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The Road Ahead for Fiber
Fiber is the first phase of cotton’s journey
to finished product and encompasses
all aspects prior to manufacturing.
Within Cotton Incorporated, the Agricultural
Research and Fiber Competition Divisions
oversee initiatives that address fiber-related
aspects of the supply chain.
A Georgia cotton field infested with the herbicide-resistant
Palmer
amaranth pigweed variety.
Agricultural Research
The road ahead for cotton begins the first leg
of its journey in the field; and it is there that
the Agricultural Research Division of Cotton
Incorporated concentrates its efforts. Over the
past year, the Agricultural Research Division
has supervised research and other services that
create direct benefits to producers, retailers and
to the perception of cotton. Key among these
was the mapping of the glyphosate-resistant
Palmer amaranth threat to the Cotton Belt, an
innovative landscape management system to
combat plant bugs, and the completion of the
Natural Resource Survey.
Palmer amaranth, a fast-growing pigweed,
occurs throughout the Cotton Belt and has
been particularly difficult to control in the
Southeast and North Delta since 2000. The
weed is damaging to both soybeans and
cotton; and, in recent years, glyphosate-resistant
populations have merged in several
states. Management of these populations is
difficult with available herbicides.
In 2008, the Agricultural Research Division
successfully compiled information on the
distribution of Palmer amaranth. Data were
collected from records spanning a number
of years and can be used to infer the rate of
spread. This information will help alert growers
in specific counties and parishes to their need
to alter their current weed management
practices. Cotton Incorporated will continue
its research of weed management and weed
biology with the intention of developing
successful defenses against this threat to
cotton and soybean crops.
Another pest management study completed
in 2008 illustrates how some deterrence can
be achieved by an adjustment to the location
of the cotton fields in the farm landscape. The
study took into account the seasonal cycles of
corn, soybeans and cotton, as well as the life
cycles of the plant bugs. Of the three crops,
cotton is the most susceptible to the effects of
the plant bugs, which inflict minimal damage
to the other two crops in the study. The goal
was to discover a way of “tricking” the bugs
into lingering on the crops where their damage
would be minimal, while allowing the cotton
plants to mature to a point where the pests no
longer posed a threat.
It was discovered that by simply minimizing
the borders between the corn, cotton and full
season soybean (planted adjacent to cotton)
— and by diligently eliminating weeds such as
henbit in the spring and winter — the plant bug
treatment threshold could increase from 1.5 to
2.5 plant bugs per five row-feet. It is interesting
to note that plant bug issues can be more
prevalent in fields using the environmentally positive
practice of conservation tillage, when
plants used for cover (including weeds) are
not properly managed in the fields. The Crop
Management Seminar was used to deliver
these findings, as well as the information on
herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth to crop
advisors and growers.
Cottonseed had a banner year in 2008, surpassing
the $1 billion mark at the grower level.
Cottonseed had a banner year in 2008, and
surpassed the $1 billion mark at the grower
level for the first time in history. A series of
events converged to create this milestone.
Production was down, creating a decreased
availability of cottonseed in the marketplace.
While volumes were down, interest increased
dramatically among the food and dairy
industries. Research lauding cottonseed oil
as a nutrient-rich alternative to the trans-fat
oils used in commercial food manufacturing
caught the attention of consumer goods
brands and helped buoy cottonseed prices.
Thanks to ongoing promotions from the
Agricultural Research Division, the dairy
industry was already acutely aware of how
integral a ration of cottonseed in traditional
feed is to producing high yields of high-quality
milk. The rush of both industries to claim
their share of cottonseed for food and dairy
products moved the price up, providing a
benefit to growers in a predominantly bleak
fiscal year.
During the latter part of 2008, Cotton Incorporated and the Cotton Board joined forces to execute the Cotton’s Natural Resources Survey among U.S. cotton producers.
During the latter part of 2008, Cotton
Incorporated and the Cotton Board joined
forces to execute the Cotton’s Natural
Resource Survey among U.S. cotton
producers. The primary goal of the survey was
to benchmark best practices along a wide
range of production disciplines so that cotton
farmers of all regions could benefit from the
shared knowledge. A secondary goal was to
supplement the producer information currently
supplied by the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA). The transparency of U.S.
farming practices, particularly the types and
applications of pesticides, is well-known.
The informational overview obtained from
the survey augments these data in key areas
relevant to conservation of natural resources.
When did cotton growers adopt Conservation Tillage?
Cotton’s Natural Resource Survey 2008
Improved Irrigation System Implementation
Cotton’s Natural Resource Survey 2008
Results of the 2008 Cotton Natural Resources Survey show an increase in natural resource conversation and in the bio diversity on lands surrounding cotton acreage.
Increased Bio-Diversity Recognition
(Past Ten Years)
Cotton’s Natural Resource Survey 2008
Over 1,300 cotton growers participated in
the Natural Resources Survey, a sample size
representing 16% of the U.S. cotton acreage
and 1.7 million acres of rotational crops. The
high level of participation ensures an accurate
thumbnail of current practices, which when
combined with in-depth statistical analyses,
will be heavily utilized in promoting U.S.
cotton and directing research to help U.S.
cotton growers be even better stewards of
the land.
Results of the survey revealed that two-thirds
of U.S. cotton acreage is employing some
method of conservation tillage. Conservation
tillage refers to a number of techniques that
help establish crops in the previous crop’s
residues, which are purposely left on the soil
surface. The primary benefits of conservation
tillage are improved water conservation and the
reduction of soil erosion. Secondary potential
benefits include reduced fuel consumption,
planting and harvesting flexibility, reduced labor
requirements, and improved soil tilth. The survey
further revealed that 80% of this transition has
occurred during the last 10 years.
Responses to Cotton’s Natural Resource
Survey also revealed updated figures relative
to irrigated water applications among
participating growers, reinforcing historic
USDA data that a majority of U.S. cotton
acres are not irrigated. Additionally the survey
revealed that 81% of respondents who do
irrigate have improved their irrigation systems
in the last ten years to reduce energy and
water use.
Survey responses illustrate not only an
increase in the use of modern water application
systems, but a greater water-to-yield efficiency.
Small plot research in the 1990s showed a
ratio of 50 pounds of fiber yield to one-inch
per acre of water. This figure has increased to
67 pounds of fiber yield per one-inch per acre
coverage of water — a 34% increase in water use
efficiency.
As shown by survey responses, another
environmental area where U.S. cotton
producers have seen great improvement over
the past decade is in the increase of wildlife
diversity in areas surrounding their acreage.
The increase in birds and mammals indicates
that conservation efforts by growers are
having a positive effect on the bio-diversity of
the areas around their farms.
The results of the survey were presented at a
press conference at the January 2009 Beltwide
Conference and will be used throughout
2009 to illustrate that U.S. cotton producers
continue to be good environmental stewards.
Fiber Competition
The Fiber Competition Division works diligently to validate cotton’s place in a highly competitive fiber marketplace.
The Fiber Competition Division within
Cotton Incorporated concentrates its efforts
on research and initiatives that distinguish
cotton as a preferred textile fiber. This aspect
of the company focuses on creating and
to advance the competitive position of cotton
and cotton products in the fiber marketplace.
As such, there are significant efforts in areas
of: quality research, information services,
product evaluation, standards activities, cotton
management software services and program
development.
Technology and collaboration are integral to
the role of Fiber Competition. From developing
and updating software for mills, to ensuring
cotton is well and fairly represented within
organizations that define and refine fiber
testing protocols, the Fiber Competition Division
works diligently to validate cotton’s place in a
highly competitive fiber marketplace. Over the
past year, the team made significant inroads
with respects to software implementation
and development. Key among these was
the installation of the ENGINEERED FIBER
SELECTION® (EFS®) Cotton Management
System at Weiqiao Textile Company Limited,
the largest cotton textile producer in China and
the world’s largest mill.
The EFS® System software enables cotton
handlers to make accurate inventory,
evaluation, and handling decisions from
to merchant. Users of the system can
profitably apply the unique, natural
properties of various types of cotton groups
and categories to their growing, ginning,
spinning, and processing techniques to
produce statistically uniform cotton mixes that
are best suited for a specified end product.
Among the responsibilities of the Fiber Competition Division is software training for users of the Engineered Fiber Selection System and MILLNet softwares.
The unique capabilities of the EFS System
software will enrich the operations of
Weiqiao Textile, which is principally engaged
in the production, sales and distribution of
cotton yarn, greige fabric and denim. Its
production volume in 2005 was 882,000 tons
of cotton yarn. In addition, they are a major
producer of greige fabric and denim. Part of the
company’s success has been its commitment
to technology and product quality. Weiqiao
Textile Chairman Zhang Bo stated: “The group
(Weiqiao Textile Company Limited) expects
the demand for cotton textiles, especially
high-end products, to remain high and this
will inevitably require technology upgrades
and lead to industry consolidation. This, in
turn, will further promote overall product
quality and improve the competitiveness of the
group.” The adoption of the EFS technology
by this prestigious company illustrates the
software’s practical value to the industry and
bodes well for Weiqiao’s interest in using U.S.
cotton moving forward.
While the EFS System is aimed at ginners
and merchants, another software system, the
MILLNet™ program, is designed specifically
for merchants and manufacturers. The
MILLNet system is designed to enhance a
manufacturer’s cotton-related profits by
selecting cotton from an inventory that is
best suited for a given mill or end product.
The mill is then able to meet a customer’s
specifications consistently and at the
lowest raw material cost. In 2008, the Fiber
Competition Division oversaw the installation
of 24 MILLNet 4.0 systems and continued
to make upgrades to the software based
on user feedback.
Another function of the Fiber Competition
Division is product evaluation, which entails
the testing of all aspects of cotton fiber,
from breeder samples to the effects of
home laundering to a finished garment.
To ensure the accuracy of such tests, the
Product Evaluation Laboratory underwent
a renovation in 2008 to create a consistent
testing environment. Maintaining a
consistent temperature and humidity within
the lab is essential to accurately assessing
the performance of cotton fiber under the
testing protocols, and adds greater validity
to the test results.
Along with adhering to and developing
high testing standards for cotton, members
of the Fiber Competition Division continued
their leadership roles in 2008 within influential
industry organizations that create labeling
standards. By actively participating and
leading the critical standards development
process within organizations such as the
American Society for Testing Materials
International (ASTM), the American Association
of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC),
and the International Standards Organization
(ISO), the Fiber Competition Division helps
to advance and protect the position of U.S.
cotton in the marketplace.
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Cotton Incorporated 2008 Annual Report
