MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cotton farming in Mississippi was just another part of the national way of life affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

National cotton markets were headquartered in building 4 of the World Trade Center before the attacks. When all airplanes were grounded across the United States, Mississippi cotton was at its peak need for defoliation before harvest, which is done by aerial application.

Will McCarty, cotton specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said farmers lost several days of defoliation because of the grounding. Quality was already an issue because of late rains that continue to cause some cotton deterioration in the fields.

"We lost several days and then it started raining. A lot of people got behind, but if the weather cooperates, we can get caught back up fairly quickly," McCarty said. "If the grounding had lasted longer, it would have been a real problem."

The Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI grounded planes from noon Sept. 11 through noon Sept. 14. Planes flew the next two days, then were grounded again the afternoon of Sept. 16. By late afternoon Sept. 17, the ban was lifted again.

Because of early September rains, the ground was too wet to get land applicators in cotton fields. With planes flying again, the defoliation delay should just be an aggravation, but McCarty said only time will tell what impact this will have on yields. Growers must wait seven to 14 days after defoliation before the cotton can be picked.

"The further you delay harvest aid applications, the cooler the weather is and the slower they are to work," McCarty said. "We've got a big crop to pick this year, and we don't need any further delays."

Charlie Forrest, Extension agricultural economist, said the New York Cotton Exchange, part of the New York Board of Trade, moved from its destroyed offices in the World Trade Center to a backup facility in Long Island City, N.Y. According to information on their website, all employees safely evacuated the building and trading resumed the following Monday.

"With any kind of move like that, you're going to have glitches in the system, but they seem to do doing OK," Forrest said. "Cotton prices are still going south, but that is because of the large crop looming over the market."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly crop report release was delayed by two days, and it shows some quality deterioration from the rains.

"From Aug. 1 to Sept. 1, Mississippi yield increased 14 pounds an acre, which may not hold given the deterioration we're seeing in the crop," Forrest said. "Harvested acres were down 50,000, which left us with a reduction of 30,000 bales in our total production estimate for 2001."