*2002 Alabama Cotton Expo and Conservation Tillage Conference.  D. Monks
*Fertilizer Management on Cons. Tillage Cotton in Northern AL.  C. Burmester
*Early Season Insect Management Decisions.  R. Smith
*2002 Farm Bill and Market Update.  B. Goodman
*Conservation Tillage.  D. Delaney
*2002 Cotton Calendar.  D. Monks

2002 Alabama Cotton Expo and Conservation Tillage Conference. D. Monks

The 2002 Alabama Cotton Expo will be held this year in central Alabama.  Plans are underway to begin this year's state meeting with a late afternoon field day at the Prattville Experiment Field.  Cotton research to be presented will include weed control, insect management, growth regulator, disease control, and variety trials as well as the latest recommendations from Alabama Cooperative Extension System county agents and specialists from Auburn University.

The meeting will continue with a field day on June 26 at the E.V. Smith Research Center.  Cotton producers are encouraged to attend on June 26 and participate in the 25th Annual Conservation Tillage for Sustainable Agriculture Conference that will be co-sponsored in part by the Alabama Cotton Commission and cotton producers through check-off funds.  For more information on this meeting, please visit the website at:  www.ag.auburn.edu/nsdl/sctcsa.

Fertilizer Management on Cons. Tillage Cotton in Northern AL. C. Burmester

The explosion of conservation tillage cotton in northern Alabama has raised several questions about fertilization practices.  I recently reviewed several Alabama fertility studies done in the 1980’s and 1990’s in northern Alabama.  Results were surprisingly consistent and point to some fertilizer application changes that may improve growth and yield of conservation tillage cotton.

Results from these studies verify that early season cotton growth is often less than found with cotton grown with conventional tillage.  Conservation tillage farmers have seen this slower growth and although this may not always affect yield, it often creates concern over the cause.  This slower cotton growth has been more evident following planting into old cotton stubble and has been improved by planting into a small grain cover crop.  Studies indicate that surface soil compaction on the heavier soils may be part of the problem with the root system of the cover crop lowering compaction.  In some years the small grain also provided wind protection that improved growth compared to other treatments.  Cotton response to starter fertilizers in conservation tillage also have been more consistent than found with conventional tillage.  Studies conducted in the 1980’s and 1990’s indicate that in two years out of three a yield response to starter fertilizers can be expected with conservation tillage cotton.  This response has been to nitrogen alone or nitrogen plus phosphorus starters.  A more consistent response has been found in the 2x2 placement (two inches to the side and two inches below the seed) but banding starters four to six inches over the row at planting has also shown growth and yield increases. In most of these studies, starter nitrogen rates were 15 pounds per acre and phosphorus starter rates varied from 15 to 50 pounds per acre.

This data and visual observations on farms during the last several years indicate that our fertilizer applications, especially nitrogen, may need modification for conservation tillage cotton.  With conservation tillage, we should try to split our nitrogen fertilizer applications instead of applying all preplant.  A side-dress application at early cotton squaring should supply the nitrogen where the root system can take it up faster.  This will reduce leaching losses and may be especially beneficial if the cotton root system is restricted.  For cotton following a small grain cover crop, increase normal nitrogen fertilizer rates by 20 to 30 pounds per acre because of nitrogen immobilization by the small grain.  Starter fertilizers, either nitrogen alone or nitrogen plus an equal amount of phosphorus could be used to stimulate early season growth if you are seeing a problem on your farm.

Fertilization practices and cover crop requirements may change again after several years of conservation tillage. The good news is that as we continue to grow cotton with conservation tillage, surface organic matter will improve.  This should reduce some of the problems we have seen, especially surface soil compaction.

Alabama’s acreage of conservation tillage cotton has exploded the last two years. The use of winter cover crops of small grains has changed the way fertilizer materials especially nitrogen (N) can be applied safely. Since these N fertilizers are no longer incorporated, farmers must be concerned with possible N volatilization losses from surface application. This year’s large increase in N fertilizer costs has increased the need for efficient fertilizer application.

The bad news is that small grain cover crops generally increase the amount of N fertilizer needed by cotton. Alabama research has shown that an additional 30 lbs. of N is required because the N taken up by the cover crop is often not released in time for cotton uptake. The larger the cover crop grows the more potential there is for this tie-up of N.

The two most common N fertilizer materials used in Alabama are ammonium nitrate and urea.  These materials come in granular form or can be dissolved and applied as liquids. Many liquid N fertilizers are a combination of ammonium nitrate and urea.  A 32% N solution is generally a 50% combination of ammonium nitrate and urea. Of these two fertilizer materials, urea has possible volatilization losses when surface applied. Urea on the other hand has a lower cost per pound of N than ammonium nitrate, so we must learn how to use it effectively on con-till cotton.

The urease enzyme present of the soil surface and especially on plant material can break down the urea fertilizer causing N volatilization losses. Activity of this enzyme increases as temperature increases.

This winter I have received several calls about using a urea based fertilizer for preplant application to con-till cotton.  This usually results in very little volatilization loss due to the lower air temperatures. Also once a rain is received and the urea is taken into the soil, volatilization is no longer a concern. Dribble applications of urea fertilizers are generally better than broadcast sprays because they have a better chance of reaching the soil surface and minimize residue contact.

Side-dress applications of N to con-till cotton depends largely on the amount of residue present and equipment a farmer has.  In this case with the warmer temperatures, granular ammonium nitrate is a good choice and can be applied over the top of cotton after the leaves have dried. Liquid 32% solution would be best applied with an applicator that inserted the N into the soil. Dribble applications on the soil surface has the potential for loss especially if there is much residue.

Nitrogen deficiencies in cotton have increased the last two years on the silty clay soils in northern Alabama. This is probably due to con-til  and low rainfall. Moisture is needed to move the N fertilizer materials to the cotton root system. On these soils we often see more N deficiencies in a dry year compared to a wet year.

 Early Season Insect Management Decisions.  R. Smith

The first in-season insect management decision has likely already been made. That decision is what strategy to use for early season thrips control.  Assuming that either an in-furrow insecticide or seed treatment has or will be used- what next? Growers should always observe cotton for thrips injury as the first true leaf emerges. Under adverse growing conditions, when plants are struggling to make any vegetative growth, is when thrips can cause the most damage. The primary way that thrips affect cotton growth is to cause a delay in maturity. A two-week delay is common under heavy thrips injury.  Sometimes we just have to supplement our at-planting thrips control with foliar sprays. Growers may often be going across their fields at this time for weed control.  Adding a phosphate (Bidrin, Orthene), pyrethroid, or newer chemistry (neonicotinoid like Centric™) can usually be accomplished at a low price at this time of the year.  Do not wait until the weather warms and cotton reaches six true leaves to control thrips.  The time from the first to the fifth true leaf is the critical period for thrips injury.

2002 Farm Bill and Market Update. B. Goodman

By the time you read this, it will be out of date.  Congress is meeting this week to finalize provisions for the 2002 Farm Bill, and if they can’t get it done, they will give up and we will farm one more year with the old bill.  I hope they pass a new farm bill, because the law they are considering offers Alabama farmers the prospect of stability and at least the hope of profitability for up to 10 years.  The committee has announced that they have more or less reached an agreement on the major points and will announce the new farm bill on April 6, but I sure don’t understand why they have to stall for two weeks.  Some folks have a crop to plan and plant.  So, there are still two possibilities as to what has happened between the time this was written and the time you are reading it.  I thought I would use my space in this month's Picksack to mention some important things to remember for each possibility that might have occurred.

It is very likely that congress was able to agree in committee, and we now have a new Farm Bill.  It is likely that under this bill commodity crop bases are again very important.  It is also likely that farmers can choose to update their base acreages and yields, if they choose to do so.   If you have been producing cotton on soybean or corn base, it would probably be very beneficial to update your base, as cotton base generally provides several times the payment levels of corn base, and up to 10 times the payment levels of soybean base.  It is very important for you to evaluate whether this change would be beneficial for you, and the only way to do this is to get the FSA to calculate what the change would mean.  You will only have a limited period of time to make this change, so don’t let the deadline slip up on you.  Spend a little time now to understand what changes you should make, because you will probably have to live with it for a long time.  This will probably be the last farm bill some of us will have to worry about, if the House 10-year bill ends up being the one we get.  Of course, soybean base is better than no base at all, because any program crop grown on program acres will be eligible for marketing support.  Cotton grown on soybean base will be eligible for the loan, and just as importantly, for the loan deficiency payment or POP.

There should be language in the new bill that is designed to protect farmers from losing cropland to landlords who don’t intend to farm (like those who just want to collect the government payments for themselves).  But, you may want to sign some long-term leases before too much time passes just in case.  I would expect a big shakeup in cropland rental rates over the next year or two, especially in South Alabama, with rates generally rising.  If the farm bill payments turn out as advertised, you may end up competing with the government for rental cropland, not your neighbor.  The government has a lot more money.

If we have a new farm bill and you are a peanut producer, you face big changes.  I won’t go into whether or not you should continue to produce peanuts, but it is likely that you have been awarded a commodity “base” for your past production history.  It is very important that you assign this base to an existing farm.  It is also important that you either own this land or have a long-term rental agreement signed before you assign your peanut base to this land.

If we have a new farm bill, it is likely that crop insurance rates and coverage will have changed.  You may find that your insurance dollar does not go as far as it did last year.  Evaluation of your crop insurance choice and coverage level is another chore you should undertake this spring, preferably before planting.

One of the most important things will be to see how the payment limitation provisions are set.  If payment limitations are low and the 3-entity rule is eliminated, many farmers in Alabama will face exceptionally low prices for cotton this year without market support.  There was also some language in the original Senate bill (the Grassley Amendment) that restricted re-organization to accommodate the new rules.  If you are a larger farmer (with around 1000 acres or more) these rules could impact your operation more than anything else.

If we do not have a new farm bill, we will probably farm under the provisions of the 1996 Farm Bill, the AMPTA or “Freedom to Farm” act for one more year.  Congress has already authorized an additional AMTA or PFC payment for 2002.  It is likely that a fairly large crop will be planted, and we can expect large POP payments this fall.  Marketing will be important, and we can expect normal market fluctuations, just centered on a lower price level.  In other words, don’t fail to formulate a marketing plan for 2002.  Prices have been very low, but right now December futures are around 43 cents.  I expect we’ll see some weather rallies during the growing season.  You may not like signing a contract to deliver cotton for 40 cents, but it beats delivering for cash at 30 cents.  I would not object to a farmer signing a contract on a small portion of his crop at today’s prices.  The fact is that we are in a world market and there is no floor.  We can and probably will see lower prices before this crop season ends.

However, even if prices fall back to where they were last year, we will probably have some income support, based on a target price and loan rate we can live with.  I hope as you read this you are looking forward to the next 10 years of stability and profitability in cotton production under the new 2002 Farm Bill.

Conservation Tillage. D. Delaney

Conservation tillage for cotton has come a long ways since the mid-80’s, when less than 5% of the cotton in the Southeast was planted with any form of conservation tillage.  According to the Conservation Tillage Information Center, 35% of the cotton in Alabama in 2000 was no-tilled, with much of the rest in some other form of conservation tillage.

Advances in weed control, including hooded sprayers and selective over-the-top herbicides have helped take care of many of the problems encountered in early attempts to make no-till work on a farm scale.  However, the basics of what we learned in those years still apply today, in particular being prepared before you plant.

Soil fertility should be checked and adjusted well ahead of time, since lime and phosphorous in particular move very slowly into the rooting zone.  Fields should be checked for compaction layers, both shallow and deep, and corrected with in-row tillage (subsoiling) just underneath any layers found.  Cover crops need to be killed at least 2 to 4 weeks before planting, to allow time to die and dry out, and minimize insect and disease problems.  It is also far easier to plant into a soil with dead roots that crumbles back around the seed than into a thick sod of live roots that hold together.

Equipment manufacturers have also made great strides in planting equipment and attachments that will handle more residue and still plant seed properly.  Producers using them can get more benefits from their cover crops by letting them accumulate more decay-resistant straw, which can add to moisture conservation and long-term soil quality.  Row cleaners can rake heavy residue from the row area, allowing planters to more precisely place the seed.  However, the cleaners should not be set to remove soil and make a furrow, but only deep enough to move most of the straw.

Setting the cleaners to move soil along with the straw will often cause it to ball up and plug in front of the planter. Most newer planters are designed to punch through some light residue that may be left.  With heavy residue, adjustments may need to be made on a field-by-field basis, or even during the day, as the straw dries out and becomes more brittle.  “Spider” closing wheels can help pinch through heavy straw to help close the seed furrow without packing it.

Producers also need to be patient when preparing to plant.  The same cover that holds moisture in the summer will also keep the soil cooler and wetter in the spring.  Just because no-till ground will hold up a tractor does not mean it is dry enough to plant.  Planting into soil that is too wet can cause compaction in the sidewall and under the row, which can slow root development.  Fungicides often pay off in these cooler and wetter conditions.

2002 Cotton Calendar.  D. Monks

Date                          Event                                                                                Contact

June 25-26               Alabama Cotton Expo and Conservation Till. Day              D. Monks, CA*
Aug. 1-4                  ALFA Commodity Conf., Huntsville                                   ALFA
*CA- county agent.

If you are interested in weekly updates for the state’s cotton crop, there are several sources for that information. The DTN terminal at your local supply dealer has a category called "Local Information". The state agricultural statistics reporting service has a website update at:

www.nass.usda.gov/weather/cpcurr/al-crop-weather

If you are receiving this newsletter via e-mail, please visit our website for additional cotton information at:

http://www.acesag.auburn.edu/dept/

Updates are sent each Monday morning to these services and DD60s are updated at the end of each week.  These updates will begin at the start of the planting season or soon thereafter.

Reference Number: PSK-4-02, D. Monks and C. Burmester, editors