Alabama Cotton Shorts
July 14, 2023
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July 14, 2023
Situation. The June 30 USDA Plantings Report estimated the 2023 Alabama crop at 380,000 acres, the U.S. crop at slightly over 11 million acres. As we learned last year, FSA could adjust these numbers as data are confirmed over the next couple of months. The July 10 Crop Condition Report assessed our cotton as 70 percent “good” and 5 percent “excellent.” Good rainfall makes for good crops, assuming there are windows for pest management and PGR applications.
Cool, wet weather delayed and slowed the start to our crop. Much of the crop is late. Indicative of the slow pace of the crop through the first third of the season is the interval between planting and early bloom. Normally, we expect to reach 1st bloom 50-60 days after planting, but many fields have required 65 or more days to flower. While we recognize that a big yield can be achieved with as little as 4 weeks of effective bloom, a compressed fruiting period requires greater vigilance on crop protection (i.e. insect control) and increases the need for continued, uninterrupted favorable weather. The heat of mid to late June and now into mid-July, along with recent rains, should propel the crop forward.
To date, the biggest production challenge has been plant bug management. Scott Graham and Ron Smith provide some excellent information about the situation in recent blog, hotline and podcast posts.
For months, December cotton futures traded just below 80 to slightly above 83 cents, then recently dipped to 77 cents, only to rebound back into the 80s. One savvy cotton grower / marketer said to me last week, “Beware of the bear trap,” meaning that a sharp decline can follow the recent rebound. He pointed to the example of corn as an illustration. With that downward blip 2 weeks or so in the rear view mirror, perhaps the "bear" is not about to attack, but maybe that's why my farmer friend used the term "trap," something that happens unexpectedly. There does seem to be more downside risk than upside opportunity, but these are the words of an agronomist not a Wall Street expert. Brown
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Futures Prices, July 14, at market open:
December '23 - 81.20
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Wiregrass Research and Extension Center
Field Day
August 18
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PGR Management. We had a recent in-field grower meeting which rightly focused on plant bugs, but the issue of PGRs was also a frequent topic of discussion … and perplexity. Yes, each year is different and thus requires in-season adjustment according to weather and crop conditions. Information on PGR use can be found in the formal publication, How to Think about Cotton: Plant Growth Regulators and in a recent Cotton Specialists Corner Podcast, Thinking about PGRs -- Differences and Similarities across the US Cotton Belt.
Making good decisions involves assessing Current and Near-Term Conditions. The questions below help tilt management towards being more aggressive, less so or passive altogether. Brown
Current Assessment
- Variety – aggressive or not?
- Crop growth stage, conditions?
- Field conditions – fertility? growth history?
- NAWF at early bloom? If 8-9, be aggressive; if 4 or 5, wait
- Current internode lengths between 4-5th leaf down from the terminal? If 3 inches or more, apply or consider being more aggressive
- Calendar date? For late crop, tend towards an aggressive approach if favorable growing conditions exist
- Irrigated? Recent rainfall?
Pending Weather Forecast
- Good to excellent rainfall, moderate temperatures (highs <90oF) -- be aggressive unless growth is well in check
- High temperatures, little to no rain expected, minimal or no irrigation – be conservative or passive
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Tarnished plant bug adult and nymph
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Additional Insect Management Information. For thresholds and insecticide recommendations, reference the Alabama Cotton IPM Guide (IPM-0415). Current, timely information on the Alabama cotton insect situation can be found in the Alabama Crops Report Newsletter and Podcast, and the Syngenta Pest Patrol Hotline. In the coming days, we expect to post a Cotton Specialist Corner podcast "Revisiting ThryvOn -- Focus on Plants Bugs," in which Scott Graham and colleagues from Tennesse and Arkansas discuss how the new technology intersects with plant bug management. Graham and Smith
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Cotton Specialists Corner Podcast.
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The Cotton Specialists Corner Podcast is a national dialogue about pertinent management issues that can be found on several Websites at Cotton Specialists Corner. Recent episodes include:
- Episode 28. Thinking about PGRs – Differences and Similarities across the US Cotton Belt
- Episode 27. New “Microbial” Products in Cotton
- Episode 24. Thoughts about ThryvOn Cotton
- to be posted soon, Episode 29. Revisiting ThryvOn – Focus on Plant Bugs
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In the Old Days… To combat escaped weeds such as johnsongrass and cocklebur, many farmers set up a rig for spot-spraying. The common approach involved a high clearance tractor or high-boy with a front-mounted tool bar outfitted with multiple seats and spray wands. From the seat, a stream of a herbicide like DSMA or MSMA was targeted at these problem weeds. The treatment was generally effective, caused limited crop injury and minimized weed survival and weed seed production. One might think this was an early, simple version of the high tech, “see the weed, spray the weed” sophisticated systems being introduced in today’s agriculture. Brown
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This issue contributors:
Dr. Scott Graham, Extension Entomologist
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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