Soil health and cotton production in Texas will take center stage Feb. 9, 2021, during the virtual Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton Farmer Showcase.

The event, sponsored by the Soil Health Institute, will feature discussions between two Texas producers and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension specialists about the challenges and benefits of adopting practices to improve soil health.

Topics to be covered include managing cover crops to minimize water use; improving soil moisture levels; and increasing soil organic matter levels.

Featured growers are no-till farmer Jeremy Brown, who farms near Lamesa, Texas, and producer Barry Evans, who produces primarily dryland cotton near Kress.

Texas cotton producer Jeremy Brown. (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

“The soil is the life to what we do as farmers. It is important that we steward it well now and into the future," Brown said. "This seminar is an opportunity for farmers to learn more about what they can do to help improve their soil.”

Extension specialists include:

Upcoming events are as follows:

The final event in the series, Why Soil Health is Important to the Future of U.S. Cotton, will address why companies are increasingly becoming more interested in soil health as well as address the following questions:

The Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton Farmer Showcase is part of the Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton project, which provides farmer-focused education and training events delivered by Soil Health Institute scientists, partnering with local soil health technical specialists and farmer mentors who have implemented successful soil health management systems. The project aims to increase the adoption of soil health management systems among cotton producers while documenting environmental and economic benefits.

To register and learn more about the virtual Farmer Showcase events, visit http://bit.ly/2Mz74Ge.