COTTON DOES OK IN AREA; STATE'S COTTON CROP SHOWS REBOUND

Bean Farms has some great-looking cotton.

"It should produce well," said Barry Bean, one of the brothers involved in the operation of the farm near Holcomb, Mo. "But we have some borderline cotton, too."

In fact, says Bean, "our farm covers the gamut in cotton from borderline to good to excellent."

Bean Farms, a family operation, had about 3,600 acres in cotton this year.

"We're at about 3,200 acres now," said Bean. "We probably lost about 400 acres of cotton to the wind and weather."

Bean Farms manages and operates traditional and minimum till row crop operations, with primary crops of cotton, soybeans and milo (grain sorghum).

The family also grows watermelons, purple hull peas, cantaloupes, corn and other specialty crops on occasion.

The cotton throughout Southeast Missouri looked great when the seedlings first emerged.

"Most farmers got their cotton in early," said Bobby Phipps, a state cotton specialists at the University of Missouri Delta Research Center at Portageville, Mo.

"But, what started out looking like one of the best Missouri cotton crops in history was quickly transformed into one of the worst," said Phipps.

He explains:

"When the cotton seedlings emerged, winds started blowing around here," he said. "The wind, about 35 miles an hour, blew for three straight days, and the damage from blowing sand, set us up for seedling diseases."

Fusarium, a fungal disease, struck especially hard, added Phipps. It overwhelmed the crop, especially where the soil was splashed on the plant.

The Southeast Missouri area lost about 30,000 acres of cotton, said Phipps.

Bean and Phipps agree the crop has recovered some.

"In this particular area, from Holcomb to Wardell to the river, we were hit hard," said Bean. "In some areas, things were better."

Phipps said, "Some farmers were prepared for the wind. They interplanted wheat in their cotton fields in the fall, so that the wheat was up, from six to 12 inches high, when the cotton was planted."

The wheat, he said, acted as a windbreak, "but it also reflected light and let the sun and air in so there was plenty of heat and light in the canopy."

Cotton planted in the wheat is thriving, said Phipps, who predicts a lot more such plantings in the future.

The wheat is killed after the cotton plants are well established. He said, "You just need some stalk. Some people wait for the wheat to head, but that means competition for the cotton seedlings. Cotton doesn't need competition, it needs help."

In previous years, Phipps said, no-till and reduced-till cotton performed better than conventional till. This year is different as "a large number of plants died from seedling diseases in no-till and reduced-till. They're doing better in conventional till."

The crop is finally starting to come around, he said, "but it looks like it's going to be a bad insect year."

He said, "We had to start applying insecticide early for the thrips, so we lost a lot of our beneficial insects. Now, the aphids and bow weevils are beginning to show up."

Meanwhile, National Cotton Council economists have projected "some better times ahead" for cotton growers.

Among factors cited for growing optimism for the cotton industry are expected increases in the use of cotton in home furnishings, rebounds in nation's and world's mill use, and increases in cotton exports.

Another big reason for optimism is the Chinese cotton crop.

"They are not raising as much cotton for export," said Phipps.

The planting of cotton was up everywhere this year 13 percent in Southeast Missouri, 6.6 percent throughout the Mid-South part of the nation and 8.7 percent in the far West. That's about 5 percent throughout the nation.

Cotton growers will generate a crop of 18.3 million bales of upland and extra long staple cotton this year, with the bulk of the crop upland varieties.

Cotton planting in the nation amounted to 15.6 million acres, with upland cotton accounting for 15.4 million acres.

COTTON FACTS

U.S. Cotton plantings are higher in 2000

Nationwide 5 percent

Southeast Missouri 13 percent

Mid-South 6.6 percent

Far West 8.7 percent

Cotton plantings will cover 15.6 million acres.

Upland cotton will cover 15.4 million acres of total.

Cotton crop will generate 18.3 million bales.

Missouri has 430,000 acres in cotton.

Last year Missouri had 370,000 acres in cotton.