Practical Rules For Pesticides, ESA Labels, And Cover Crop Payoffs

Cotton growers are juggling new label realities, tight margins, and the pressure to do right by their land and communities. We tackle all three with a practical roadmap: how to meet ESA requirements without guesswork, how to build records that prove what you already do well, and how to rethink PPE and daily habits so safety isn’t the first thing to slip when weather and workload collide.

We break down ESA label language into plain steps: confirm pesticide use limitation areas on Bulletins Live 2, set downwind drift buffers by the label, and earn mitigation points with the practices you likely use today—bigger droplets, lower booms, cover crops, conservation tillage, and grassed waterways. County agents now have EPA tools to translate your fields’ soils and slopes into documentation that stands up. The payoff is access to key chemistries while protecting sensitive areas, neighbors, and your crew.

Then we pivot to cover crops and ask the hard questions. Which species and maturities fit shrinking fall windows? Do broadcast seeding rates need to jump to match drilled biomass, or does data say otherwise? And when do multi‑species mixes deliver enough biomass, nutrient capture, and yield stability to justify higher costs, even with program payments? We share ongoing university trials comparing rye, oats, clovers, and vetches by cultivar and rate, plus studies tracking nutrient flow from cover residue into cotton tissue. Paired with long‑term lessons—organic matter, aggregation, infiltration—the story points to covers that build soil and soften risk, provided termination timing and pest pressure are managed.

The throughline is balance: leave the ground better than you found it, but make the numbers work. Safer spraying, stronger records, and smarter covers all add resilience to the operation and the community around it. 

Transcript

County Updates And Purpose

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Bringing you all things cotton production and pest management. This is the Talking Cotton Podcast with the University of Georgia Cotton Team. Let's get into the whys of putting on, throwing off, and cutting out. Okay, so this is another episode uh 2026 County Meeting Updates from uh members of the UGA Cotton Team. And just to reiterate, these aren't to replace county meetings, right? We still want people coming to county meetings because uh the real business of county meetings happens before and after the meetings is over. It's not that we love coming and showing 100 PowerPoint slides to a bunch of people. Uh we really enjoy getting out there and visiting with people, learning about uh what happened in 2025 and what you're gonna do going into 2026. And so um these episodes are not to replace meetings, but uh serve as a resource, uh serve as information if you can't come to the meetings, and then two, conversely, every cotton team member isn't gonna come to every meeting, right? So you may want to hear something from somebody who may not be at the meeting that you decide to go to. So with that being said, today we have Dr. Taylor Singleton. Hi, good morning. Doing good? Doing good, how about y'all? Good. And just as a reminder, we are recording these uh before the holidays in 2025, and so uh they will be periodically released in in the springtime of 2026, and so um things are subject to change, right? And uh that's kind of the name of the game with the first little topic here. Not that uh stewardship has changed at all, but you know, we don't really know the situation as we stand today with certain products as we go into 2026. So let's start with pesticide stewardship.

ESA Labels And Compliance

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Yeah. Yep. So hopefully by the time you get Dr. Cole Pepper on here, we'll have a more clear idea of how the growing season is gonna look from a product standpoint, what we have available, what we don't. But I'm I'm looking forward to county meetings this year. Yes, getting out and about to the counties that I'm gonna be attending and um and talking with folks and and learning about what what's been going on in their operations this year. Um but but what I'm thinking is I'm gonna take a stewardship approach, um, pesticide stewardship approach with with my talk this year. I think it's really, really important, regardless of the products that we have available for us. But it's always a really good reminder, especially in the winter time when things are a little bit calmer, uh, to just take a look at what we're doing on the operation and make sure we're doing everything that we possibly can to ensure that we're using our products in the most efficient way, but also the most effective way and um environmentally cautious way. Yeah. Right. Um, so that's you know, making sure our products stay on target, doing what we can to help those products do so, but also making sure that we're using them in a way that's safe for us, the applicator, as well as the people that are around us, the consumer of that end product, and the environment that surrounds us as well. Yep, for sure. So definitely want to touch on that a little bit this year as we get into county meetings because you know, pesticide use is under a lens of scrutiny, and you know, everything we do collectively as a group, but also individually, impacts our ability to use products moving into the future, especially those that have been a little more challenged in the past. Um, so we just a little refresher, I think, is always a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Yep, that's right. That's right. And so even looking forward uh to 2026, and y'all have done a great job working with county agents and stuff like that on on some of these things that are coming with endangered species.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Yeah, yep. So um 2026 growing season, there's several products that have been released throughout this past year that will have ESA requirements on them. Uh Liberty Ultra, um, the new insecticide Vertento. Vertento. Those products have ESA requirements on the label now, um, those new product labels, but also keep in mind anything that will be initially registered or re-registered moving forward will have ESA requirements placed on those labels. And we anticipate um registrations and re-registrations, especially re-registrations of products that have been moving through the process in 2026. Um, so there'll be products that will have new labels released with this label language in the coming year. And so it's really important. We've been working a lot with county agents, um, but it's really important for growers to pay attention to their product labels and make sure that the product that they're using, of course, we will do our best to communicate that information to you through extension.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

Yeah.

Buffers, Mitigation Points, And Tools

SPEAKER_01 4:56

Um, but just making sure that the products that you're using don't have ESA requirements on them that you aren't familiar with. Right. Um, and so that's a spray drift mitigation and a runoff and erosion mitigation requirement. Um, depending on the product that you're using and the application method, whether it's a ground, aerial, air blast, there'll be different requirements in order to use that product to ensure no negative impacts to sensitive areas that may surround where you're using the product. Um, it's gonna be understanding if you're in a pesticide use limitation area, getting that information through Bulletins Live 2, and then understanding what amount of downwind spray drift buffer may be required in order to use that product and how many mitigation points may also be required to use that product in order to prevent runoff and erosion. Um so we've been working with county agents, and hopefully that information will come to you through your county agent. Your county agent will absolutely be able to help you ensure that you're in compliance. Um, there's a lot of really good tools and resources that have been released from the EPA to help growers ensure that they're in compliance. Um, several calculators that your extension agent can work through with you. If you're using a product with an ESA mitigation requirement, your county agent can sit down with you and walk through that process, take a look at your individual field, what's going on in the field, what's the geography, what's the field characteristics, your soil characteristics, what's going on in the field as far as mitigation practices, conservation type practices, what's going on outside of your field. Um, your county agent can walk you through all of that because all of that provides you an opportunity to essentially get some buffer relief, um, reduce down the amount of buffer that may be required, calculate how many mitigation points are required. But these tools will allow your county agent to help you walk through the process, get that documentation that you need to have with your spray records to show you're in compliance and doing what the label outlines.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Yeah, and I think, you know, in our conversations, the biggest piece of this for nine times out of ten, or nine growers out of ten, are already in compliance. That's right. With what they do.

SPEAKER_01 7:07

And it's just documented.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

That's right. And so the biggest piece is making sure that you have the records in place to ensure that if you ever got checked, you could say, hey, that's right. I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

That's exactly right. And I I anticipate that most everybody is already doing everything that they need to do in order to be in compliance. You know, when it comes to a spray drift buffer, the label's gonna outline what amount of downwind buffer is necessary. That's an area outside your treated row in the beginning of a non-managed area that is essentially not sprayed.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

And there's a lot of options available to really reduce down that buffer. And if you take a look at the list and get with your county agent that can walk you through that, chances are you're already doing a lot of the practices. It's practices that help keep that product in the field, using a larger droplet size when it's applicable, uh, lowering your boom. You know, we make applications in high humidity. We a lot of a lot of our fields have natural windbreaks and buffers around them. So lots of things that are already happening on our on our farms here in Georgia that are going to get you credit for reducing that and buffer. But we just got to document it.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

And it's the same on the runoff and erosion mitigation, um, things such as using a cover crop, some type of conservation tillage. Uh, do we have grass waterways and grass buffers outside of our fields? You know, these practices are known conservation practices to help mitigate the movement of pollutants across the landscape. Yep. And very much applicable to pesticide movement as well. And so chances are most everybody is doing what they need to do to get the points required to use the products that they're interested in. We just got to document it, make sure that that information can be shown in our spray records if we're ever asked to show it.

Records Matter More Than You Think

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Yep, that's right. And so it's something good to have on the forefront of your mind just because everything is coming. We've got a few products already that have those requirements, but it is coming for everything. And so it's, you know, the times are changing and we got to change with it, you know. And so that's just the cost of doing business, I suppose, is what they'll call that. That's right. In terms of stewardship, like what other things should be on the forefront of everybody's mind?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Well, I really think that we need to to have another conversation and just revisit um all of the all the things we already know all know, right? About pesticide safety and and safe use of pesticide products on the farm. You know, when things get busy, we got a lot on our minds, there's a lot of stuff going on. Sometimes that may or may not be the first thing that slips.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Um, you know, we we're all guilty. Um, but it's really important that we keep that on the forefront of our mind because pesticide use is so critical to our operations, right? The availability and the option to use a pesticide product when we need it is critical to our sustainability. But one of the fastest ways, I think, that we we risk losing our ability and our option to use a pesticide is if we don't use it safely.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

Yeah.

Safety First And PPE Basics

SPEAKER_01 10:10

And, you know, we're there, there's just a we're everybody we're taking a hard look at pesticide use these days. And um, and and so I think it's really important that we remember that, you know, people are are watching us. We're, you know, people are watching and learning what we're doing on our operations, and and we need to make sure that we're we're being safe in the way that we're using products. For one, you know, we want to protect the environment around us, it's really important, but we should also want to protect ourselves and protect our families and the consumers that are gonna take advantage of that end product. And so I think it's worth revisiting. So um, that's one of my goals this year is just to revisit some of those concepts, you know, as pesticide applicators and and and folks listening, you know, stewards of the land and those that work the land and understand pesticides, we know that the science backs pesticide use and supports pesticide safety as long as we're using those products according to the label. Yeah. Because when we use the products according to the label, we know that the analysis and all the work that's been done on the back end supports the safety of us, the applicator, and those that are around us, the environment. But if we we deviate from that, it gets a little bit uncertain, right? So I think it's worth revisiting, you know, the things that tend to slip our minds. Are we are we wearing our PPE? Do we understand why we need to wear our PPE? That's really important. How do we know um that that PPE keeps us safe? We may maybe we'll talk a little bit about that as we get into county meetings a little bit. Um, but uh what really what can we do to protect ourselves, making sure that we're staying safe, but also keeping those around us safe as well.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Yeah, you know, and you you mentioned a second ago, it's like, hey, we all have made mistakes. Oh, yeah. You know, I have, and it's like you get here, like we get here, and of course we're not dealing with the amount of stuff that growers deal with, but it's like I get here and I go check a field, and it's like, well, I can't wait till tomorrow. That's right. You know, and so I'm in short sleeves or whatever, and it's like I I just gotta go. I just gotta move. And so it's just, you know, short, that's off label if you're in short sleeves, right? And so it's that's one thing. And then another thing is like I I'm in a hurry, I just gotta get this done. I just gotta get it sprayed, and that way I can move on to something else. That's exactly right. Certainly understand that situation, but it's just being mindful of stuff. And when you get in a hurry, anyways, that's when mistakes happen.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

That's exactly right. And and you just gotta remember, you know, we there's a lot of conversation going on now about the value that you bring to your operation. You're you are your operation's most valuable asset, and your your health is very important to that. Yeah, and so you know, the little things sometimes that may slip our minds, additive over a career, yeah, you know, can be can be problematic. So it's just really important to um just I'm I am guilty of this myself. We get in a hurry, the rain is coming, the weather's coming, we got a million other things to do. You got two million things to do on the farm.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

And so, you know, if we can save a couple minutes here and there, it works out well for us on the front end. But we just got to remember, you know, making sure we're wearing our PPE, wearing our gloves, long sleeves, long pants, um, closed-toed shoes, keeping our feet covered, handling our PPE once we're done, handling those residues that may be on our PPE. We don't want to carry that home to our family, washing our clothes appropriately, making sure we're not re-entering the field before that re-entry interval has passed, um, because the science and the data supports that maintaining that re-entry period, uh observing that re-entry period is what's necessary to keep us and the consumer safe.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

And so um, you know, just making sure that we keep all that in our forefront of our mind and just having a discussion of why these procedures are in place in the first place. Yeah. And if anything, you know, I think it's worth having a conversation. I know it's all second nature to everybody that's listening. It's um, you know, something that we've learned forever. But I think a little refresher would be really helpful this year just in case, you know, you're in a situation where somebody asks you why you're doing what you're doing, what's the purpose of your PPE? How do you know that the way that you're using pesticide products is safe for you, the applicator, or those that are consuming the product? If anything, let's have a conversation about that. So you have the information you need to um, you know, support what you're doing, but also just share the greater message um with folks that may not be as plugged into agriculture. Help explain to them what you're doing on the farm and why they um should feel comfortable with their safety.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

Right. And so back to the environmental sustainability piece, you know, whenever that word kind of gets thrown around and that's like a buzz phrase or word or whatever, um, you know, a lot of people think like tree hugger, right? Oh yeah. And I was like, I've heard that one before. Yeah, and so it's like, you know, some people don't like that, but really at the end of the day, what I what I would think is a better phrase for for growers in Georgia and and across the country is that nobody wants to leave it worse off than they found it.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

That's exactly right.

Washing, Footwear, And Family Safety

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Everybody wants it to be better, like when they're done, they want it to be better than it was when they started, right? And that's to me, that should take the place of environmental sustainability. That's right, in terms of a buzz phrase or whatever, because it's like they want if if you have children that are interested in taking over the farm, you want them to be in a good spot, right? Or or whatever, or if you're you know getting out and somebody else is gonna farm the place, you want it to be, you don't want to put them in a bad position, right? And so leaving it better than you found it.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

That's exactly right. I think that's a really good way to phrase that because sustainability is such a buzzword these days. I read somewhere on some um agriculture sustainability website or something that there's like a million ways that you can define the term. Yeah, but when it comes to what is what does it mean for us on the farm, it is leaving that land in a better place than the way we found it. Um I'm I'm a farm kid. I was raised on a farm and I was taught, you know, we we take care of the land that provides for us, and we want to leave it in a better shape than the way we found it.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

And that's a really important concept to remember. But we also have to stay in business too. We have to stay in business, we have to remain economical, we have to have an economical product that we're selling, and that all has to be balanced. Yeah. But ultimately, if we don't have healthy land that provides for us, we're not gonna be able to do that. Yeah, and so it's just it's just striking that balance and and not letting one piece outweigh the other, I think, is really important to keep in mind.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Yeah, that's right. It's it's a balance. And and whenever I was in my master's degree or maybe even undergraduate, I took a uh sustainable vegetable production class and at Auburn, and the first day was spent on the definition of sustainability. And it talked about environmental, but then it was like, hey, a critical piece of this is is the economics. That's right. And so you got to stay in business.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

That's right. And there's an there's another part too that I don't know that we talk about a lot. It's a social component as well, and it's it's not as popular to talk about, but I think in our our deeper, deeply rural agricultural communities, it's really important because, you know, we live in these very tight-knit farming communities where we care for our neighbors like their family. And, you know, their farms are are as important to us as our own. And so there's a there's a part of that too, where when we take care of our land, it also helps care for the land of our neighbors and and protect their livelihood and their health as well. So, and then I think there's a there's a third part on that social component that sometimes gets a little distorted as we as we get outside of our you know immediate farming communities. But it's really important that we, you know, when we look after ourselves, when we look after our our our own farms, we're also helping look after our neighbors and take care of our community that, you know, feeds back into our families. So it's really important to keep in mind.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Right, right. And whenever you think about sustainability, I mean, I I don't know there's anything more sustainable than cotton. Uh, you know, we did the stuff on microplastics and all that. That's so interesting. It's just like, man, that uh is like impacts your health, you know, and you're talking about you're the most valuable asset. So, anyways, I could get on a I think that's a really important.

Sustainability As Leaving It Better

SPEAKER_01 18:54

I mean, I uh that's been a fascinating area to learn more about from the work that y'all have been doing and and the information that has been being shared from uh the cotton folks. I think about it now every time I wash laundry, the potential for plastics to be moving through that washing machine cycle and exiting with the where is it going? I know, right? It is fascinating.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

But it's the same it's the same concept, right? With these with these pesticide products or whatever it is, is like you spray it and then a rain comes, where's it going, right? Or you spray it and it gets on your clothes and you put it in the washing machine. Like, did it come out? Where is it going? That's right.

SPEAKER_01 19:27

So as long as we're we know that if we follow the instructions that are presented to us on the labels, which I know are not fun to read, um, but extremely, extremely important. We know that if we follow those instructions, the data and the science backs up the understanding that we are going to be handling everything appropriately. We're handling the residues appropriately. We're we're making sure we're not negatively impacting the environment around us, we're protecting our health because it has all been tested following the procedures that are outlined in that label.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Yep. Yep. So grow cotton, wear cotton, all that good stuff. That's right. Except for your gloves, which goes into uh safety. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Do not wear cotton gloves when you're applying pesticide products. Yeah, that's the one thing we we don't wanna we don't want to use cotton for that. Yeah. But uh I think we can get a pass there. Yeah, we want some kind of chemical resistant glove, whether that's um reusable that you're washing or disposable that you're you're disposing of. But yeah, yeah, no uh no cotton gloves in that instance.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

Yeah, prefer no leather, leather shoes or leather gloves.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

Yeah, you nothing that you are gonna absorb it and is not gonna sit on your skin. You don't want it, you don't want anything sitting on your skin.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

Yeah, and so you know, just recap for us the the minimum, the bare minimum.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Yeah, bare minimum is uh long sleeves, long pants, close toed shoes, socks, um, and gloves. Chemical resistant gloves and eye protection.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

You don't have to protect it.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

I don't think about that because I wear my eye protection 24-7 almost. So it's second nature to me now.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

And I mean, if you read every label, that's the minimum, right? And then there's some products that you may need a little bit more.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

That's right. Yep. So that's why it's really important to uh read your label. Some products do require more PPE, and there's a good reason for that.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

So yes, yes, there is certainly a reason. And then with washing those clothes or those items, right? Some of them uh you can dispose of, right? Gloves.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

That's right. If you're using a disposable chemical resistant gloves, you can dispose of those. But it's best to go ahead and change your clothes right after you make a pesticide application, especially if you've come into contact with any kind of residues. And then uh take those clothes home and wash them separate from the rest of your families. Use hot water. If you got a fancy washing machine with a double uh double rinse cycle, do a double rinse and double spin, um, and then send those clothes through a hot cycle on your dryer. dryer or hang them outside to dry because that heat and that sunlight will help break down that pesticide residue. But it's really important to wash your clothes separate from your family. So keep deep deep water. Deep water. Use as much water as you can and that double rinse will help um remove those residues. But you you don't want to wash your clothes with the rest of your families because that could potentially expose them to residues that they may not be equipped to handle. And so wash them separate, high heat, high water, all that good stuff.

SPEAKER_02 22:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

And um it's just a simple thing that you can do to help protect your family from pesticide residues that they may potentially not be wearing PPE to protect themselves against.

SPEAKER_00 22:37

Yeah that and you know even I I love my wife very much but I walk into the house and she is like as soon as I walk in take your shoes off. Mm-hmm. You know, that's very important. Because I normally keep my shoes on. I mean which is kind of weird but you know I just normally keep them on because I'm in and out so much. And she's always like hey what you do at work today, take your shoes off.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Yeah well you got little ones crawling around on the floor and that's something to keep in mind too is when you know you're walking whether you're applying pesticides or not yeah you you all are walking around on your farms all day you you know you're picking up stuff on the soles of your shoes and and you don't want to take that stuff home where your your kids may crawl through it or your your pets may interact with it. Oh yeah. And um besides that's a lot of vacuuming.

Cover Crops: Species And Timing

SPEAKER_00 23:28

I think that's the main reason she doesn't want me wearing it. But it is twofold because she has said didn't you spray today? And it's like yeah I did. And so take them all and a lot of times if I spray at work she'll make me take them off outside. Yeah and then I come inside.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

Well you know one simple simple thing that you know if you're listening you may consider just having you a pair of rubber boots you throw in the back of the truck for when you spray and then change back into your regular boots when you're done and then even that's gonna that's gonna reduce the pesticide residues you may potentially be bringing home. It ain't gonna help with the dirt issue but it will definitely help with the residues. I do that myself I wear I have a separate pair of spray boots because um I just don't want to take the residues home myself.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

No yeah if I'm spraying on foot for sure I'm in rubber boots and I need to do a better job even when I'm mixing. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

Even if you're not spraying on foot like we all I don't imagine many folks listening are spraying acres with a backpack sprayer. Like we do like we do on the station but still you're mixing and you're loading you're you're possibly walking around in that rinse out material you know you're picking up stuff that you just don't want to carry home. Yeah. So you you're wearing your rubber bottom shoes or your uh rub whatever you know water resistant shoes anyways but you're protecting your feet yeah but what's on the bottom of those shoes that you're tracking around and what do you you know you're bringing it into your truck uh it just it spreads fast.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

You start thinking about it I mean that stuff's all over the place and it's uh you know you do everything you can to to reduce exposure to folks that you don't want exposed. That's exactly right. So all right so let's talk about some other stuff. You've done a lot of cover crop work over the last couple years. Yeah I love cover crops. Yeah I love them. Love them to death so what are some of the things which you've had some problems this year planting and yeah we've had some equipment issues but we won't talk about that today. But it all got planted it all got planted. So um let's talk a little bit about some of the work you've done and and uh you know even kind of this is of course going to play in the springtime but moving into um termination and and stuff like that also.

Seeding Rates: Drill Vs Broadcast

SPEAKER_01 25:33

Yeah so we've been doing a lot over the last year and a half now looking at different um cover crop species as well as cover crop cultivars so different essentially different varieties within those species. Yeah um just trying to get a better idea of what's available in the region and and how does it fit into the I don't know quote unquote growing windows that we're working with, you know, looking at earlier versus later maturing cultivars of cereal rye, oats, clover, vetches, just trying to understand better, you know, it seems like I don't I'm I'm still pretty new to this but it seems like we get later and later every year when it's time to get our cover in. So can we can we maximize a short window when we're working with something that's a little more abbreviated. So we've been doing some of that getting into some seeding rate work looking at different um seeding rates of these cultivars within different cover crop species just trying to understand more on the economic side of things how to how to really maximize our economic investment and still get a benefit to the production system. So yeah we've got some really interesting trials we've got cool season of course cool season cover crops in the ground right now um also looking at warm season species as well um and then excited to hopefully get more into termination timing. Yeah and I know by the time this comes out that's going to be a more applicable conversation is just better understanding you know our termination timing um and and I'm excited to get out into the counties at county meetings and learn more about what folks are doing and and the challenges that they have when tur with termination and and can we look at anything that would help in that area. But of course I know everybody's talking about the Jacid um so you know we're we're keeping an eye on all of our plots this winter and and staying in touch with Dr.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

Roberts to you know if we have any issues can uh address it then um but yeah yeah and you you know you do a lot of different you know for for most people right most people plant wheat or rye or oats or something but there are folks that do these mixes and yeah the mix thing a bunch of different species and and so you're doing a lot of individual species work and then that way we can kind of see all right if it you know the the jazzid does survive the winter you know where is it surviving? Because that's important. Oh yeah and but uh if it is found that it survives on whatever right that are in your plots we're gonna put the word out yeah we gotta get it out kill it yep I mean we gotta we don't want we don't want nothing like that.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

Nope. So we're gonna keep a close eye on everything. Yeah we have a ton of different species different cultivars and mixes. The mix thing is intriguing because it introduces a whole nother level of the complexity to the system but it'll be really really good to know if if something like that is a overwintering host.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

So yeah definitely keeping an eye on that.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

But um on your seeding rate stuff just out of curiosity is that all drilled?

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Yeah okay so actually yeah yes and no. So last year everything was drilled we've looked at two different cultivars of cereal rye two different cultivars of oats at seeding rates from anywhere from 20 to 100 pounds per acre. This year we expanded that into looking at broadcast versus drilled okay and how much do we or do we even need to increase our seeding rate if we're gonna broadcast compared to what we're seeing drilled.

SPEAKER_02 29:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

So we got all of that out there. We essentially just um we have a standard rate for drilled standard rate for broadcast and we've increased those at increments of 15 10 15% just to get a better idea okay if we have 50 pounds per acre as our drilled rate what is a comparable level of biomass that we're seeing or or stand that we're seeing in a broadcast system and at what seeding rate do we see it? Do we even need to increase uh you know 25% or whatever you know whatever we do because that's a very important piece of the economical situation as well. Do we do we have to be increasing because if we don't we can save us a little bit of money there.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

Right. And do you have to so I I thought I had a conversation with a grower and I might be wrong that you had to plant a certain seed or seeding rate to qualify correct for some of these payments. Yes. But if you're not getting more benefit out of broadcasting 70 pounds than you are 40. That's right. Right? But you don't qualify for the payment.

SPEAKER_01 30:14

Right and we just we need to be able to show that with data and and then have that conversation of hey you know we we're doing this but there isn't a benefit let's let's reevaluate the way that this is written and that conversation can happen with the data. So we're trying to generate some of that data to get a better idea of because I've heard yeah you know I've heard that you know some folks don't don't see the benefit of increasing that broadcast rate um but we just got to back it up with the numbers. So yeah hopefully we'll get some good data this year and of course we'll repeat it um next year and and just kind of get a sense of where we're at and how to expand on that in the future.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Yeah.

Payments, Economics, And Data

SPEAKER_01 30:53

But I'd love to hear what growers are doing the experiences that they've had with that so we can really tailor the research project to answer the questions yeah that will help um you know have a good conversation on making the the standards something that are applicable.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

I told that grower you had it covered. Ooh that's a good one that's a good one and when I said that just now I didn't realize that it was a pun.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

Yeah yeah that was not a purpose so hey do you want to talk about Amy's project a little bit? Yeah we you should get Amy on here to talk about it. Yeah she's she's done some really good work um looking at multi-species cover crop mixtures as recommended by NRCS. So what she's doing is she's got what I would consider grower standard. She's got a cereal rye she's by itself she's got a crimson clover by itself and then she's got different treatments evaluating two species mixtures, three species mixtures, four and five species mixtures. And um and compared to a weedy fallow compared to a weedy fallow um well we called it fallow but it turned into a weedy fadish wild radish she's comparing all that to wild radish and um so it's been really interesting she's um evaluating it in a cotton system so looking at the impacts of these multi-species mixture on cotton production everything from uh cotton stand cotton growth uh cotton yield most importantly right but we're also we've got biomass measurements um from the cover itself we're going to uh analyze that residue to look at the the nitrogen content and how much is benefiting our system from a fertility standpoint yeah so that's the next step here but um yeah she's she's done some really good work it's one year yeah one year of data so far but I think we're gonna learn a lot on you know many many folks are feeling the pressure to add multiple cover crop species to their mixture and I and I would like to say a cover crop mixture has a lot of benefits. Yeah each of those species brings something else to the table depending on the goal of why you're planting that cover it can be very beneficial to add a multi-species mixture but we have to understand what it does to the cash crop over time. Right. Which is really important. So I think the data that she's going to generate is going to be really really impactful in understanding the value of or of not adding um multiple species to that cover crop planting and then what that looks like from a cash crop perspective and and kind of getting us started on some conversations of you know is this the best approach in all production systems and and from a you know financial assistance standpoint as well.

Multi‑Species Mixes In Cotton

SPEAKER_00 33:34

Right, right. And uh the other piece to that that I thought was interesting and we kind of did on the fly was you've got the data showing the nutritional value I guess of soil soil nutrient value of the cover crop. Yeah we're we're taking those yep but we also kind of on the fly said hey why don't we see what the cotton's getting if it's getting anything yeah you know and so we did all kinds of samples on that too and and have those numbers on if it you know took more n if the cotton took up more nitrogen in certain cover crop treatments than the weedy fallow or rye by itself or whatever and uh can use that to say all right well yeah theoretically you have the benefit from the cover crop but are we actually getting it and is it doing anything? That's right. Right. Yep. And so it's uh it's a really neat project and it's a lot of data.

SPEAKER_01 34:28

And uh and she's so good at handling all that data and I'm excited to see how um it all kind of comes together and I know she's working on it now. Oh yeah. So uh we'll have more information but I she's she's gonna get some really cool some really cool figures and graphs out of that project just showing that that nutrient flow essentially through the system and you know when we put the economics on it too it'd be really interesting to see you know are we maximizing um our economic benefit by adding more species to the mix.

SPEAKER_00 34:59

Yeah yeah and I think that was the biggest question with something like that is you've to keep qualifying for payments you had to add stuff right or change something. Yep and uh with that comes an added cost. And so does the having the added program assistance I guess cover adding these newer species and do you get something at the end of the is it actually worth doing going through all the trouble as opposed to just doing weedy fallow or wheat or rye or oats or whatever. You know, because I mean it I mean some of this stuff starts to get a little expensive.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

It is very pricey and it's you know we we gotta understand what this looks like over time. We need to understand is there a benefit over time. I I've talked to some folks recently that have had really good success with cover crop mixtures. Yeah. And so you can absolutely make it work. It's just how how long is it going to take us to get there? We need we need to understand that component as well and can we make it work financially at this in this time that we find ourselves in.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

Yeah and I mean you look at some stuff like I mean some people may not like Auburn and that's fine but I went there and uh I actually got to work yeah on the uh old rotation oh oldest continuous cotton experiment in the world and one of the biggest parts of that back in the late 1800s, 1896 is when it started was that yeah long time ago. And so uh the biggest part of that was utilizing vetch and clover as part of a fertility program. And uh I mean it's been done since 1896. It's been in the same plot in the same area land it's on the National Register of Historic Places and stuff like that. And all the data's out there it's available I sent it to Amy one day. I was like hey read up on this like I think it's really cool and it might just be because I worked on it a little bit but you know it is neat because it shows the benefit of using those uh cover crops over time along with standard fertility programs and compared to different crop rotations and and things like that. So there certainly is something to a long-term thing and that was one thing about Amy's study right was it was the first year that's right of that study in that field and so it might be worth looking at some of that stuff long longer term maybe not a hundred years.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

Yeah but I don't think we'll be here for that but I hope not but maybe five. Yeah no I think it's really important because I think that when it comes to cover crops that's probably an area that we underutilize but we we gotta we need to better understand the long term benefits and there's a ton of work that goes on around the country but every you know every system every region is different. And so can we we get a better understanding here in our state for for the growers that are growing in this system you know the benefit that that cover can bring to your your soil health your fertility you know just the the long-term health of your land.

Nutrient Flow And Yield Impacts

SPEAKER_00 38:06

Well and even you know people come to Tifton for a field day or whatever we nine times out of ten are going to go to the RDC pivot and it's like it's been split in those different quadrants conventional versus conservation for the last 30 years. And I mean we deep turned that all the whole pivot last year a year ago and you can still tell to the row where it was where it has been continuous conservation tillage for or cover crop right for the last 30 years.

SPEAKER_01 38:38

Well if you think about you know keeping that cover crop on that section of land you know when you keep your ground covered all year with something you've got some kind of live root material in that soil at all times you're feeding the microbes all year not just during your cash crop. You know so when that microbe is fed and it's happy it's continuously adding to the soil it's decomposing organic matter it's building up your soil aggregation your soil tilth you've got the ability for earthworms to move in you know you've got a lot of good stuff going on in the soil that's going to provide a benefit to the cash crop as you go into the next growing season and over a long period of time 30 years that is a lot of benefit.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

That's very additive you think about the organic matter and it holds some of your fertility a little bit better, but even the cover crop scavenges for what cotton or your your cash crop isn't using.

SPEAKER_01 39:33

That's right. And so as that cash as that cover crop scavenges what potentially is left over from your cash crop, adds it to its organic matter into its residue when that cover crop is terminated or it dies and as it decomposes it can and release that fertility back into the soil and provide a benefit for your cash crop. So can we can we measure that and then maximize that and leverage it in our cash crop production system. I think it's a an area that there's a lot of potential for knowledge to be gained in. Yeah yeah for sure anything else no I think I think that covered everything I'm I'm excited to get out there at county meetings this year and see everyone and learn what's going on and see how we can help.

SPEAKER_00 40:17

Yeah yeah so certainly want to thank Dr. Singleton for coming and joining us and uh again this is a little sneak peek into what we're going to talk about at county meetings but we still want to see y'all out there um at these meetings visit we all during the meetings and things like that. And uh as always if you got questions about this or anything else just reach out to your local county agent. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this episode of Talkin'cotton with the UGA cotton team if you have any questions about anything we talked about today or if there's anything you'd like for us to talk about in the future please contact your local UGA County extension agent. And as always you can find us on all major podcast platforms. Be sure to like share with your friends and subscribe so you can stay up to date