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About Us
County Impact Statements - Desha County
COTMAN Expert Cotton Management System in Second Year
This year the Desha County Extension team expanded into its second year of a
new educational effort area for cotton produces. COTMAN, a computer program
developed by U of A agricultural scientists and Cotton Incorporated, was offered
to interacted growers. Once the sign-up was completed, six growers had enrolled
approximately 6,000 acres into the program.
COTMAN service includes the following three areas:
- Field data collection where four field sites are "mapped" to determine
rate of plant growth, fruit retention or shed, various crop stress factors,
and many other details.
- Computer analysis of the field data which then is studied by the County
Agent in order to make any needed forecasts or recommendations.
- Consultation with participating growers concerning the findings of each
week’s results.
The main aim of COTMAN is to assist growers in their goal for crop earliness,
and to forecasts a "cutout window" when crop maturity is such that insecticide
applications can be terminated without economic loss.
Several years of research have brought the system as we now know it, and
grower’s field wide results have proven the program’s reliability across the
state. Tight financial conditions have forced producers to ensure that each crop
input is warranted and will continue to do its part to assist growers in tough,
uncertain times.
COTMAN demonstration harvest underway
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Impacts
- Four producers reported saving $10 per acre without economic injury to
the crops.
- Two producers reported increased awareness concerning the value of crop
earliness.
- Four growers increased scouting time for late season insects.
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