Cotton farmers learn at series of seminars

By Staff
Jonathan Willis FCT Staff Writer
A group of Franklin County farmers got caught up to speed on the latest technologies in the cotton industry at a series of meetings last week.
The farmers gathered in Moulton and Muscle Shoals to hear speakers discuss a variety of topics, ranging from herbicides to computers.
The meetings have been held annually for several years to inform farmers of the changes in technology and the new threats they face. Potter said that precision agriculture technology was the most interesting topic to farmers at this year's meetings.
Precision agriculture technology allows farmers to use a mapping system that dictates how much care particular parts of a field need.
Prescriptions are placed into the computer system telling them how much chemicals certain areas of the field need.
Insect problems were just one of the important subjects for the local farmers at the meetings. They also discussed rising costs of seed which takes an increasing toll on Franklin County's 10 cotton farmers each year.
Despite the rising costs, Reed said that he expects 3000 acres of cotton to be grown within the county's boundaries this year, with most farmers choosing to grow stacked-gene cotton which is a little less expensive to plant.
Last year, Franklin County cotton farmers made a small profit on average, but this year, that may be tough to do.