EPA Officials To Learn About Cotton Pest/Weed Management Challenges

By Cotton Grower Staff|August 15, 2022

Ten key EPA officials will visit South Georgia cotton farms on August 15-17 to see and hear firsthand producers are tackling weed and other cotton pest management challenges that threaten their viability.

The National Cotton Council is coordinating the farm visits as part of The Cotton Foundation’s 2022 Educational Outreach Program. The EPA contingent represents chemical safety, pesticide programs, and other agency departments.

“Herbicide resistance, for example, is a growing threat to efficient cotton production, particularly in the Southeast and Mid-South regions of the Cotton Belt,” said Don Parker, NCC Vice President, Technical Services and Cotton Foundation Executive Director. “The goal is for these EPA staffers to gain a more thorough understanding of the challenges U.S. cotton producers face and the creative strategies they are employing in managing weeds, insects, nematodes, and diseases. That includes the prudent use of pesticides and other environmentally sensitive farming practices.”

On Aug. 15, the group will visit the first site in Georgia to have confirmed glyphosate resistant pigweed, followed by tours of a multi-crop farm in Byromville and a cotton farm in Vienna. The next day, the group will see University of Georgia research on its Ponder Farm in Ty before visiting a multi-crop farm in Tifton. They will also hear from University of Georgia Extension staff regarding the importance of and changes in usage of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides and the critical need for seed treatments.

The final day, the group will visit cotton farms in Doerun, Dawson, and Leary.