Cotton fields must be reported

March 5, 2007

(ABILENE) - Cotton producers in the South Texas/Winter Garden eradication zone are encouraged to report the location of their cotton fields to their local Texas Boll Weevil Eradication office.
All commercial cotton in an active eradication zone must be reported, along with cotton being grown for ornamental, research or other purposes.
Ordinarily, this is accomplished by certifying acreage at a local Farm Service Agency. FSA then provides the Foundation with the information.
But the growing season is usually well under way by the time the Foundation receives the data, after the final certification date. If a new field is opened or a field location changes, the field may not be trapped in a timely manner, allowing weevil populations to grow, Foundation officials said. This slows the progress of eradication and increases the programs cost to growers.
State law requires a permit be obtained to plant ornamental or noncommercial cotton in an eradication zone. Applications for a permit may be obtained from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Ideally, ornamental or noncommercial cotton should not be planted while the eradication program is in progress, but all cotton must be trapped to detect possible weevil populations.
The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation is a nonprofit, grower-initiated and funded organization dedicated to eliminating the cotton boll weevil from the state in the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner possible.