Cotton producing areas of the irrigated west have traditionally been associated with intense levels of management and high yields. Management is necessarily intense since in most cases, nearly 100% of the crop water needs are supplied by irrigation. Physically delivering the water to crops and the associated costs, create a situation where all other crop inputs must be managed in an optimal fashion. Most cotton producing areas of the irrigated west also enjoy climatic and soil conditions that are favorable for high yield potentials. Growing seasons are often long and open, and soil resources are commonly chemically and physically favorable, once they are reclaimed for agricultural use from a native desert condition.

Despite the many benefits associated with cotton producing areas in the irrigated west, these production systems face many obstacles and challenges in an effort to retain economic viability for both short- and long-term considerations. Of the many factors associated with the difficulties in producing cotton in the west; such as irrigation water costs and availability, insect pest damage, insect control costs, market problems, etc.; the central theme involves increasing costs of production, decreasing returns, and a shrinking margin of profit for most operations.