|
East Alabama Cotton Tour Marks 25th
Year
(High Cotton:
Extension agents and farmers inspect cotton on the Harry Noble farm in
Shorter during the 25th annual East Alabama Cotton Tour.
Pictured left to right are: Leonard Kuykendall, Autauga County
Extension agent; Dickie Segrest, Macon County farmer; Dr. Jeff Clary,
Lee County Extension Coordinator; Harry Noble; and Myles Tatum, Lee
County farmer.)
Auburn,
Aug. 15,
2003 --
In 1978, a young Alabama Cooperative Extension agent named Jeff Clary
set out to build one of the state’s most successful annual cotton
tours.
Something must
have worked, because today, 25 years later, the East Alabama Cotton
Tour is stronger and better attended than ever. What began as a
modest tour focusing almost entirely on insect scouting has developed
into a comprehensive tour covering every aspect of cotton production.
“Our mission all
along has been to stay on the cutting edge of all aspects of cotton
production, including technology,” said Clary, who, when he’s not
fielding cotton-related questions from growers, also coordinates the
Lee County Extension Office.
In Clary’s view,
this year’s subject matter was “right on track with the times.”
One of the major
focuses on this year’s tour, held Aug. 8, was precision farming,
widely considered the next major advance in cotton farming, which
enables farmers literally to farm by satellite. The new technology
already has enabled many cotton producers throughout Alabama to make
drastic reductions in chemical spraying and operating costs –
reductions that will help many of them remain competitive and stay in
farming.
One of the
highlights of the precision farming segment of the tour was a tractor
equipped with a light bar and automatic satellite steering system that
enables it to be guided entirely by satellite.
Precision farming
updates were provided by Dr. Paul Mask, Extension agronomist and
Alabama precision farming coordinator; Dr. Randy Raper, USDA precision
farming scientist; and Dr. Henk van Riessen, agricultural scientist
for InTime, a new company that specializes in remote-sensing crop
management systems.
Dr. Ron Smith,
Extension cotton entomologist, provided an update on the cotton insect
situation in East Alabama and the rest of the state, while Dr. Mike
Patterson discussed the latest advances in new cotton herbicides.
Following their remarks, Dr. Dale Monks, cotton crop physiologist,
provided an update on the condition of the cotton crop throughout
Alabama and the Southeast.
During a stopover
at the Melvin Taylor farm in Tallassee, Dr. Bill Gazaway, retired
Extension nematologist who still conducts nematode research on behalf
of Alabama producers, discussed the ongoing problems associated with
reniform nematodes.
From the very
beginning, the East Alabama Cotton Tour has remained just that – a
tour in which participants move from farm to farm along backcountry
highways. While many similar tours throughout Alabama and the
Southeast have switched to only one location, Clary said most
East Alabama
producers prefer moving from farm to farm.
“Granted, both
approaches have their advantages, but tours involving several farms
give producers some visibility and some time for them to show off a
little,” he observed. “It also makes them feel more a part of the
tour, especially in cases where they have demonstrations and
research.”
One of the tours
biggest assets, Clary said, is that it affords many producers with the
best opportunity they have during the year to interact with
professionals on the cutting edge of cotton production technology.
Growers get to rub elbows with everyone from Extension cotton experts
to seed, chemical and equipment vendors.
(Source: Dr. Jeff Clary,
Lee County Extension Office Coordinator, 334-749-3353)
Article
in MS Word
Article
in Text
|
