Alabama Cotton Shorts
December 9, 2022
|
|
December 9, 2022
Situation. Harvest is all but finished, while ginning will continue a few more weeks. On Friday, December 9, USDA issued its latest yield estimate for cotton and projected our crop at 920 lb/A. Recall the progression of their reports and yield numbers: August – 851 lb/A; September and October – 836 lb/A; November – 904 lb/A. We hope the final number will reach 950 lb/A and 840,000 bales. Admittedly, I tend to have a favorable view of this crop but acknowledge there were areas of significant loss to drought and even pockets unusually affected by plant bugs.
|
|
|
Overall fiber quality was very good and color grades were exceptional. The latter was obviously due to extended open weather which began about September 12 and persisted for 5-plus weeks. Recent harvest seasons provided the opposite and almost made us forget what can happen when we experience “normal” fall weather. Historically, the last half of September and most of October are among our driest periods each year.
|
|
|
|
Great fall weather boosts yield and quality.
|
|
|
The price roller coaster has been both incredible and frightening. We’ve already said it, “up like a rocket and down like a rock.” Clearly, the steep and rapid decline is not related to surprises in supply but rather the shrinking demand compelled by inflation. If you’ve been to the store, you have seen the stark reality that most stuff costs MORE, which squeezes discretionary dollars and subdues or delays purchase of apparel and other cotton goods. Brown
|
|
Futures Prices, December 9, 2022, at mid-day:
March '23 (old crop) - 83.09
December '23 - 79.97
|
|
|
Auburn University Variety Trial data can be accessed at https://aaes.auburn.edu/variety-tests/
Most locations are reporting lint yield data.
|
|
|
By the Numbers: 2022 Alabama Cotton Insects.
- Acres Planted: 426,458
- Fields Planted: 22,000
- Acres by Region:
- North:
- Central: 90,735 acres (21.3%)
- South: 139,050 acres (47.3%)
- Counties with Cotton Production: 60
- Smallest: Marshall – 152 acres
- Largest: Houston – 34,514 acres
- Estimated Percent Yield Loss Statewide to:
- Weather: 23.7% (drought, excessive rainfall, wind, etc.)
- Insects: 2.94%
- Bollworms: 0%
- Plant Bugs: 1.27% (#1 in North AL)
- Stink Bugs: 1.13% (#1 in Central and South AL)
- Thrips: 0.5%
- All Others: 0.04%
- Estimated Total Number of Insect Management Decisions Made: 374,000
- Insecticide Applications per Acre: 5.17
- Cotton Insect Research Trials and Projects: 30
- Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline (1-800) Updates: 17
- Insect Related Tweets: 45 (@ScottGraham72 @Ron_Smith23)
- County Production Meetings (participants): 23 (888)
- News Releases (Ag Fax, ACES.edu, etc.): 29
- Cotton Scout Schools (Attendees): 5 (145)
- Insect Educational Blogs: 18
- Alabama Crops Report Newsletters: 15
- Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletters: 10
Graham and Smith
|
|
|
Cade Grace, Our Newest Regional Extension Agent for Agronomic Crops, Northwest Alabama. Cade Grace assumed the role of REA in recent weeks and will serve 11 counties in the northwestern part of the state, including Colbert, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Marion, Morgan, Walker and Winston Counties. Cade was born and raised on a family farm outside of Jasper, Alabama, where he and his family currently raise row crops, broilers, cattle and timber. He graduated from AU in 2012 with a degree in Horticulture and worked for Alabama Farmers’ Cooperative after graduation. He began farming full-time in 2014, with a focus on row crop production, especially cotton and grain. Earlier this year, Cade married the former Taylor Leonard of Auburn who is a Nurse Practitioner at the UAB Main Hospital in Birmingham. They have one dog Teddy, a few head of beef cattle and attend First Baptist Church in Jasper. Cade enjoys hunting and trapping in his spare time. Brown
|
|
|
Lippincott's Farm Manuals
Edited by K.C Davis, Cornell
Productive Farm Crops
E.G. Montgomery Cornell
Professor of Farm Crops
J.B. Lippincott Company
1916, 1918
|
|
|
This issue contributors:
Dr. Scott Graham, Extension Entomologist
Dr. Ron Smith, Professor Emeritus, Extension Entomologist
Dr. Steve M. Brown, Extension Cotton Agronomist (Editor) typos and mistakes are mine
|
|
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.
Feel free to forward the newsletter with others.
Click to read archived issues or to subscribe to upcoming issues.
|
|
|
|
