Alabama Cotton Shorts
December 12, 2023
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December 12, 2023
Situation. Most of our crop is at the gin, almost there or in the warehouse, though there are still a few acres to be picked in southern parts of Alabama. There are two opposite sayings – “a GOOD crop keeps getting better” and “a BAD crop keeps getting worse” – and, for sure, the former describes the crop in much of north Alabama. Some in that region have picked their best crop ever. The latest USDA production report was published on December 8 with numbers unchanged from November: 710,000 total bales harvested from 375,000 acres, for an average yield of 909 lbs/A. Overall fiber quality was quite good (see the summary charts below). As expected with such an open fall, meaning limited rainfall throughout August until late November, color grades were very good, especially for bales classed in Memphis. Strength and uniformity are two quality factors that have also advanced compared to recent crops.
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Projections for 2024 suggest a reduction in acres, but a lot can happen between now and April. The market continues to yo-yo, with recent March futures bouncing close to 82.5 cents. Brown
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Futures Prices, December 12, at market open:
March '24 - 81.42
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Alabama Row Crops Short Course. Below are links to information regarding the Alabama Row Crops Short Course, which is scheduled for later this week, Thursday and Friday, December 14-15 at the Hotel and Conference Center in Auburn. Brown
2023 Alabama Row Crops Short Course
Registration
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Variety Testing Data. Results from the 2023 Auburn University Official Variety Trials (OVTs) can be found at AU Variety Testing. Lint yields for all cotton trials are available, including data from 19 standard commercial trials, short season (35 entries) and full season (46 entries), as well 3 conventional tests which include 12 entries. Data indicate that there is no single “super star” variety and thus growers should examine the results to see those varieties that tend towards the “Top Yield Group” by location and/or region.
AU On-Farm trial results should be available soon. Brown
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By the Numbers: 2023 Alabama Cotton Insects.
- Acres Planted: 377,104
- Fields Planted: 18,000
- Acres by Region:
- North:
- Central: 71,312 acres (19%)
- South: 178,407 acres (47%)
- Counties with Cotton Production: 59
- Smallest: Randolph – 102 acres
- Largest: Houston – 30,862 acres
- Estimated Percent Yield Loss Statewide to:
- Weather: 22.9% (drought, excessive rainfall, wind, etc.)
- Insects: 2.10%
- Bollworms: 0%
- Plant Bugs: 0.75% (#1 in Central and South AL)
- Stink Bugs: 0.88% (#1 in North AL)
- Thrips: 0.42%
- All Others: 0.05%
- Estimated Total Number of Insect Management Decisions Made: 306,000
- Insecticide Applications per Acre: 4.88
- Cotton Insect Research Trials and Projects: 30
- Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline (1-800) Updates: 17
- Insect Related Tweets: 48 (@ScottGraham72 @Ron_Smith23)
- County Production Meetings (participants): 19 (735)
- News Releases (Ag Fax, ACES.edu, etc.): 22
- Cotton Scout Schools (Attendees): 4 (205)
- Insect Educational Blogs: 17
- Alabama Crops Report Newsletters: 13
- Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletters: 9
Graham and Smith
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Insect Related Cotton Specialists Corner Podcast. Two recent podcasts featured Scott Graham and Ron Smith discussing historical and current issues related to cotton insect management. Links are below.
Episode 33: Looking Back Over 50+ Years of Cotton Insect Management
Episode 34: Final Review of ThryvOn Technology for 2023
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Deer Loss Survey. In response to a farmer request, the Alabama Extension Agronomic Crops Team is conducting a survey to better understand the impacts of deer populations on crop production. Please take a few moments to help us collect information to use to try to figure out ways to mitigate deer losses in your row crops. Graham
Deer Loss Survey link
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The Cullar’s Rotation. This long-term project was established in 1911 to explore the issue known as “cotton rust,” which proved to be related to potassium (K) deficiency. The site is an incredible learning laboratory. It affords opportunity to watch the progression of symptoms in cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat related to deficiencies of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), K, sulfur (S) and boron (B) as well as low pH. The long-term yield data (see the chart below) reflects improvements in cultural practices, pest management and genetics. Also below is a table with the 10-year average of each of the treatments.
Additional information can be found at this link: AU Cullar's Rotation. Brown |
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Cotton is Comfortable. In an August 2022 article in Southern Living in the Southern Journal section (pg 128), author and humorist Rick Bragg penned an article, “It’s Just Not Natural… Why I hate polyester with every fiber of my being.” Excerpts are quoted below.
… lately, I have been feeling a real sense of superiority to many of the people I walk among, especially when we are all slogging through the oppressive heat of a miserable Southern summer. It has to do with polyester and the sun.
I learned a long, long time ago that cotton is a precious gift from God – a blessing that springs forth from the earth – and that polyester, especially in the summertime, is an invention conceived by the forces of darkness, by the global petrochemical conglomerate. It is a plot to make us sweat and suffer.
He writes about Ban-Lon and Sansabelt and a polyester brown leisure suit that was passed around in his family in the 1970s. He stated, It was like walking around inside a warm brownie… all those sticky memories should have vanished with time as people got wise to the clinging tackiness of polyester and moved on to – or rather moved back to – natural fibers. He derides current well-known on-line apparel merchants and concludes, I open a catalog only to find clothing that has more artificial fibers than a moon suit. I search for the words “100% cotton” as if I were looking for an 8-track tape… I know that one day, cotton shirts won’t be there to buy at all and I will walk into the cruel light of the Alabama sun in 100% synthetic splendor, probably with a single polyester sock clinging to my posterior.
Cotton is comfortable. Brown
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In The Old Days … The concept for cotton modules was developed in the 1970s. Modules displaced cotton wagons, which were prone to flat tires and running into things and were especially challenging to back up. Wagons required considerable human effort to pack and tromp – it looks like fun for about 5 minutes and then becomes WORK – and then required a big vacuum or suction pipe at the gin to extricate cotton from the wagon. Modules were a welcome advancement but not without challenges.
In the early years of adoption, modules were built on metal pallets similar to what the military uses to traverse muddy terrain. Soon thereafter, modules were simply constructed directly on the ground, hopefully in areas that did not collect water. The system included tarps for protection from the elements and specialized trucks for transport to the gin. Many growers also added “boll buggies” to expedite movement from the picker to the module builder. Again, all these were great advancements, but still consumed considerable labor.
The module builder was a success story for the industry. More information about the subject can be found at this link: Cotton Incorporated: A Brief History of Cotton Modules. Brown |
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More information can be found at this link The Old Rotation. Brown
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This issue contributors:
Dr. Scott Graham, Extension Entomologist
Dr. Ron Smith, Professor Emeritus and Extension Entomologist
Dr. Steve M. Brown, Extension Cotton Agronomist (Editor) typos and mistakes are mine
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About the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter
Alabama Cotton Shorts is a newsletter designed to keep cotton producers in the know. From planting dates to crop inputs—there are many factors to consider. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is dedicated to providing science- and research-based information, derived from field experience and observations. A team of Extension specialists are working to provide Alabama farmers with timely information throughout the growing and harvest seasons.
By subscribing to the newsletter you will receive pest updates, weed management suggestions, market updates, industry news, and other information. Specialists are making field observations and reporting their findings in hopes of helping producers make more informed choices in the field.
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