Cotton grower runs on-farm ‘research station’
(Braggadocio, Mo.) – Steve McKaskle was introduced at a recent conference as “the most innovative cotton grower in the world.” His thousand-acre farm in Missouri’s Bootheel is constantly evolving as he seeks new and better ways to control insect pests, manage weeds, and improve the soil.
“Since we began organic farming, this farm has been like an experimental research station,” McKaskle says. “We hope our efforts will lead to more compatible and workable solutions to the major challenges we face.”
Steve McKaskle grows organic cotton on his 1,000-acre farm in Missouri’s Bootheel. Organic soybeans, wheat, corn, and cover crops are also part of his rotation. (Photo by Lori Compas)
His perseverance is paying off. “This year we probably have one of the best cotton crops in the area,” he says. “And this is the cleanest soybean crop I’ve ever had.”
‘Economic sense’
McKaskle began growing cotton organically in 1991. Though many people considered organic cotton to be nearly impossible to grow, the potential for high profits motivated him to give it serious thought.
“I don’t mind trying a new thing if it makes economic sense,” he says.
As he learned more about organic production methods, he became convinced that going organic made sense for his farm – not just from an economic standpoint, but from an environmental standpoint as well.
Cotton is susceptible to weed pressure and a variety of insect pests, and conventional farmers use large amounts of herbicides and pesticides to control them. In McKaskle’s view, though, these chemicals are too expensive – both environmentally and economically – and he has spent years finding creative ways to avoid them.
Insect pests
Cotton plants are notoriously delicate until they develop their characteristic woody stems, which isn’t until they’re about ten inches tall. Thrips commonly attack the vulnerable young plants.
“The thrip is our biggest insect problem,” McKaskle says. “It delays the plants’ maturity and really causes a lot of damage.”
McKaskle controls thrips with insecticidal soap, and by leaving last year’s stalks and other debris on the raised seedbeds. This “stale-bed” method is similar to no-till, and the thrips apparently have difficulty distinguishing between the young cotton plants and last year’s debris.
“The insects become confused – they don’t attack the cotton as aggressively,” McKaskle says. An even greater benefit, he says, is that the practice also helps conserve sandy soil.
The boll weevil has been another persistent pest, though farmers throughout the South are nearing success in their attempts to eradicate it. Missouri is in its third year of the USDA’s Boll Weevil Eradication Program, which typically sprays farms several times during the growing season. McKaskle is the only cotton grower in the United States who has been exempted from spraying.
He has been able to control the boll weevil organically, with the help of pheromone-lure traps, beneficial insects, and the relatively colder temperatures of Missouri winters.
Weeds
“Our biggest challenge is weeds,” McKaskle says. “If the weeds are manageable, I think the cost of organic production is near or below current conventional cotton.”
McKaskle and his crew use a variety of methods to control weeds, including hand weeding, cultivation, and flaming. Flaming is the process of killing weeds by exposing them to high heat, which vaporizes the water in their cells.
McKaskle is also experimenting with corn gluten meal, a byproduct of wet-milling corn. The meal shows promise as a pre-emergent herbicide, but it’s currently only available in dry form.
“It’s not farmer-friendly,” McKaskle says. “It’s dry and bulky.”
McKaskle and his business partner, Mark Coots of Dexter, Mo., are hoping to change that. They’ve formed a new company, called Naturalcides, to produce naturally occurring plant-based and soil-based herbicides. The company is working with scientists to create an economical, workable liquid herbicide solution using corn gluten meal as its base.
An innovator
As any cotton grower knows, the challenges are never-ending. McKaskle says he has sometimes considered getting out of farming altogether. Since 1998, his crop production has been below average, mainly due to extreme weather conditions.
But McKaskle says the opportunity to try new things – and good crops like this year’s – keep him going.
“I’m motivated more by the environmental aspect now,” he says. “But it’s still an economically motivated operation. If we don’t make money we’re not going to stay in business.”