National Cotton Council's (NCC) Member Representative Rick King in Texas says exchanging information between cotton producers across the country has opened many doors for cotton producers over the years, and continuing that trend will be the prime objective when Southeast cotton producers arrive in Lubbock next week to see how cotton is grown in the Lone Star State.

"We've got cotton producers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Virginia headed into Texas this Sunday, Aug. 17, for five days of touring cotton operations and the industries that support cotton production in Texas," King told Southwest Farm Press this week. "The National Cotton Council has been providing these exchange program opportunities for 26 years now and it's a great way for producers in one part of the country to see how others are handling the same types of problems they may have on their farms."

The program is designed to help cotton producers boost their overall operational efficiency by gaining new perspectives in fundamental practices like land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting while discovering and sharing unique ways to utilize new technology and methods.

This year Mid-South producers traveled to the West Coast July 13-17 to review and exchange information on operations in California. Producers in the West paid a visit to the Mid-South and visited farms and facilities in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee in late July. Producers from Texas just finished up a tour of operations in the Southeast and offered good reviews of the tours offered there.

When southeast producers tour cotton operations and facilities in Lubbock and Corpus Christi next week, it will represent the fourth and last leg in the national program for 2014. They are scheduled to arrive in Lubbock Sunday evening, Aug. 3, and will spend Monday and Tuesday touring around the Lubbock area before loading up on a flight to Corpus Christi late Tuesday evening. In the Coastal Bend they will spend the following two days. In the Coastal Bend they will spend the following two days touring local farms and facilities before heading home Friday morning.

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Sponsored by Bayer CropScience through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the Producer Information Exchange tour, or P.I.E. tour,  has exposed more than 1,000 U.S. cotton producers to innovative production practices in regions different than their own. The NCC's Member Services staff, in conjunction with local producer interest organizations, conducts the program, including participant selection.

Following is the latest Southwest P.I.E. Tour agenda, including the tour schedule for both Lubbock and the Coastal Bend areas.

Sunday, August 17

Arrive at Lubbock Airport where participants to be met by Council Member Service Representatives Rick King and Susan Everett.

Monday, August 18

            Presenter:   Monte Christian and Margaret Shield

            Topic 2:  Texas Cotton Production

            Presenter:  Steve Verett, EVP, Plains Cotton Growers

            Topic 3:  Texas Cotton Improvement Program

            Presenter:  Dr. Jane Deaver, Texas Cotton Improvement Program

            Hosts:  Gail Kring, President, Robert Lacy, Vice President

            Hosts:  Buzz, Dean and Keith Vardeman

Hosted by Texas Cotton Producers

Tuesday, August 19

            Hosts:  Ron Harkey and Mike Nettles

            Host: Brady and Jerry Mimms

Wednesday, August 20

Breakfast provided by Stover Equipment at 8:30 am

            Hosts:  Lagina and Gene Grove; Jimmy Stover

            Module Trucks and Round Module Opening

            Host:  Sid Brough

            Round Module Ginning

            Host:  Jeff McKamey

            View Samuel Automated Bale Bagging system

            Host:  David Fields

            Cotton storage at La Quinta Facility and potential new container port

            Hosts:  Liz Cantu and David Fields

            Bus Tour of Port and Ship Channel

            Host:  Jeff Holley

            Fertilizer Terminal on the Port

            Host:  Ted Proske; Area Director

            USDA Cotton Classing Facility

            Hosts:  Sam Lawson, Donald Houser, Troy Nedbalek, Josh Rieder, Bob Whatley,

            Erich Schneider, and Jeff McKamey

            Host:  Bobby Rieder

            Fish Fry with Cobbler

Thursday, August 21

            A South Texas Boll Weevil update will be presented over lunch

            Host:  Darrell Dusek TBWEF Zone Manager South Texas/Winter Garden

            Host:  Rodney Campbell

            Meal will be held next door at the Surf Museum

Rick King says 14 producers from the Southeast will be attending the Southwest P.I.E. tour this year.