







The bottom line is that cotton producers “will be called upon to write and develop nutrient management plans,” said Kenty. Plans will require soil tests, geo-referenced maps, detailed records and for producers to follow USDA and NRCS guidelines.

“Either you look at it as another mandate by the government that makes it more difficult for you to earn your living, or you look at it as a tool that can help you fine-tune fertility inputs, ultimately creating best management practices leading to higher production, and hopefully, more profit,” he said.

Nutrient management plans are essentially a documentation of how the producer uses nutrients on his farm — “what goes in, what is used by the crop and what's left,” Kenty said.

“Producers who have started down that path are making more money. They're not necessarily spending less on their fertility, they're placing it better.”

Two of those producers, Alabama cotton producer Shep Morris and California cotton producer Cannon Michael, will discuss their current production programs relative to the Clean Water Act during a panel discussion during the symposium.





The Beltwide Cotton Conferences will take place Jan. 4-7 at the New Orleans Marriott and Sheraton New Orleans hotels. The National Cotton Council is the conferences' primary coordinator.

For further information, contact the NCC's Debbie Richter, P.O. 820285, Memphis, Tenn. 38182, or 901-274-9030 or
