Cotton producers will find an abundance of information aimed at increasing their profitability at the 2013 Beltwide Cotton Conferences -- set for January 7-10 at the Marriott Rivercenter/Riverwalk hotels in San Antonio, Texas.
The National Cotton Council (NCC) coordinates the annual Beltwide Cotton Conferences. The forum brings together those with a stake in a healthy U.S. cotton production sector, including cotton industry members, university and USDA researchers, Extension personnel, consultants, and service providers, to share timely information. Programming is designed to update U.S. cotton producers on new technology, innovative and effective production practices, and key industry issues.
Bill Robertson, the NCC's manager, Agronomy, Soils and Physiology who coordinates the conferences with oversight by the conferences' steering committee, said one of the Cotton Production Conference general session's key presentations will be a market outlook from Allenberg Cotton Company CEO Joe Nicosia. Other general session reports will include an update on key legislation/regulations, including farm bill status; a review of the 2012 production season; a discussion of herbicide resistance in Texas; and a presentation on climate trends.
"Weather patterns' impact on crop mix/production decisions is growing in importance, so we plan to have a leading meteorologist discuss climate trends," Robertson said, "and herbicide resistance, unfortunately, still needs attention as pigweed resistance is now suspected in parts of Texas and possibly in Arizona."
The Cotton Production Conference also will offer multiple seminars and workshops that promise to deliver a wealth of information to cotton producers. Among sessions being developed are:
Comparison of conventional and transgenic cotton production systems;
Irrigation practices and other tools to improve efficiency;
Discussion of 2,4-D and dicamba tolerant traits and industry efforts to address tank cleanout, volatility, drift, and importance of marking fields;
Cotton options workshop that demonstrates the use of innovative marketing strategies, crop insurance and advanced farm and financial management techniques to develop a strong risk management program;
Social media and a look at its growing use in production agriculture;
Effective use of fertilizer stabilizers; and
"New Developments From Industry," including new varieties, new products for pest and disease management, equipment updates, and emerging technologies, including software applications for producers and consultants.
The 2013 Beltwide Cotton Conferences opens with the 6th annual Cotton Consultants Conference, which will focus on weed resistance, irrigation and an insecticide update, including a review of how various insecticides performed during the 2012 season. Also included will be the 11 cotton technical conferences and The Cotton Foundation Technical Exhibits.
