ABSTRACT
Cotton, as grown in the United States and most other countries, is an environmentally
responsibly produced and managed product [47,627]. Cotton production faces many chal-
lenges. Cotton can be affected by insects [628], weeds [629], diseases [630], nematodes [631], and
mycotoxins [632]. The newest and latest tested technology is used to produce the crop [9,47].
Modern cotton production minimizes soil erosion by using conservation tillage and other
practices, nutrient loss with nutrient management programs, and ground water contamination.
At least 90% of the U.S. cotton production uses crop protection products with a wide array of
integrated pest management (IPM) programs as well as computer programs and other tech-
nologies (e.g., global positioning systems) to apply only the crop protection products that are
needed and only where they are needed. A biocontrol (competitive exclusion) method for
managing aflatoxin (a mycotoxin that can be a serious food safety hazard on cottonseed) on
cotton has been developed for use in Arizona, Texas, and California [633].
