Category Archives: Cotton

BASF and Monsanto Team for Fungicide Seed Treatments

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BASFBASF and Monsanto are teaming up for fungicide seed treatments for cotton and soybeans in North America.

Monsanto’s next generation Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products for soybeans and cotton will contain F500®—the same active ingredient found in Headline® fungicide—and the innovation Xemium® fungicide, which is expected to be registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2012.

According to BASF North America Market Manager for Seed Solutions Bob Yaklich, Xemium’s new generation of the carboxamide class of chemistry provides significant control of key soybean and cotton diseases. “The combination of BASF fungicides, Xemium and F500, provides a new level of disease control, as well as healthier plants and improved crop quality, which can improve yield potential,” said Yaklich. “This new agreement with Monsanto will give growers the opportunity to give seedlings a stronger start and their growing seasons a stronger finish.”

monsantoUnder the agreement, Monsanto will have exclusive rights to commercialize the new seed treatments. Monsanto’s global seed treatment platform complements the company’s seed and trait strategy, as well as its investments in breeding and biotechnology.

“Farmers choose Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybeans and Deltapine® brand cottonseed for their proven yield advantages” said Tom Schaefer, Monsanto’s Marketing Manager for Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products. “These additions to the Acceleron Seed Treatment Products line can help those seeds emerge strong and yield strong.”

Details on how strong stand establishment and early plant health can reflect higher yields at harvest are available at www.AcceleronSTS.com.

First USDA Planting Guess

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Our ZimmPoll question this week is about what you think will be planted this year (just for corn and soybeans, with our apologies to the wheat and cotton growers), and USDA’s Chief Economist gave his answer at the 2012 Agricultural Outlook Forum last week.

“We’re estimating corn plantings at about 94 million acres, the largest plantings since 1944,” said Joe Glauber at the forum. “We’re projecting soybean area at 75 million acres. That’s very similar to last year’s levels.” Last year, actual planted acres totaled 92.3 million for corn and 75.2 for soybeans, so if Glauber were voting in the ZimmPoll, his answer would be “more corn, less soybeans.”

USDA is also predicting wheat acres to increase 3.6 million acres to 58 million and cotton lower at 13 million acres.

This is just USDA’s guesstimate at this point. The planting intentions survey of farmers is being done now and results will be released at the end of March. What do you think the answer will be? Vote in the ZimmPoll and let us know!

Preparing For 2012 Cotton Season With FMC

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During the Beltwide Cotton Conferences I visited with Gerald Simmons, FMC Southern Business Manager, about some best management practices and things to consider when preparing for this year’s crop. He says the business has changed, especially technology, but that growers should also consider some of those “old” options they have. FMC has a broad portfolio now for cotton that growers can look to.

Like me, Gerald observed how many young farmers were in attendance here at the event and found that gratifying. As he put it, “We need youth, we need some new people coming along to farm.”

Listen in to my interview with Gerald here: Interview with Gerald Simmons

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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John Deere Cotton Harvest Module Identification

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John Deere talked up its latest application for cotton growers during this year’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences. Harvest Identification Cotton will continue to automate the production of a cotton module. This is tied into the 7760 cotton picker. The application will use the RFID tags that are embedded into the module wrap. These will be captured by an RFID reader on the cotton picker and then that information will be complied along with data from the John Deere Starfire receiver. That will generate a file that can be sent to the ginner and grower. Janae says it will be available soon.

Listen in to my interview with Janae here: Interview with Janae Althouse

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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Athena For Cotton

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During the Beltwide Cotton Conferences my sponsor, FMC, featured two products for cotton growers, Athena and Mustang Max. I visited with Rusty Mitchell, to learn more about Athena.

Rusty says Athena was originally developed for tree fruits and vegetable crops but realized it would have a great fit in cotton. It’s a pre-mix insecticide which was initially targeting spider mite activity. In addition to spider mites he says they’ve been seeing the product pick up other pests as well. Since it covers more than one insect it provides pretty broad spectrum control. He says more product is available this year than last.

Listen in to my interview with Rusty here: Interview with Rusty Mitchell

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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Cotton’s First Forty Days

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One of the resources available to cotton growers from the National Cotton Council is a pair of booklets on best management practices. They’re titled “The First 40 Days” and “Fruiting to Finish,” (pdf) To learn more about this project I spoke with Bill Robertson, Manager, Cotton Agronomy, Soils and Physiology, pictured toward the right in this photo.

Bill says these documents are the result of a significant amount of work. After producing the first booklet on early crop care the second one was produced. They’re both available on the National Cotton Council website. Bill says those first forty days are critical for the cotton crop. An example of one of the issues the information deals with is weed problems including resistance. He says starting clean and staying clean is the name of the game.

Listen in to my interview with Bill here to find out more about the information available in these resources: Interview with Bill Robertson

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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eCotton Launches MyModules App

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At the Beltwide Cotton Conferences I met Joe Wyrick, President, EWR, Inc. His company has a division called eCotton which “is dedicated to supplying the information processing needs of the cotton industry.” One of the new ways they’re doing that is with a brand new smartphone app called MyModules.

Cotton producers can register new cotton modules and have them transmitted to the gin automatically, with GPS coordinates if you like.

View the status of all of your modules.

View summary status of all of your bales.

This caught my attention since it is available for the iPhone and Android platforms. Joe gave me a demonstration on his iPhone.

Joe says the app electronically solves the problem of getting harvested cotton module data from the grower to the gin. It’s a two way flow so the grower also gets information back from the gin. A helpful feature is that the app captures data for later transmission if there is no local mobile carrier signal. That’s pretty handy.

Learn more about this new ag app in my interview with Joe here: Interview with Joe Wyrick

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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FMC On Display

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During the Beltwide Cotton Conferences there’s a program track called “New Developments From Industry.” Our sponsor, FMC, conducted two of those sessions, including one by Craig Heim on a product they expect registration on later this year. Now that’s new!

Craig says they anticipate the new product will have the trade name Display which is a combination of two PPO herbicides. He says this will be a very low use rate product providing superior defoliation performance. He says cotton growers should keep their eye on FMC mid year when they hope to receive registration.

Listen in to my interview with Craig here: Interview with Craig Heim

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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A Look At This Year’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences

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ZimmCast 333This year’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences attracted about the same size crowd as last year according to National Cotton Council Vice President of Producer Affairs, Craig Brown. I sat down with Craig to find out how he thought things were going and to talk about upcoming format changes for the annual event.

Craig says this is the second year they have shortened the production conference and added more seminars and educational sessions. There are a lot of them! Workshops were very well attended and in fact Craig says they had to add chairs to some of them. He mentioned the social media sessions which is a first. As Craig puts it, “everyone here’s got something strapped to their hip,” referring to all the smartphones in use. It sounds like the Cotton Council is getting ready to go more “social!”

We also discussed the major changes coming to Beltwide after next year’s event. Starting in 2014 Beltwide will only be a 1 1/2 day event without the production conference and trade show. It’ll focus in on technical sessions. This decision has come after a lot of study and thought during the last couple years.

To learn more about the changes coming to the Beltwide listen in to this week’s program: Beltwide Cotton Conferences

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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2012 Cotton Market Outlook

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We’ve had a look back at the cotton industry in 2011 but how about 2012? At the Beltwide Cotton Conferences we got that outlook from J. Michael Quinn, Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative.

He started with a look at supply and demand. The December acreage projection was down from the November report. December had a significant slow down in mill use of cotton but expectations are for that to improve. The export outlook is kind of a mixed bag with the possible impacts very much up in the air at this point. One of those impacts is world economic conditions and a lot of uncertainty right now. Exports are good though. Michael has a lot of great information in his report.

Listen in to Micheal’s report in its entirety here: 2012 Cotton Market Outlook

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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2011 Cotton Year In Review

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How did things go in the cotton industry in 2011? The answers were included in a Beltwide Cotton Conferences general session presentation by Dr. David Wright, University of Florida. Florida wound up the 13th largest cotton growing state last year as an fyi.

David says there was just too much that happened in 2011 to cover it all but he hit on the highlights. He says expectations were high at the beginning of the season due to the high price of cotton. Projections were for increased acreage. However, the harvest was significantly lower than expected. The problem was the loss of about a third of the cotton planted. It was a wild weather year!

Listen in to David’s report in its entirety here: 2011 Cotton Year In Review

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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The Beltwide FMC Team

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Here’s the FMC team ready for the start of the trade show at the 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences. I really appreciate their support and making my coverage of this year’s event possible. To find out what cotton growers will find when they visit with FMC I spoke with Stu Throop, Product Manager.

Stu says that FMC has “placed a tremendous emphasis on bringing new innovative solutions to the industry” and is featuring some of those here at Beltwide. Two of those products are Athena and Mustang Max. Growers who stop by the booth can enter a drawing to win one of two $250 gift cards at Home Depot and also be entered to win a grand prize later this year of $2,500.

You can listen to my interview with Stu here and learn more about what’s new at FMC: Interview with Stu Throop

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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Welcome To Beltwide Cotton Production Conference

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Missouri cotton farmer and Chairman of the National Cotton Council Charles Parker welcomed everyone to the 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences. His remarks kicked off the Beltwide Cotton Production Conference.

Besides talking about this year’s conference Charles talked about the activities of the National Cotton Council during 2011.

Following the opening remarks we heard about weather patterns in the cotton belt, a review of the 2011 season and an outlook for 2012 as well as other topics. I’ll have more on those presentations as soon as I get time.

You can listen to the opening remarks here: Charles Parker Welcome Remarks

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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The Environmental Footprint of Cotton

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At the 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences the media received a preview of the Cotton Life Cycle Inventory & Life Cycle Assessment. This is a benchmark study for cotton sustainability.

Cotton Incorporated announced today the completion of a comprehensive life cycle inventory and life cycle analysis of cotton products. The endeavor is part of the Cotton Foundation VISION 21 Project and included the participation of the National Cotton Council, Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated. The two-year study, managed by PE International, was designed to establish current and accurate benchmarks of potential environmental impacts across the global cotton supply chain. The peer-reviewed data and assessment methodology will help direct sustainability research efforts for the cotton industry, as well as to aid textile decision-makers in achieving their own sustainability goals.

To learn more about the study I spoke with our presenter, J. Berrye Worsham, President/CEO, Cotton, Inc. He says they wanted to have a sense of the environmental footprint of cotton from “cradle to grave.” That’s what this study has accomplished and the results can be found on their website. Berrye says the study is now a tool for the industry since there are companies conducting their own life cycle assessments. As a benchmark, it will be valuable for making comparisons when it is done again in a few years. The study found ways that the industry and even consumers can improve the footprint of cotton. In the case of consumers an example would be doing more cold water washing and less use of dryers to dry clothes. You can hear more about the study in my interview with Berrye: Interview with Berrye Worsham

I’ve also got a photo album started from the conference: 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

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Looking Ahead To Beltwide Cotton Conference

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The first stop on the agriblogging highway for the ZimmComm team will be the 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conference in Orlando, FL. I’ll be attending courtesy of our sponsor, FMC. I’ll be getting there after going to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL with daughter Chelsea. Great new year’s week coming up!

The Beltwide Cotton Conferences (BWCC) speed the transfer of new technology to U.S. cotton producers and other industry members with the goal of strengthening U.S. cotton’s competitive position in the world marketplace and enhancing industry members’ profitability.

Coordinated by the National Cotton Council (NCC) and its cooperating partners, this annual forum is recognized as the global champion for cotton technology transfer. Four days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands-on workshops and seminars are designed to enlighten industry members about the latest research developments and their practical applications in cotton production and processing.

Blue Jeans Make Insulation Green

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Don’t throw out those old blue jeans – they could be used to insulate someone’s house.

“Cotton. From Blue to Green®” is a Cotton Incorporated initiative started in 2006 that gives donated denim a second life by converting it into UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation. To date, the program has received over half a million pieces of denim which has produced approximately 1.5 million square feet of UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation to assist with building efforts for communities in need.

The program has partnered with many organizations, including Habitat for Humanity affiliates, to install home insulation for victims of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, and for those needing help to finish their homes. They also offer grants to improve community buildings and partner with college and university campuses to host denim collection drives.

Find out how you can donate and maybe even get discounts from participating retailers like American Eagle.

USDA Releases 2011 Prospective Plantings Report

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USDAUSDA expects more corn, wheat and cotton to be planted this year, but slightly less soybeans, according to the Prospective Plantings report released this morning.

Corn growers intend to plant 92.2 million acres of corn for all purposes this year, up 5 percent from last year and 7 percent higher than in 2009. If realized, this will be the second highest planted acreage in the United States since 1944, behind only the 93.5 million acres planted in 2007. Soybean planted area for 2011 is estimated at 76.6 million acres, down 1 percent from last year. If realized, the United States planted area will be the third largest on record. All wheat planted area is estimated at 58.0 million acres, up 8 percent from last year. All cotton plantings for 2011 are expected to total 12.6 million acres, 15 percent above last year.

Read the whole report here.

*POST UPDATE*
Listen to commentary about the report from Brian Hoops on Midwest Market Solutions who participated in this morning’s Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) Crop Report Conference Call.

MGEX Commentary with Brian Hoops

Cotton Incorporated Cottonseed Video Contest

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Cotton Incorporated is asking dairy producers to get creative with their video cameras in order to win a free truckload of whole cottonseed, along with other prizes. It’s the “Innovative on-farm storage solutions for cottonseed contest.” Launching November 1, the contest invites dairy producers to grab their cameras and show off their cottonseed storage savvy.

While fun at heart, the video contest was created with purpose: to educate fellow dairy producers about innovative and cost-effective storage solutions for the feedstuff, supplies for which are forecast to double in 2010-11. The contest will live on Cotton Incorporated’s recently launched website, www.wholecottonseed.com. The new website and contest coexist to engage progressive dairy producers with whole fuzzy cottonseed in a new and interactive way.

Enter The Cottonseed Video Contest from Whole Cottonseed on Vimeo.

The video contest entry requires dairy producers to demonstrate in three minutes or less an innovative storage solution for cottonseed. Entries must be submitted at www.wholecottonseed.com/contest by December 10, 2010. Cotton Incorporated will select the top five videos, based on the following criteria weighed at 25 percent each: originality, maintenance of seed quality, economic feasibility and presentation (clarity of message, creative, professional delivery). The five finalists will receive a $500 Visa® gift card and a Kodak® flip camera and digital picture frame. The public will subsequently have the opportunity to vote and elect the winning video. The recipient of the grand prize shall receive a free truckload of cottonseed worth approximately $5,000.

Whoa, Nelly, Big Bud is Big

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Whoa Nelly AgWired peeps. Have you seen how BIG Big Bud is?

Big Bud is the world’s largest tractor and one of the biggest draws at this year’s Farm Progress Show. He was built by hand (all the Big Bud’s manufactured were done one at a time, no assembly line was ever used) and topped out at 27 feet long, 20 feet wide, 14 feet tall and weighing 100,000 pounds. Big Bud is the baby of Ron Harmonn, birthed in 1977 in Montana. The inspiration was derived for the need for a better tractor to plant and grow cotton.

Until this week, Big Bud had been on display in a farm museum in Dyersville, Iowa (the home of the famous ball field from Field of Dreams). He was moved to Boone, Iowa by Crop Production Services (Agrium), a company that provides agricultural inputs to farmers around the country.

Steve Sopher, an area agronomist with Agrium told me that they brought Big Bud in to give growers a walk down memory lane, and that he did. Between 15,000 – 20,000 people came to see Big Bud in person over the three days. It is estimated that nearly 100,000 people were at Farm Progress from around the world, so you can bet that most spent some time checking out Big Bud – and they won’t forget his enormity any time soon.

For those of you who missed out on this amazing piece of history, Sopher said that he will be back at the 2011 Farm Progress Show. You can also watch this video.

And be sure to check out all the Big Bud views in our Farm Progress Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: New Holland and

Syngenta Seeds Updates

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VipCot™ cotton has gotten new EPA approval, and the Multi-Pest Complex will soon be ready to fight black and dingy cutworms in the Corn Belt, according to the latest news from Syngenta Seeds.

Syngenta SeedsSyngenta Seeds just announced that EPA has approved a natural refuge option for its VipCot™ cotton technology.

VipCot* cotton contains the transgenic cotton events COT67B, which produces the Cry1Ab protein, and COT102, which features the novel Vip3A protein. Vip3A is the same protein found in Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera™ trait in corn and is a totally new mode of action in both cotton and corn. The natural refuge option for VipCot affects growers in 16 cotton producing states but does not apply to areas where pink bollworm is a key pest including Arizona, California, New Mexico, and some parts of Texas.

Syngenta Seeds also noted that the first signs of possible black cutworm and dingy cutworm infestations are being seen throughout the Corn Belt as agronomist moth traps have reported significant captures of black cutworm in Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa. Growers are being urged to scout fields now to determine if treatments are necessary, but the arrival of the Agrisure Viptera 3111 multi-pest complex could make that obsolete.

“With Agrisure Viptera 3111, growers will be better able to manage these pests without worrying about costly spraying and scouting,” said Syngenta Seeds agronomy marketing manager Bruce Battles. Once the remaining key import market approvals are received, growers will have the option of planting seed with the new Agrisure Viptera™ 3111 trait stack to protect against black and dingy cutworm damage without scouting.