROMOTION

Cotton Farming

CCOY2006 Cotton Consultant of the Year

Jack Royal

Cotton production made acomeback in Georgia in the1980s as an alternativerotational crop, besides corn,to plant with peanuts. With thesuccessful completion of the BollWeevil Eradication Program inthe early 1990s, cotton acresand production exploded.

Today, a majority of the ginsand warehouses are locallyowned by groups of growers.This has a large impact on oureconomies by creating full timeand seasonal part time jobs fromthe local communities.

Cotton is our most expensivecrop. However, due to newtechnologies and varieties – withthree-plus bales/A possible –cotton is profitable in Georgia.

Cotton Consultant of the Year sponsored by

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14_CF 11/13 template 8/22/14 10:32 AM Page 14


USDA Accepting CommentsOn Monsanto’s New Technology

USDA is now accepting public com-ments on the draft EnvironmentalImpact Statement (EIS) for Mon-santo’s next generation dicamba-toler-ant weed management technologies,Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans andBollgard II XtendFlex cotton.

This follows USDA’s Animal andPlant Health Inspection Service(APHIS) announcement that it hascompleted the draft EIS on RoundupReady 2 Xtend soybeans and BollgardII XtendFlex cotton. APHIS indicatedthat its preferred alternative is toderegulate both crops.

Monsanto officials believe this is apositive step in the process and antici-pate final USDA deregulation by theend of the year. The company isencouraging farmers, dealers and allstakeholders to make their voicesheard and weigh in during the publiccomment period, open until Sept. 25.

Delta Plastics CommittedTo Reduce Delta’s Water Use

Delta Plastics has joined agricultureand conservation-minded organiza-

tions to announce a regional initiativeto reduce irrigation water use by 20percent within the Mississippi Deltaby the year 2020. The announcementincludes a multi-million dollar productinvestment that will transform agricul-tural water use practices across theentire Delta region.

Delta Plastics is a major manufac-turer of irrigation polytube and hasinvested millions to develop new inno-vations in precision agriculture tech-nology to save farmers money and con-serve water.

For additional information, go towww.deltaplastics.com.

Dow Introduces AppFor Enlist Weed Control

Recently unveiled, the Enlist Aheadapp offers producers and applicatorsvital herbicide application informationfrom a single source. The app,designed for use with the Enlist WeedControl System, is a precision agricul-ture tool for maximizing weed controlperformance, managing weed resis-tance and making responsible applica-tions of Enlist Duo herbicide withColex-D Technology.

Regulatory approvals are pendingfor the Enlist system.

The Enlist Ahead app is part of theEnlist Ahead management resource,which provides technology advance-ments, management recommenda-tions, training and education. Parts ofthe app are powered by CDMS, a lead-ing provider of software services andagricultural databases.

For more information, interestedparties can visit www.Enlist.com.

Texas Cotton AssociationJoins Celebrate Cotton Event

The Texas Cotton Association willjoin other state industry organizationson Sept. 10-13 in the annual CelebrateCotton festivities in Lubbock.

TCA will kick off its annual CottonFlow Reception at 7 p.m., on Sept. 11at the Overton Hotel. The Flow andMarketing Meeting will convene thenext morning, Friday, Sept. 12.

The Celebrate Cotton football gamebetween Texas Tech and Arkansas willbegin at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 in anationally televised clash. A specialtailgate party will begin before kickoffat Jones AT&T Stadium. For moredetails, go to www.tca-cotton.org.

Industry News



Specialists Speaking

Rolling Toward The Finish Line FLORIDA David Wright

Even though we can set fruit through earlySeptember, most cotton fields have the crop set thatwill be harvested, and many will be defoliating in lateSeptember or early October. Cotton generally had alate start but has caught up and has good yieldpotential in most fields. Most of our cotton is past thepoint of needing additional irrigation or fertility and

needs time to finish the bolls that were set.Lower cotton prices have put a damper on the economics of

our state’s cotton production, and we hope for a turnaroundbefore next season. [email protected]

MISSOURI Mike MilamMissouri is past the last effective bloom date, and it

won’t be long before defoliation and harvest begin.We should be able to start defoliation in the warmerweather. We have been fortunate this year.According to the Drought Monitor, we have not beenin the abnormally dry category all season. The pro-jection for the rest of the season is to have an equal

chance of above, below and average temperatures. The precipitationis forecast to be above average for the remainder of the season.

A good estimate is that we are about two weeks late, but we havevery good boll loads and have hope for a decent crop. With thecool, wet conditions during planting and a later crop, we are vulner-able to weather problems. With 97 percent of our cotton in the fair-to-excellent range, it looks like we have good potential if we can getthe weather to cooperate during the rest of the season. The goodnews is that with the equipment available, it takes less time to har-vest the crop, so we can make progress following the rainy spells.

According to the Aug. 14 Cotton and Wool Outlook, the first yieldprojection is 1,087 pounds per acre. Although the temperatures werecooler this summer, we still have more heat units than we did in2008, which is the year Missouri set a yield record of 1,106 poundsper acre. [email protected]

NORTH CAROLINA Keith EdmistenThe cotton crop started out a little late but did a lot

of catching up during July and August. On average,we should be defoliating earlier in the growing sea-son than we have in the past few years. Last year wewere very delayed and in several recent years muchdefoliation was delayed waiting on the top crop.Defoliating earlier means defoliating when warm

temperatures are more likely to be favorable for regrowth. This willpotentially be a challenge if there is residual nitrogen topromote regrowth.

We had enough rainfall this year that a lot of fields were runningout of nitrogen in August as the cotton was cutting out. Althoughthese fields will be defoliated when temperatures favor regrowth,low nitrogen levels should limit regrowth. The fields we reallyhave to worry about for regrowth prevention are the fields withresidual nitrogen.

Thidiazuron is our best option for preventing regrowth. Rates ofthidiazuron used in defoliation mixtures should be adjusted basedon regrowth potential and the length of time regrowth control isneeded. This is fairly easy when you are using a pure thidiazuronproduct as part of your defoliation mixture. It becomes a bit more

difficult when using thidiazuron containing premixed products. Ifyou adjust the rates of something like a thidiazuron + diuron premixhigh enough to provide two to three weeks of regrowth control, youwill likely desiccate your cotton leaves when defoliating inwarm weather.

If you are using a premix in warm weather, you will want to setthe rate of the premix for the temperatures at the time of defoliationand consider spiking the mixture with a pure thidiazuron product togive the desired amount of regrowth control. Keep in mind it ismuch easier to prevent regrowth than it is to take it off. [email protected]

LOUISIANA Dan FrommeYield potential of the 2014 cotton crop continues

to look very favorable. Current estimates are around1,157 pounds of lint per acre, down 66 pounds fromthe 2013 record crop. This year’s cotton crop hasreceived timely rainfall throughout the season.Excessive amounts of rainfall in some areas have cre-ated boll rot problems. Temperatures were moderate

throughout the season. Heat unit accumulations for this year’s cropare 15 percent below the historical average.

As the season winds down, less insect pressure from bollwormsand plant bugs is being experienced during the early part of August.Defoliation will begin in the latter part of August, and harvest willbegin in the earlier planted fields during the last week of August.

As we prepare the 2014 crop for harvest, we should review someof the basic defoliation timing principles. There is always a balanc-ing act between yield and fiber quality when defoliating cotton.There are several accepted methods to time defoliation, and allmethods have strengths and weaknesses. The following is a reviewof some of the more common defoliation-timing techniques. Thesethree methods or options for timing the defoliation of cotton are: 60percent open boll, four nodes above cracked boll or 1,050 heat unitsbeyond cutout (NAWF=4).

Most importantly, whatever method is employed, producersshould include inspecting the uppermost harvestable boll prior todefoliation by cutting a cross-section of the selected bolls. A boll isconsidered mature if it is difficult to slice with a knife, and seedshave begun to form a tan/brown or black seed coat. Once a darkseed coat has formed, defoliation will not adversely affect the yieldof those bolls. [email protected]

GEORGIA Guy CollinsAs I write this on Aug. 12, the Georgia cotton crop

is variable but in decent shape. Rains have remainedspotty throughout most of July and into early August,resulting in some producers experiencing decent andtimely rains, while other areas have experiencednoticeable and prolonged dry weather. At this point,much of the dryland crop and/or early planted cotton

has reached cutout. Some fields in this situation are the result of hotdry weather, while others that received timely rains have ceasedblooming due to time.

Drought-induced boll opening has been observed only in a fewfield edges of early planted cotton and only in the lowest bolls onthe plant. Later planted cotton ranges from near first bloom to mid-bloom, and crop status varies widely due to rainfall. The USDA-NASS Crop Production Report released recently

16-17_CF 11/13 template 8/21/14 11:10 AM Page 16

indicates that Georgia producers anticipate harvesting 1.44 millionacres with an expected yield of 967 pounds per acre. Hopefully, therest of the season will allow us to achieve this. Depending on whencotton was planted, producers should be scouting for insect pressureso that timely action can be taken.

For early planted cotton, defoliation decisions will soon be made.Producers should take into account crop status, prevailing weatherand weather forecasts when deciding on products and/or rates touse. An application volume of 15 to 20 gallons per acre couldimprove overall defoliation or prevent the need for a second applica-tion. [email protected]

ARKANSAS Bill RobertsonThis September has the potential to be one of the

most pivotal months of the season for our currentcrop. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Servicereleased its first state-by-state estimate of yield andproduction on Aug. 12. Arkansas is estimated toreach a new record yield this year of 1,193 pounds oflint per acre. As discussed last month in this maga-

zine, our crop is slightly behind schedule. We have made up someground with continued milder-than-average weather, helping us tokeep fruit retention high.

The majority of our May-planted cotton reached cutout on Aug.10-15, which is in line with our latest possible cutout dates (Aug. 11NE and Aug. 20 SE). This date is the point in the season that 850heat units needed to mature a white flower will occur half the time.The other side of the coin is that we have a 50-50 chance of notaccumulating 850 heat units on a white flower produced on this date.

Knowing our most mature fields is critical in harvest management.Boll slicing may be our best tool to evaluate maturity this season.Pushing a crop and chasing bolls that have little impact on lint yieldand profitability could cut into yield and quality potential. An almostperfect September for maturing our crop, coupled with wise man-agement to help preserve yield and quality potential, will be neededfor us to have a shot at reaching record yields again this [email protected]

NEW MEXICO John IdowuThe cotton crop has continued to do well in New

Mexico after the initial problems of prolonged coldand hail incidences during the early part of the sea-son. Most cotton fields have already reached cutoutstage, and bolls have started setting. There has beenrain in many parts of the cotton-producing areas ofNew Mexico to complement the irrigation water from

canals and wells. The rain has been a great help for cotton. We havenot noticed any incidence of pest or diseases in the fields and arehoping for an average yield at the end of the [email protected]

MISSISSIPPI Darrin DoddsProducers in Mississippi appear to have a very

respectable crop as we approach harvest. Fruit reten-tion in many fields appears higher than average; how-ever, many fields have somewhat reduced nodecounts. While the first cracked boll was reported onAug. 11, many fields did not begin to open until thelatter part of August and some about the time you are

reading this article.As the time to make harvest-aid applications approaches, several

things should be kept in mind. First and foremost is determiningwhen to make these applications. Most folks make applicationswhen cotton is 60 percent open; however, the number is oftenunderestimated from the turnrow. In many cases, we are makingapplications to a crop that is 70 to 80 percent open as opposed to 60

percent open. Spend a few minutes and walk into a given field andmake some counts to determine where your crop is. Be very flexiblein terms of products and rates that you use for harvest-aid applica-tions. Many recommendations can change on what seems like adaily basis. Flexibility in these applications will reduce the count ofstuck leaves and application failures.

It has often been said that harvest-aid applications are as much artas they are science. Keeping that in mind, let your inner artist shinethis fall but be conservative as it is easier to make a second applica-tion than to unstick leaves. [email protected]

VIRGINIA Hunter Frame“Scary” is one word I have heard from producers

to describe the yield potential in 2014. Ample rainfallhas again blessed the southeastern corner of Virginia,and producers are expecting another good season.Everyone is hoping to challenge the 2012 recordyield of 1,129 pounds of lint per acre.

As I am writing this, producers are in full-on pro-tection mode with stink bug and bollworm sprays. The crop is cur-rently in the fifth to sixth week of bloom, and, as we move intoSeptember, everyone is hoping for a mild tropical season and clearskies to finish out the crop strong.

Given the favorable conditions during 2014, producers are facingcotton 40 to 50 inches tall in many fields, which may affect defolia-tion. A “Harvest Aid Cheat Sheet” can be found at http://-pubs.ext.vt.edu/CSES/CSES-65/CSES-65.html. This publicationdraws from current literature on the efficacy of harvest-aid chemicalsin leaf drop, regrowth and boll opening.

The weather during early fall can be unpredictable in Virginia. Anexample of this was last year when overnight temperatures fell to 25degrees at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension stationon Oct. 26. Other locations in Virginia fell to 29 degrees. [email protected]

TENNESSEE Tyson RaperTennessee cotton has made up quite a bit of lost

ground during the first part of August, but most fieldsare still in need of a warm September. Cooler temper-atures than normal at the beginning of the monthwere accompanied by well-timed rains. These rainswere critical this year as our wet season has resultedin a fairly shallow, drought-susceptible root system.

Still, plants appear to be loading well, and I would say our average field is just past cutout here on Aug. 20.

Several fields, which received all nitrogen (N) pre-plant applica-tions, are beginning to show signs of N deficiencies. These willundoubtedly increase in severity as we move further into theboll-fill period.

This season, these deficiencies highlight the potential N loss wecan experience if the entire N application for the crop is made priorto or immediately following planting. Splitting our N applicationduring the growing season (30 percent to 50 percent at planting fol-lowed by the remainder side-dressed prior to first bloom) is a surefireway of increasing the efficiency of your fertilizer applications. [email protected]

TEXAS Mark KelleyCotton fields on the Texas High Plains have come

a long way thanks to open sunny skies and near per-fect temperatures. Most irrigated fields are at or nearcutout with a few still slightly behind at 6-7 nodesabove white flower. Timely rainfall events have led todecent dryland cotton in some areas as well. Also,continued light insect pressure has resulted in excel-

lent fruit retention across the region. With an open fall, the areashould see good to excellent yields of quality cotton in spite of therough start. [email protected]


16-17_CF 11/13 template 8/21/14 11:11 AM Page 17


The troublesome plant bug isa cotton insect pest that ispersistent – or so it seems.There is simply no other

way to describe this devilish bug. Ithas always been around, but whenthe boll weevil eradication effortkicked into high gear in the 1980sand 1990s, the environment gradu-ally changed. That’s when the plantbug began to appear with more reg-ularity in cotton fields.

Strategies have been implement-ed through the years to deal withthis pest. Most involved multipleinsecticide spray applications andvarious tankmix combinations.Entomologists will attest that it can be an expensiveapproach when trying to control huge outbreaks.

In the Cotton Insect Loss Estimates report for 2013

compiled by Extension entomologistMichael Williams of Mississippi StateUniversity, the plant bug is againranked as the No. 1 cotton insect pestin the country. In the Mid-South, thestates most affected are Mississippi,Missouri and Arkansas, according tothe report.

One of the new tools being usedagainst plant bugs with success in2013 and 2014 is Transform insecti-cide from Dow AgroSciences. Arkansascotton consultant Steve Frizzell saysintroduction of the new product hasmade a big difference in reducing pop-ulations in the southeastern part ofhis state.

“We just don’t have that many options,” he says. “I havetried other residuals, and I know that my growers can’t stayin business spraying every five days. I am looking for aninsecticide that will offer at least 10 days of coverage. Thatis what Transform is giving our farmers.”

One of the added bonuses of this insecticide is that it canwork equally well on aphids. Frizzell says these pests onlyappear once a year, but he often puts out an applicationthat can have simultaneous activity on aphids andplant bugs.

“We usually come in at mid-bloom with an application ofan ounce and a half of Transform,” he says. “Then we comeback 10 days later and tankmix it with something else. Ithas really worked well.”

Effective Control Against PestChris Main, Dow AgroSciences cotton development spe-

cialist, says results have been encouraging for the past twoyears. He says the most effective control occurs in back-to-back applications spaced five to seven days apart.

Main, who previously worked as Tennessee Extension cot-ton specialist before joining Dow, says plant bug infesta-tions are highly variable in parts of the Mid-South. Thatmakes it hard to gain a consistent analysis of the pest’sbehavior. For example, he has seen heavy outbreaks inparts of the Mississippi Delta where threshold levels werereached. Meanwhile, other parts of the region had muchlower levels.

“This pest is here to stay,” says Main. “I can rememberseven or eight years ago when a farmer would only makeone application for plant bugs. Today, some are makingfour, five or six applications. It is encouraging that we nowhave a new way to control this problem.”

Bader Rutter, which represents Dow AgroSciences, contributed to this article. For more information, go towww.dowagro.com.

For up to the minute cotton market information

Experience means credibility. Listen to two experienced farm broadcasterswho keep their listeners updated on news

that affects your farming operation.

And each week listen to the Cotton Insider Report from Tommy Horton, Editor of Cotton Farming magazine.

The Mississippi AgriNews NetworkAg Voice of the Delta

Louisiana Agri-News NetworkLouisiana’s Source For Ag News

John WinfieldFarm Director

Miss. AgriNewsNetwork

Don MolinoFarm DirectorLa. Agri-News

Network

Tommy HortonEditor

Cotton Farming magazine

New Tools AvailableTo Fight Plant Bugs

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New Power Plant Rules:Why Should They Matter?There has been a lot of recent media attention

focused on environmental standards for existingpower plants. While most folks understand thisproposal will make it harder to operate a coal-fired power plant in the United States, not manyunderstand why this rule generates so much con-troversy. After all, this administration has beenpretty clear all along it wants to wean our coun-try off coal.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) isupdating the New Source Performance Standards(NSPS) for existing and new power plants. Thesestandards kick in whenever you build a new facil-ity, or if you make a major update to an existingfacility. They have been around for many years,and are in place for many different industries.For example, grain elevators are subject to NSPSstandards if they have a storage capacity of morethan 2.5 MM bushels.

So the uproar is caused by the way EPA isapproaching the update, not the fact that they areupdating the standard. First, past stan-dards were updated based on actualinstallations. For example, if there was anew technology put into place on a newcoal power plant, and it worked well,there is a good chance this new technologywill be added into the NSPS standard at alater date. Second, past power plant stan-dards were specific to fuel burnedand power plant type. Coal-fired powerplants had one standard, natural gasplants another.

These two items are important prece-dents in past NSPS regulation, but EPA istrying to change the parameters. In thepast, the power company and state PublicUtility Commission (PUC) would deter-mine what type of power plant would needto be built, then EPA would get to dictatestate of the art controls when the environ-mental permit application was processed.The new NSPS standard proposed by EPAwould reduce average emission require-ments below anything that an actual newcommercial coal-fired plant could meet.

Kelley Green of the Texas Cotton GinnersAssociation contributed this article.Contact him at [email protected] or (512)476-8388.


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As I pedaled mynew bike downthe dusty turn-row toward the

barn, I noticed bolls open-ing in the cotton fieldalong the way, and Ismelled the acrid stench ofdefoliant in the air. Insidethe barn, I found myfather and his men hud-dled around the biggestmachine on our farm. Itwas a gargantuan thing, aone-row cotton picker!

One of the men pulled down hard on a chain hoistthat hung from a joist. They communicated inshort clips. Down a hair. A little more left. Whoa!After a while, they had successfully married theIH picking unit to a Farmall tractor. Harvestwas near.

Soon, the roads werecongested with cottontrailers traveling slowlyto and from the gins.Each little Delta townhummed with the noise of a busy cotton gin, andeach was enveloped in a cloud of hemp likeincense emanating from the gin’s smoldering burrpile. In the larger towns, the periodic hiss of steamat the compress punctuated time as if not onlywealth, but time itself could be measured in balesof cotton.

After I settled into the routine of first grade, theseason’s first chance to ride to the gin with Daddyfinally came. Just after the school bus dropped meoff one Friday, Daddy stopped in front of thehouse with a wagon load of cotton and beckonedme to join him.

It was a delightful fall afternoon. We pokedalong slowly with the heavy tow. I could feel thepride of showing off the bounty of the months ofhard work. The stray locks of cotton that litteredthe roadside were confetti in our victory parade.

When we arrived at the gin, I was stunned. Theyard was packed to overflowing with trailers!There appeared to be no room for another.Unconcerned with the dense clutter, Daddyturned off the highway, down into the throng, and

meandered like Pac-Man through the disorderlymaze until he found a spot to unhitch. Next, wefound an empty trailer to pull back to the field,and we hooked up to it. It was a new trailer, andits running gear, made by the Electric WheelCompany, sported the coolest logo, a big jaggedlightning bolt arcing across the rear axle.

Daddy worked the empty trailer back throughthe labyrinth, weaving this way and that. When Ithought we were almost out, he stopped. I stoodup in the floor so I could see over the dashboard.There were trailers blocking us in front and on theleft. The ditch and highway bank bordered us onthe right. We couldn’t back out. “We’re trapped,Daddy! There’s no way out. What’re you gunnado?” His head turned calmly toward me, but hisdarting gaze went all around me. He was lookingfor facts, not opinions.

I expected him to go ask for help. Instead, hepopped the clutch! First, I was thrown back

against the seat. Hefloored the gas pedal,steered the rig to-ward the highwayditch and hit it hardat an angle. Then, I

was thrown forward, then over to the right. I wastossed all around the cab. He pushed me off hislap and he pulled me out from under his feet.

When the truck started the steep climb up theelevated highway bank, my face got plasteredagainst the back glass. From there, I could see thetrailer buck and kick behind us. Truck tiresgrowled viciously in the grass. When the oldChevy jerked the trailer across the ditch, itseemed to explode as if Zeus had energized thelightning bolt logo with 10 million volts. The spin-ning tires reached the asphalt and screamedbloody murder. Their piercing cry continued untilwe inched forward enough and leveled out peace-fully onto the plateau of the highway.

With calm restored, we both tried to hold backsmiles. I settled down in my seat for the ride backhome. A sleepy breeze swirled through the cab.

“Hey, Daddy, when we get back to the field, doyou think the men will have another trailer readyfor us?”

– Robert Royal, Midnight, Miss. [email protected]

Riding To The Gin

My Turn

Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling funny or unusual “farm tales” from across the Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting tale to tell, send a short summary to

[email protected] or fax to (901) 767-4026. We look forward to hearing from you.

Robert Royal

‘With calm restored, we bothtried to hold back smiles.’

22_Don Cameron My Turn #2 8/19/14 12:50 PM Page 22

• Detachable alloy steel spears pierce modules without damage• Minimizes stalks pinned against module and transported to gin• Lower maintenance, no moving parts or hydraulics• Fastest and easiest operated module handler available• Priced thousands of dollars less than other module handlers

Cotton Spear Round Module

Handler

Tommy Wilkins—Kennett, MO

Hal McCay—McCay Gin, Cordele, GA

Sammy Henderson—Cairo Farmers Gin, Humboldt, TN

PATENT # USD700,918S


cotton farming, september 2014

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