Battle for acreage could see less cotton in Oklahoma

J.C. Banks, Oklahoma State University Southwest Research and Extension Center director and Extension cotton specialist, agrees that cotton acres will be down in the state for the coming season.

The NCC survey lists 2006 cotton acreage in Oklahoma at 315 thousand acres and intended 2007 acreage at 271 thousand acres, for a 13.9 percent reduction.

“We are tagging right on to the national numbers,” Banks said.  The NCC survey reflects a 13.6 percent drop in cotton acreage for U.S. producers in 2007.

Survey figures released by NCC early this week suggest Oklahoma producer’s intended decrease in dryland cotton could be the largest decrease in the Southwest Cotton Belt.

NCC’s Vice President of Economics and Policy Analysis, Gary Adams, said even with this year’s cotton prices similar to last year, the increase in corn and soybean prices is causing a shift from cotton acreage to grains.

“The thing that is driving crops is the ethanol boom,” Banks said.  “Alternative crops are suddenly jumping up in value.”

Banks said the amount of winter moisture in the subsoil is the determining factor in whether more or less cotton is planted by state cotton producers.

“If the wheat crop is not good in areas, cotton may be an alternative,” Banks said.

“The chain reaction gets us,” Banks said.  “Cotton acres will be down and that will bring the price of cotton up.”

Banks is involved in research at OSU’s Altus research station and said efforts are ongoing to improve both cotton varieties and yield.

“As a crop, cotton tolerates drought better than most crops,” Banks said. 

Dryland cotton in Oklahoma is planted from early May through early June, primarily in the southwest part of the state.  Banks said that the state has seen a recent increase in cotton acreage north of Stillwater and in the Panhandle.

“At one time Oklahoma had 5 million acres of cotton, right after the turn of, not this century, but the last century, in the early 1900s,”  Banks said, “Boll weevil took out a lot of people then.  But we have gotten rid of the boll weevil.”

Banks urges producers to consider growing more cotton in non-traditional areas.  Banks points out the cotton producers grow today is not the same as the cotton from 20 to 40 years ago, is easier to grow and survives drought conditions.

“One of the big problems grain crops have is dockage,” Banks said.  Wheat in the north central area of the state is particularly affected by the problem, Banks said.  “Cotton rotation takes care of grassy weed species,” he said.

Ninety percent or more of Oklahoma’s cotton is exported to foreign markets including India, Pakistan, China and Mexico.

While Banks sees ethanol driving crops, he does not see corn replacing cotton in the state.

“Cotton is a heat-loving crop,” Banks said.  “Corn in heat-loving areas has pollination problems.”

Important research is being done with sweet sorghum varieties, and other grains for future alternative energy use, Banks said.

Banks expects to see more work with transgenic developed crops that can meet the new needs for energy being placed on agriculture. 

“We’ll be growing crops specifically for energy in the future,” Banks said.

“A lot of ethanol plants are coming online and we are in a huge growth spurt right now.  Ethanol is here to stay,” he said. 

“In my opinion, it is going to change agriculture,” Banks said.

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Fax: 405-744-5739
E-Mail janet.reeder@okstate.edu

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