Mark the calendar for the 2016 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Jan. 5-7, 2016 in New Orleans, La.

Registration and hotel reservations at the New Orleans Marriott can be made starting Sept. 21 online. A schedule of events and general information are on the website.

Registration costs prior to Dec. 14 for the National Cotton Council-coordinated forum are: $175 for NCC/Cotton Foundation members, university and USDA researchers, Extension personnel, associations and consultants; $300 for non-NCC/Foundation members, and $80 for students.

On-site conference self-registration kiosks are available 24 hours a day starting on the evening of Jan. 4. On the morning of Jan. 5, NCC staff will be available for attendees needing assistance with registration and name badge printing.

Continuing education units or 'CEUs' will be offered.

The 2016 Beltwide will begin at noon Jan. 5 with a half-day Cotton Consultants Conference session featuring new developments from industry, including discussions and reports on new varieties, chemistries, and emerging technologies.

The next day’s Consultants Conference will begin with the latest updates on weed management strategies. Entomologists will discuss the latest findings on neonicotinoid insecticides, including its impact on pollinators and possible replacements for this key class of chemistry should alternatives become necessary.

This session will conclude with a joint session of the Agronomy and Physiology Conference and the Soil Management and Plant Nutrition Conference open to all attendees.

The 11 cotton technical conferences, ranging from weed science to agronomy, will meet be held concurrently from the morning of Jan. 6 through noon Jan. 7.

NCC Chairman Sledge Taylor, a Mississippi cotton producer and ginner, says Beltwide provides the opportunity for cotton groups to exchange information.

Taylor said, “This exchange is helping guide cutting-edge research in agronomy, pest management, economics, and other important disciplines that can lead to more efficient cotton production, processing, and marketing,” Taylor said.