Alabama Cotton Shorts
May 8, 2023
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May 8, 2023
Situation. Cool, wet conditions pushed back the 2023 start for most growers. Very little cotton was planted in April, but by the end of the first week in May, weather trends finally improved. Daily lows crept into the mid-50so or greater and highs began to consistently be in the 80so. By now, planters are running throughout Alabama with the expected final tally of approximately 400,000 acres of cotton. That number may be optimistic, given the challenging cost/return basis looming over cotton production in 2023. Brown
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Cotton emerging May 2 at the Plant Breeding Unit, Shorter, AL, planted 7 days earlier.
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Futures Prices, May 8, at market close:
December '23 - 83.00
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Phosphorus Stratification Research in Alabama Farms. Phosphorus (P) is the second most essential nutrient after nitrogen (N) and is needed by any crop to complete its lifecycle and achieve significant yield. Plants rarely show visible deficiency symptoms unless P is completely unavailable, symptoms which result in purple coloration in leaves. Undersupply of P can reduce yields. Phosphorus is commonly applied through surface applications (broadcast) of commercial fertilizers as DAP (diammonium phosphate) or monoammonium phosphate (MAP) or manure such as poultry litter. Phosphorus is an immobile nutrient and its movement within the soil layer is very slow, which is why P tends to accumulate in the soil surface. Soil sampling below the routine 6-inch depth in several Alabama farms has revealed the presence of P stratification, a situation in which surface soil (top 6 inches) tests “high” to “extremely high” in P but subsurface soils (below the top 6 inches) remain low to very low in P. Thus, P stratification is a non-uniform accumulation of P in the surface profile, with a sharp decline of P in the lower soil profile. It represents oversupply of P in surface layers and undersupply in the subsurface profile. During drought conditions, plant roots run deeper to obtain water and nutrients. An undersupply of P in bottom soil layers can cause hidden hunger in the plant and can penalize yield.
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Investigations are underway to determine the effect of P stratification on yield. Dr. Rishi Prasad, a nutrient management specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, is leading a research project that involves injecting P fertilizers 6 inches below the surface and comparing yields between broadcast, surface applications of dry P fertilizers and the injection of liquid fertilizer. The appeal of injection of P is that it involves a single, high rate application 6 inches below the soil surface with the possibility of replacing P fertilization for 3 to 4 years.
OPPORTUNITY | OPPORTUNITY | OPPORTUNITY. If you would like to participate in an on-farm study to test deep injection of phosphorus fertilizer, please reach out to him at rzp0050@auburn.edu or contact a Regional Extension Agent in your area. Prasad
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64th Annual Cotton Scout School
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Economic Challenges for 2023 – Scouting All the More Critical. This season will no doubt squeeze profit opportunities for Alabama cotton growers. Cutting corners and reducing inputs that also reduce yields are not the path to profitability. Producing the highest yields possible with carefully chosen, appropriately-timed, sufficient-but-not excessive inputs represents the surest approach to netting positive returns in the current economic situation. The potential reduction in acres may sharpen our ability to manage the crop and could contribute to improved returns for each and every input. This is especially true in insect management, making scouting and economic thresholds all the more important in such a season. Smith, Graham and Brown
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Cotton Scout School Locations and Crop Focus. The 64th annual Alabama Cotton Scout School is scheduled for June. See the specific dates and locations below. An extensive description of these events and the focus topics can be found at 64th Annual Cotton Scout School. Graham and Smith
Southeast Alabama — Cotton and Peanut
June 6 / Wiregrass Research and Extension Center / Headland, Alabama
Central and West Alabama — Cotton and Soybean
June 8 / Autauga County Agricultural Center / Autaugaville, Alabama
Tennessee Valley — Cotton and Soybean
June 14 / Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center / Belle Mina, Alabama
Northeast Alabama — Cotton
June 22 / McCord’s Fire Station #1 / Centre, Alabama
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Alabama Insect Blog – Thrips Management. When it comes to managing thrips, there is one thing that cannot be argued: you have to do something at-plant. There are some rumblings of wanting to go with a base seed treatment (storage rate) to save some up-front costs and try to “spray our way out” of thrips. This is very difficult to do. Properly timing insecticide applications to manage thrips is hard with a seed treatment, it is nearly impossible without. The reason for this is largely due to the biology of thrips. Most thrips eggs are deposited in the cotyledons, so the immature thrips are hatching out just as the first true leaf is pushing out of the terminal. Thrips prefer to feed “inside” the emerging true leaves while still in the furl stage (pushing out of the terminal). Thrips are protected while inside the furl, so it is nearly impossible to get insecticide to them. This means that when the first true leaf finally expands, it has already been injured. This brings up a good point about expectations for thrips sprays. In most cases, the “next leaf” is the one being protected. In other words, if an application is made when the 2nd true leaf is in the terminal, that spray is most likely to protect the 3rd true leaf. We can’t really judge how well a foliar treatment protected that leaf worked for about 7 days (≈3 days per leaf to open). Generally, if no immatures are observed, then we can assume our treatment “worked,” however, the presence of adults does not mean the treatment did “not work.” Adult thrips may continue to migrate into the field after the residual of the treatment has worn off.
With all that being said, what are our options for managing thrips? Continue reading this post at Alabama Thrips Management in 2023. Graham and Smith
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The Cotton Specialists Corner podcast includes regional and national perspectives on management issues facing producers across the U.S. Cotton Belt. It can be referenced on numerous podcast sources such as Spotify and Apple but is also found on the Cotton Incorporated, Cotton Cultivated site at https://cottoncultivated.cottoninc.com/ and at Grow: Plant Health Exchange at Grow: Plant Health Exchange. Brown
Recent episodes include:
27. New “Biologicals” in Cotton, expected May 10
26. Final Considerations for Planting, April 12
25. Cotton Seed Quality, April 5
24. Thoughts about ThryvOn Cotton, March 15
21. Thoughts about Cotton Variety Selection – Eastern U.S., March 4
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Get Accurate and Efficient Crop Stand Counting with Drones. With our state-of-the-art drones, we can quickly and easily count cotton plants in your fields, giving you an accurate and up-to-date picture of your crop. This information can then be used to optimize your farming operations and make informed decisions about your crops. Don't waste any more time on manual counting methods. Contact our Regional Extension Agent, Guilherme Morata (334) 332-0094 to learn more about our drone counting tool and take the first step towards more efficient and profitable farming. Morata
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In the Old Days… The dinitroaniline herbicides, also known as the “yellow” herbicides, were introduced around 1960. Among the first was trifluralin, trade name Treflan. Its inherent chemistry made it a volatile compound which meant it needed to be incorporated with shallow tillage soon after application. Soil incorporation was a radical adjustment, and some doubted that farmers would do so. But they did, and Treflan and similar products dramatically CHANGED weed control, providing excellent control of annual grasses and small seeded broadleaf weeds such as Florida pusley, pigweeds, purslanes, etc. Aggressive rates were even used to suppress johnsongrass, a hard-to-control perennial. Yes, these herbicides also affected seedling cotton growth, but the stress was usually minimal. Good weed and grass control is a must, even if it comes with some crop injury.
Treflan provide unprecedented grass control, but a “vacuum” rarely persists in the pest world. Ultimately, effective grass control resulted in increased issues with other problem weeds such as nutsedge, sicklepod, morningglories, cocklebur, etc. Brown
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This issue contributors:
Dr. Scott Graham, Extension Entomologist
Guilherme Morata, Regional Extension Agent, Agronomic Crops
Dr. Rishi Prasad, Nutrient Management Specialist
Dr. Ron Smith, Professor Emeritus and Extension Entomologist
Dr. Steve M. Brown, Extension Cotton Agronomist (Editor) typos and mistakes are mine
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About the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter
Alabama Cotton Shorts is a newsletter designed to keep cotton producers in the know. From planting dates to crop inputs—there are many factors to consider. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is dedicated to providing science- and research-based information, derived from field experience and observations. A team of Extension specialists are working to provide Alabama farmers with timely information throughout the growing and harvest seasons.
By subscribing to the newsletter you will receive pest updates, weed management suggestions, market updates, industry news, and other information. Specialists are making field observations and reporting their findings in hopes of helping producers make more informed choices in the field.
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