Cotton farmers have many challenges and fighting pests is only one of them. The changing agricultural landscape of the San Joaquin Valley poses other, equally significant problems.
California cotton field.
According to literature from The Sustainable Cotton Project, in the 1950’s and 60’s the cotton industry in California cultivated more than 1 million acres of cotton which contributed over $1 billion a year to the California agricultural economy. Since then, much of that acreage has been replaced by the over 300 commodity crops produced in California. Most significant of these are stone fruits, almonds, alfalfa and corn. Much of the acreage formerly used for seasonal crops, such as cotton, has been replaced by permanent plantings of stone fruit and almonds because these crops bring a higher dollar amount per acre at market.
Land devoted to seasonal crops can easily be adapted to grow what the market currently demands. Almonds and stone fruits are permanent tree plantings and the acreage becomes restricted to their production only. These permanent plantings change the landscape in the valley and create a tension between farmers over a scarce resource—water. Water diverted to tree crops means less water available for growing cotton. This, combined with the three year drought between 2006-2009,dropped the amount of acreage planted in cotton in California to only 190,000 acres, the lowest since 1920.
A cotton picker in action.
The decrease in amount of water available in the San Joaquin Valley has encouraged farmers of both stone fruits and almonds as well as seasonal crops such as cotton to examine their water use practices.
Permanent plantings such as almonds are well suited to drip irrigation. However, cotton fields are generally watered mechanically because harvesting equipment would damage drip irrigation systems. And, cotton fields need to be watered only half the year. Planted in April, cotton reaches maturity in 180-200 days. Irrigation ends in August and the crop is harvested in October.
Rows of cotton.
New practices in cotton fields incorporate installation of permanent drip tape along the cotton rows, placed deep underground where it won’t be disturbed by harvest and tilling equipment. The tape is a permanent installation and can remain in place for 8-10 years. This drip system cuts water use by 40% in the average cotton field. Drip irrigation has several benefits: 1) it places water directly where the plant needs it and 2) water run-off is minimized, thus diminishing erosion and residual pollution of the waterways. Additionally, remote sensing equipment is now used to determine exactly where a cotton field needs water, thus matching water use with need. Where previously 30-36” of water was needed to cultivate an acre of cotton, under these new practices the amount has dropped to 24″—a net water savings of nearly 25%. For more information about cotton and water see http://www.sustainablecotton.org/images/media/Sustainable_Cotton_Production_&_Processing.pdf
Pima cotton.
The increase in market demand for cotton in 2010, primarily due to crop loss in other cotton growing countries suffering from unprecedented drought, increased the number of acres planted in cotton in the San Joaquin Valley from the 2009 low of 190,000 to about 440,000. According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, the cotton produced in the San Joaquin Valley, primarily SJV Acala and Pima cotton, is some of the highest quality in the world. SJV Acala, a special type of Upland cotton is grown only in the Central Valley. Its high quality commands premium prices for dress shirts, fine linens, and bath towel. American Pima, an especially fine, long staple fiber that rivals Egyptian cotton is a California specialty. California produces about 90% of the U.S. Pima cotton.
Hardship, challenges and fickle mother nature are no strangers to California farmers. Nor is the need to conserve resources and the desire to treat the land responsibly. After the challenges of 2009, things are looking up for California cotton growers. As long as water supplies are available and fair market prices for cotton continue, California cotton growers will continue to grow cotton.