Alabama Cotton Shorts
June 14, 2023
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June 14, 2023
Situation. Cool weather delayed planting, emergence and early growth of our 2023 crop, but conditions have changed to more summer-like temperatures and humidity since early June. As Dr. Scott Graham stated last week, “We have more cotton closer to 1st leaf than 1st square.” Over the past 10 days, drought and heat have begun to dominate considerable acres, but rains this past weekend provided relief for considerable acreage. More is needed. Thankfully, the near-term forecast calls for significant rainfall in many areas (see table below). Yesterday, I was in Selma and from there back to Shorter, I encountered significant rainfall. And this morning it is pouring in Auburn. The crop should begin to advance rapidly in coming days. Stands are far from perfect but generally adequate.
Location |
Expected rain next 7 days, in |
Location |
Expected rain next 7 days, in |
| Aliceville |
2.7 - 4.9 |
Dothan |
2.9 - 3.8 |
| Andalusia |
2.5 - 3.9 |
Fairhope |
1.3 - 2.6 |
| Brewton |
2.1 - 3.7 |
Florence |
0.8 - 3.8 |
| Centre |
1.6 - 4.3 |
Prattville |
4.2 - 5.9 |
| Decatur |
1.1 - 3.5
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Shorter |
4.7 - 6.4 |
Data from Nutrien’s Weather Intelligence Report, June 12.
December cotton futures continue to trade just below 80 to slightly above 83 cents. The initial Planting Report from USDA is due June 30. Brown
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Futures Prices, June 14, at market open:
December '23 - 80.42
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Cotton planted April 17 near Selma.
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64th Annual Cotton Scout School
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One More Scout School Session.
Northeast Alabama — Cotton
June 22, McCord’s Fire Station #1
1150 County Road 157
Centre, Alabama Agenda
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Alabama Cotton Insect Situation: Friday June 9. We are getting dry in many areas across the state. A few rains have popped up here and there, but much of our cotton needs a drink. The crop also appears to be relatively late. Based on what I have seen and heard, we probably have more cotton closer to “first leaf” than “first square.”
Thrips pressure picked up heavy in North Alabama, with several applications in northeast Alabama and the Tennessee Valley this week, but that seems to have subsided now. Reports in central Alabama have been a mixed bag, some are needing to make foliar sprays while others have been able to live with seed treatments or other at-plant controls. Most reports from south Alabama have been that cotton is outgrowing thrips at this point.
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Signs of spider mite feeding on the underside of the leaf.
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Something to keep an eye out for now is spider mites. We have seen low levels of mites in cotton approaching pinhead square in central Alabama and have also heard about some in north Alabama. While populations haven’t reached damaging levels yet, our current weather patterns have us in a spot where mites should be considered when making management decisions.
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Adult tarnishd plant bug in cotton terminal.
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The plant bug situation in Alabama has already begun. We have heard of low levels of plant bugs in older fields in north Alabama and sprays have already gone out in some south Alabama fields. The dry weather is causing daisy fleabane to play out and adult plant bugs will soon be on the move. As cotton reaches the 7th node or so, we need to start running sweep-nets and checking square retention weekly. Treatment threshold is 8 bugs per 100 sweeps - OR - to maintain at least 80 percent square retention. Remember that in addition to feeding on pinhead squares, adult plant bugs are also depositing eggs that will hatch out into immatures (nymphs) over the next 7 to 10 days. As far as treatments, imidacloprid is a cost-effective option that provides “good enough” control at the higher rates. Centric and bifenthrin (depending on resistance levels in your location) are other options. Acephate is an option, but given how dry we are in some areas, I would be a little hesitant to go that route due to the spider mite situation mentioned above. Remember, the label restricts the use of Bidrin between pinhead square and first bloom. Graham and Smith
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Additional Insect Management Information. For more on thresholds and insecticide recommendations, visit the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). To stay up-to-date on the Alabama cotton insect situation, subscribe to the Alabama Cotton Shorts Newsletter, Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline. Graham and Smith
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Cotton Disease Update-June. There have been reports of cotton seedling problems in Alabama and neighboring states. Cool, wet weather, coupled with poor seed germination or delayed seedling emergence, increases risks for seedborne and soilborne fungal pathogens such as Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp., and Fusarium spp. These are the common causal organisms for seedling diseases in Alabama cotton. These pathogens can act alone or in various combinations to cause problems in cotton seedlings, resulting in stand loss and reduced uniformity. Severe stand losses may require replanting, increase input costs, delay crop development and reduce yields.
In general, above ground symptoms of seedling problems can look similar as plants may be stunted and/or wilted with uneven stands. The impact of seedling diseases can be reduced by improving drainage, planting when soil temperatures have remained at least 65oF for three consecutive mornings, fertility management, planting high-quality seed, in-furrow fungicide treatments and seed treatments. Although there is nothing we can do at this point in the season to reduce losses, it is important to know the underlying cause for next year’s cotton crop.
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Depending on the pathogen, seedling diseases can cause problems in cotton before (pre-emergence damping off) and/or after (post-emergence damping off) seedling emergence. Rhizoctonia solani infected seedlings will have a brown to reddish brown sunken lesion on the hypocotyl (stem) near the or below the soil line, which will girdle the stem resulting in seedling collapse. In contrast, Pythium infects the seed and radical, which can cause seed rot and pre-emergence damping-off. In seed infected with Pythium, the contents of seed will extrude like toothpaste when the seed is squeezed between thumb and forefinger. Lesions on the radical and hypocotyl often have a soft watery appearance. Under less optimal disease conditions, the seedling hypocotyl can be infected at the soil level, resulting in firmer, light brown necrotic lesions and post-emergence damping off. Pythium is most damaging in low temperatures and high soil moisture. Thielaviopsis basicola, also known in black rot, can also cause seedling disease. The hypocotyl of infected seedlings rot and turn black below the soil line.
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Fusarium attacks the roots and can damage cotton plants at any growth stage. Symptoms in seedlings include wilting of cotyledons and primary leaves, stunting, defoliation, and plant death. Margins of cotyledons and leaves will turn yellow (chlorotic) and then become necrotic overtime before they shed, leaving bare stems. Nematodes rarely cause seedling death but can be a bigger issue if Fusarium is also present. Cotton nematodes will damage the roots as they feed, which allows the fungus to enter. Scherer
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What Would You Do? Last month I received a call from an Extension agent who was seeking to help a grower make a decision. The farmer had planted 40 to 50 acres with a 6-row planter but one row failed to deliver seed. It resulted in a 5 and 1 skip row pattern, but he wasn’t sure which of the 6 was blank. In the overall picture, it didn’t matter. One of the 6 rows was blank; the rest were in the cotyledon stage. Now what? He had a 1-row planter and could go back over the field(s) or do nothing.
Options: (1) I suggested that if he still has additional acreage to plant, he give that priority and forget the missed row. Granted, he may have a few more weeds to contend with in the skip. (2) If he had time – labor and equipment available – he could use the 1-row planter with seed from an early variety to fill in the vacant row. In a couple of weeks, the row could begin to catch up and provide the 6th row. (3) I then thought of the potential of a 5 and 1 skip pattern. One row missing reduces the planted row feet in the field 16.7 percent (5/6 = .167); in other words, the field has about 83 percent of the cotton intended. Given that the rows adjoining the blank one will provide some yield compensation – each of those rows is almost an “outside row” -- I estimated the potential yield loss could range from 0 to 10 percent, with the maximum loss probably no more than 7 percent. That guess is based on past experience, observation and research on skip row and wide row patterns. Of course, for learning purposes, which is clearly NOT the purpose of farming, he could compare the two, the 5 and 1 skip pattern versus the full 6 rows.
My inclination was to go with option 1, especially if wet weather interfered with field work and delayed the opportunity to replant. Or he could pursue the comparison and “learning” opportunity of option 3. These were my thoughts.
A few days later I called the agent to hear what the farmer actually did. He replanted -- the existing stand had a true leaf when he was able to drop in for the single row – and he used the same variety. He didn’t leave any passes for comparison, reportedly because the problem field was right on the main road, fully visible for neighbors and passerbys. Isn’t that how foul ups usually happen, in a prominent place for all the world to see?! Brown
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Single replanted row (right) in an existing stand of the same variety.
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Deer Damage – Any Good, Consistent Solutions? Among the more frequent needs expressed by farmers is preventing, reducing and/or minimizing deer damage. Deer feeding is particularly troublesome on young cotton – they can wipe out the stands, but deer are present at all stages of the crop year and hurt production from planting until harvest. We are aware of numerous treatments, including trap crops, border crops, in-furrow insecticides, sprayed on products, human waste compost, scare crows (or as I recently heard them called, “deer crows”), fences, scare guns and old fashioned “lead.” We are unaware of any fool-proof approach and are seeking to identify consistent control measures. If you have ideas, please let us know. Email Dr. Scott Graham shg0013@auburn.edu or me cottonbrown@auburn.edu with your best tested thoughts. We’re always looking for answers. Brown
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Pheasants Forever / Quail Forever have formed a collaborative relationship with Cotton Incorporated that started in Georgia and has now spread to West Texas. It is supported from Cotton Incorporated through their Sustainability efforts. The intent is to help growers identify unproductive areas of fields that might be converted to wildlife habitat and to encourage conservation practices. Below is brief message from Caleb Blake who provides this service in Alabama. Brown
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Quail Forever and Cotton Incorporated Partnership -- Precision Ag. It is no secret that farmers face immense pressure to produce high-yielding crops and work under razor-thin financial margins. The rise of precision agriculture technology enabled them to make agronomic decisions to increase the efficiency of their operations by reducing input costs and maximizing return on investments (ROI). As a Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist with Quail Forever in Alabama, my role is to support agricultural producers by assisting them in understanding how their farm-specific data can provide insight into identifying underperforming areas and how management changes and conservation programs can make economic and agronomic sense. Put another way, these precision ag tools can also provide the ability to practice precision conservation by implanting conservation efforts in areas that benefit both the farmer and their natural resources. But why is Quail Forever interested in working with agriculture operations? Farmers are incredible stewards of their land, and the potential for conservation on agricultural landscapes is substantial. However, farmers are also business owners, and we understand that they need to maximize their profitability. Our goal is to explore solutions that offer a win-win scenario that can increase ROI and profits while also improving wildlife habitat, building soil health, increasing water quality, and improving sustainability. Services we offer to farmers include unlimited technical support in data analysis, voluntary solutions for marginal acres, and a trusted source in navigating available conservation and land programs, all at no cost to you. Conservation and agricultural production are not mutually exclusive and can even have a symbiotic relationship. If you’re interested in learning more about how conservation can have a positive impact on profitability and protect the natural resources on your land, we are here to help.
Caleb Blake | Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist
Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever
3381 Skyway Dr | Auburn, AL 36830
C. (334) 300-6261 | cblake@quailforever.org
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This issue contributors:
Dr. Scott Graham, Extension Entomologist
Dr. Amanda Scherer, Extension Plant Pathologist
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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