Texas High Plains cotton growers Ronnie Hopper and his son, R. N., are the Southwest Region High Cotton winners for the 2015 Cotton Foundations/Farm Press High Cotton Award.
The Hoppers believe in no-till crop production for the benefits of soil and water conservation, energy and labor savings and replacing organic matter in the soil. They converted to no-till in the summer of 2006, reports Southwest Farm Press.
The thing that makes it work, they say, is crop rotation. “The success of no-till cotton relies on rotation,” Ronnie says.
The Hoppers’ success in improving efficiency and their commitment to creating a more sustainable production system were among the factors of them being selected for the High Cotton award.