Flame cultivation was utilized routinely for weed management in cotton production from the 1950's through the early 1970's. In the early 1970's, increased fuel prices combined with selective, more economical herbicides eliminated this method of weed control on many cotton farms. Now, low fuel prices and other factors, such as environmental awareness, herbicide resistant weeds, restricted use pesticide record keeping, worker protection standards, increasing herbicide prices, and threats of pesticide losses have caused some cotton producers to reconsider this almost forgotten technology.