The National Cotton Council has scheduled dates and locations for the 2011 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) Program. Sponsored by Bayer CropScience through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the program is now in its 23rd year of helping its U.S. cotton producer participants improve yields and fiber quality.

This season, producers from the Mid-South will see operations in California on July 17-21; Far West producers will travel to Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas on July 31-Aug. 5; Southwest producers will visit Georgia, Alabama and Florida on Aug. 7-12; and Southeastern producers will travel to West Texas and South Texas on Aug. 21-26.

The P.I.E. program enables cotton producers to improve yields and fiber quality along with boosting their overall operation’s efficiency by: (1) gaining new perspectives in such fundamental practices as land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting and (2) observing firsthand the unique ways in which their innovative peers are using new and existing technology.

Upon completion of this year’s four tours, the P.I.E. program will have exposed more than 900 U.S. cotton producers to innovative production practices in regions different than their own.