Getting the Word Out
UA research information for cotton growers

Every year faculty in the UA College of Agriculture conduct more than 50 research projects related to current problems in cotton production. These studies take place in applied field settings at the university's Maricopa, Yuma and Safford agricultural centers, and in traditional campus laboratories.

The primary vehicle for distributing cotton research information is the Integrated Cotton Management (ICM)Group, headed by Jeffrey Silvertooth, a cotton agronomist in the Department of Plant Sciences. This team uses a multi-disciplinary approach to provide a statewide extension education program in cotton management.

"We try to address problems using all the college resources in research and extension that are available in plant pathology, plant sciences, soils, entomology, engineering, biometeorology, and economics," he says. The team includes 34 extension specialists, county extension agents and research specialists, who work with each other and with agencies such as USDA/ARS, USDA/APHIS, other departments and universities, commercial enterprises, and local growers to make cotton production more efficient.

When new technologies such as transgenic cotton or insect growth regulators are introduced, college faculty test them from a neutral standpoint to determine their benefits, drawbacks and best application. Even though new tools are designed to help raise a better crop, they don't necessarily simplify the job of farming.

"Many of these new technologies demand that the grower know more, not less," Silvertooth says. "It's not really easier to farm. The growers recognize that they need more information, and we're working to provide that. Therefore, this need is one of our greatest functions. We attempt to integrate all of the available information into a "systems approach," which is what the growers ultimately have to do."

The ICM Program is constantly reviewed and updated to address current needs in the Arizona cotton community.

Publications

• Cotton Report – published annually each spring. A comprehensive collection of brief reports summarizing results of the past year's cotton research in the following areas: crop management, physiology and growth regulators, upland variety testing, Pima cotton genetics and variety testing, irrigation, insect investigations, soil fertility and soil management, planting seed, and diseases. Available through the Publications Distribution Office, 4042 N. Campbell, Tucson, AZ 85719-1111, (520) 621-1713.

• Arizona Cotton Advisory Program (ACAP) – issued weekly by specialists and agents in nine different Arizona counties from February to September. Coordinated through Cooperative Extension offices. A series of short (one to four pages) bulletins containing county-specific updates on pest management, weather and cotton agronomy. Available by signing up on mailing list in the appropriate county: Pinal, Mohave, La Paz, Yuma, Maricopa, Pima, Cochise, Graham, Greenlee.

• Arizona Cotton Agronomy series – Issued as needed throughout the growing season. Short bulletins (usually the front and back of a page) written by college specialists covering general cotton agronomy and crop management. Available through Jeff Silvertooth, Department of Plant Sciences, Forbes 214, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, (520) 621-7616, silver@ag.arizona.edu.

• IPM Series – issued annually/as needed. Brochures and laminated pocket cards covering whitefly management in Arizona cotton, and other topics. Available through the ICM group — Peter Ellsworth, (520) 568-2273, ext. 225.

• Management of Silverleaf Whitefly: a Comprehensive Manual on the Biology, Economic Impact and Control Tactics – a full-color softbound publication, co-authored by five specialists from four different universities, including The University of Arizona. Available through Peter Ellsworth, (520) 568-2273.

Web sites

• AZMET (Arizona Meteorological Network) – http://ag.arizona.edu/azmet. Managed through the Arizona Meteorological Network, this program provides real-time weather data on a daily basis, gathered from 23 monitoring stations located throughout Arizona's cotton-growing regions. Contact Paul Brown, biometeorology specialist, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Shantz 504A, Tucson, AZ 85721, (520) 1197.

• A web site for cotton will be available through the UA College of Agriculture's home page, AgInfo, in early 1998.

Field Days and Workshops/Seminars

• Cotton Field Days – Held annually at the Maricopa (October) and Safford (September or October) Agricultural Centers, these events usually include a guided tour of research plots and facilities, presentations of current issues by College of Agriculture faculty, information/poster displays, and lunch. Contact the appropriate agricultural center for more information.

Article written by Susan McGinley, ECAT, College of Agriculture
This is part of the 1997 Arizona Experiment Station Research Report
This document is located at http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt1997/word_out.html
Return to Index for 1997 report
Researcher:

Jeff Silvertooth
Department of Plant Sciences
(520) 621-7616
silver@ag.arizona.edu