Eleven cotton producers from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia will see cotton operations in Texas on Aug. 21-25 as part of the 2011 NCC Producer Information Exchange (PIE).

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

Sponsored by Bayer CropScience through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the PIE program is now in its 23rd year of helping its U.S. cotton producer participants improve yields and fiber quality.

The tour begins on Aug. 22 in Lubbock with a visit to the Bayer CropScience Warehouse for an update on the company’s research/development, an overview on the Plains Cotton Growers Association and presentations on “Texas Cotton Production” and the “Texas Cotton Improvement Program” from Texas A&M University. researchers.

The day’s tour in the Lubbock area also includes visits to PYCO Industries, Farmer’s Cooperative Compress and Mimms’ Farm.

The next day in Lubbock the group will hear a presentation on electronic marketing at Plains Cotton Cooperative Assoc. and tour the Texas Feed Lot and the Back to Earth Resources for a look at methods for enhancing the value of gin by-products.

The next two days, the group will be in the state’s Coastal Bend area.

On Aug. 24, while in Corpus Christi, they will visit Stover Equipment Company, the Gulf Compress, the Port of Corpus Christi and Gatefront, LLC.

They also will visit Edcot Gin Coop in Odem.

The tour concludes on Aug. 25 with a visit to Kingsville for a tour of the King Ranch and Farms and a look at research projects conducted by Texas AgriLife Extension.

The producers also will visit the Smith Gin Co-op in Odem and then participate in individual farm tours in San Patricio, Nueces and Kleberg counties.