Can a cotton producer in Georgia

SE Producers Aware Of
Irrigation's Impact

Can a cotton producer in Georgia learn anything from a Texas producer in the area of effective irrigation?

Many Texas producers operate in a more arid environment, which is often affected by limited water resources. Texas producers are very concerned about evaporative losses and timely, efficient application of irrigation water. Producers in Georgia are, for the most part, blessed with abundant (but not unlimited) water resources in a humid environment (less evaporative losses).

With pressure from growing populations, persistent droughts and increasing demands from industry and agriculture, Georgia producers are paying closer attention to the types of water conservation measures that Texas producers and other arid regions are accustomed to using. Plus, the ongoing "water wars" between Georgia, Florida and Alabama, coupled with the start of real statewide water planning in Georgia, mean that our use of water in agriculture is on folks' minds.

source : cottonfarming

Do you think drip irrigation will ever be as popular ?

SE Producers Aware Of
Irrigation's Impact

Do you think drip irrigation will ever be as popular in the Southeast as it is in other regions, such as Texas?

Overhead sprinkler irrigation (primarily center pivot) is the overwhelming choice for most producers in the Southeast. But, increases in irrigated acres will likely occur in field areas that aren't well suited to center pivots (irregular field shapes). In these cases, drip irrigation may be given a strong look by producers. But overall, it is doubtful that drip irrigation will be as widespread as center pivot systems. Our knowledge base on using drip irrigation in Southeast row crops like cotton is also less developed – but we're working on that.

What does the future bode for cotton producers as they evaluate water availability in their irrigation systems?

I once heard a colleague make the comment in a presentation that there are three limiting factors in Georgia crop production – water, water and water. Water availability for agriculture will continue to be of utmost importance to the economic vitality of rural economies in the Southeast. I'm excited to be a part of efforts to help cotton producers understand how to better manage their irrigation systems by using new technologies for measuring soil water status, applying water more efficiently and scheduling more effectively.


source : cottonfarming

Normally

Furrow Irrigation Helps
Conserve Water

Amanda Huber
Southeast

"Normally, the rains stop the second week in June until around early to mid-August," he says. Kelly, who produces cotton on 800 to 1,200 acres of mostly irrigated land, depends on his rotation cycle and economic forces.

"The lake for our irrigation district holds about 135,000 acre-feet of water," he adds. "About the last week of June or the first week of July, we will see how much water is there."

Based on assessed acres, each producer gets a water allocation.

"We start irrigating around the first week in July and stop around the first week in September," he says. "But, we can't get the water immediately. It's 35 miles to the lake, and it takes 24 hours for it to run from the lake to here."

source : cottonfarming

Producer Joe Kelly

Furrow Irrigation Helps
Conserve Water

Amanda Huber
Southeast

 
Producer Joe Kelly is never quite sure how much water he will receive to irrigate his cotton. In good years, such as 2007 and 2008, he received about 18 inches. In 2006, he only had seven inches. His worst year ever – 1981 – he only got three-quarters of an inch.

What Kelly, who farms cotton, milo and hard red winter wheat in Altus, Okla., can plan on is that none of that will come from the sky. It all comes from the lake northeast of Mangum and flows by gravity to his farm through a series of canals, ditches and gates. For Kelly, irrigation efficiency is a necessary part of his operation.

"Normally, the rains stop the second week in June until around early to mid-August," he says. Kelly, who produces cotton on 800 to 1,200 acres of mostly irrigated land, depends on his rotation cycle and economic forces.

source : cottonfarming

Increased Availability

Exploring The Benefits Of Baled Poultry Litter

Carroll Smith
Senior

Increased Availability

According to Argo, his business plan includes building 300 of the poultry litter baling machines in a five-year period to make the technology available to a wider geography. Argo notes that if, say, 10 farmers bought a machine as a cooperative, hired a four-man crew to run it and ship the baled litter to the 10 farmers in the co-op, they could pay for their machine and get their litter.

An interesting note for cotton farmers is that a module truck can be used to move seven of the bales at one time, which would increase the working hours on a piece of equipment that typically is idle 90 percent of the year.

In looking at the big picture, baled poultry litter may not fit everyone's operation, but, in this economy, it's always a good thing to have options.


source : cottonfarming

Buchanan

Exploring The Benefits Of Baled Poultry Litter

Carroll Smith
Senior

Buchanan notes that this is his first experience with poultry litter and in addition to the economics, he believes there are some intangibles to consider, too. For example:

• Will it improve humus in the soil?

• Will it build up micronutrients?

• Will it contribute to the water-holding capacity in soils that have been farmed year after year in cotton?

"We have heard that these things will occur, so we want to see to what extent they occur in this climate where we don't have the rainfall that farmers receive in eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas," Buchanan explains.

The Oklahoma farmer notes that if commercial fertilizer prices return to what they used to be in the past, then poultry litter won't be competitive from an economic standpoint. On the other hand, if Buchanan realizes benefits from the intangibles, then it would be of value to him from that standpoint.

source : cottonfarming

Economics And Intangibles

Exploring The Benefits Of Baled Poultry Litter

Carroll Smith
Senior

Economics And Intangibles

Tom Buchanan, who manages the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District, is one of the 10 western Oklahoma farmers experimenting with baled poultry litter this year on his irrigated cotton land. In the past, he has only had access to commercial fertilizer.

"Last year, when commercial fertilizer went sky high, poultry litter became more economically feasible," he says. "Last winter, we received the baled litter on a flatbed truck, strategically offloaded it at different locations around the farm, cut the plastic off and used a litter spreader to apply it."

Buchanan notes that this is his first experience with poultry litter and in addition to the economics, he believes there are some intangibles to consider, too.


source : cottonfarming