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Breeding for Fusarium Wilt Race 4 Resistance

Cindy Zimmerman

Cotton production across the United States is under serious threat from a soil-inhabiting fungus called Fusarium oxysporum vasinfectum race 4 (FOV4), which causes Fusarium wilt. After years of fighting the fungus in California, the battle field is now in Texas and cotton breeder Dr. Jim Olvey discussed the topic at the recent Beltwide Cotton Conferences. “It’s been a great collaborative …

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Beltwide Cotton Awards

Cindy Zimmerman

Several awards were presented at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences last week. Here are two of them. Each year the University Extension Cotton Specialists select a colleague to recognize as the Beltwide Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year. Camp Hand, University of Georgia assistant professor in Crop & Soil Sciences, received this annual award for his leadership, dedication and exceptional service …

Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

2024 Cotton Economic Outlook

Cindy Zimmerman

One of the drawbacks of having a conference right after the holidays is that you may have some presenters end up sick. But not usually four in the same session. That’s what happened at the Economics and Marketing part of the National Cotton Conferences last week in Fort Worth, but Dale Cougot of Olam Agri, who serves as the National …

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Update

Cindy Zimmerman

The Beltwide Cotton Conferences Sustainability Conference included an update on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol by new executive director Daren Abney who assumed that position in July 2023. Abney says membership in the program continues to increase. “We work with the entire cotton supply chain so we take memberships from growers all the way up to retailers and brands,” said …

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, Sustainability

Cotton Consultants Kick Off Beltwide

Cindy Zimmerman

The Consultants Conference kicked off three days of Beltwide Cotton Conferences Wednesday in Fort Worth, Texas. Louisiana consultant Hank Jones says the committee works to include lots of topics of interest to cotton consultants. “We try to cover a wide range of topics and certainly we want to stay current, and want to address topics that are going to provide …

Audio, Bayer, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

2024 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Kick Off

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Cotton Council (NCC) and its cooperating partners are starting the new year with the 2024 Beltwide Cotton Conferences getting underway today in Fort Worth, Texas. Conferences coordinator Lauren Krogman says attendance is back to pre-COVID levels. “Right now our registration numbers are close to 800 so we are really happy to see everyone here,” said Krogman, who adds …

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

USDA Lowers Forecast for Corn, Soybeans and Cotton

Cindy Zimmerman

The October Crop Production report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) lowered the production forecast this year for corn, soybeans, and cotton. Corn production is forecast at 15.1 billion bushels, down less than 1% from the previous forecast but up 10% from last year; soybean growers are expected to decrease their production 4% from 2022, forecast at 4.10 billion …

Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA

USDA Predicts More Corn, Less Soybeans and Cotton

Cindy Zimmerman

Corn production is up, while soybean and cotton production is down from 2022, according to the latest Crop Production report issued Tuesday by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Corn production is forecast to be up 10% from last year, at 15.1 billion bushels; soybean growers production is down 3% from 2022, forecast at 4.15 billion bushels; and cotton production …

Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA

USDA Adjusts Yields in August Report

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA’s first survey-based forecasts for the season slightly lowered yields for corn and soybeans compared to projections last month. In the August Crop Production report released Friday, USDA puts corn production for 2023/24 at 15.1 billion bushels, down 209 million from the July projection, but ten percent more than 2022 which would be the second highest on record behind 2016/17. …

Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA, Wheat

USDA Crop Report Surprises

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Planted Acreage report released Friday surprised many with an estimated 94.1 million acres of corn planted in the United States for 2023, up 6% from last year, while soybean area planted is estimated at 83.5 million acres, down 5% from last year. “You get a big surprise here I think …

Audio, Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA