Alabama Cotton Shorts
September 14, 2023
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September 14, 2023
Situation. Overall yield prospects have declined in the last 45 days. Heat has taken a toll. The USDA’s assessment of our crop also reflects a downward trend. Their numbers, released Tuesday, September 12, forecasts our crop at 680,000 bales from 375,000 acres, for an average yield of 870 lb/A, down 32 lbs from a month ago. In early August, I met with other cotton agronomists and industry personnel from across the Belt and most were quite positive about their crop. In recent weeks, their estimates, too, have declined. The U.S. upland cotton harvest is projected to average 778 lb/A from 7.9 million acres.
In the same farming communities, I see vast differences in yield potential. There will be the good, bad and ugly, all in close proximity. Southwest Alabama, which typically averages 50-plus inches of rain each year, has faced serious drought since July. Given the proximity to the Gulf, that region is the last place one might expect such a sustained dry period. Northern areas of the state generally report the expectation of a good harvest, although the late summer heat has knocked the top off their prospects, too. All of Alabama and almost all of the U.S. Cotton Belt have measured extremely high temperature this summer, though this weekend will bring cooler weather. Perhaps due to the heat and drought or the presence of a good fruit set, the upper canopy -- maybe 3 to 5 nodes – typically has few harvestable bolls.
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Hot, dry weather has limited the occurrence of boll rot and hardlock, but the forecast for later in the fall is for wetter than normal conditions. See the Cotton Incorporated Weekly Weather Update, September 8 on the Cotton Cultivated Website. Eric Snodgrass does a great job giving a “big picture” look at pending weather. Potential for above average rainfall adds to the incentive for an aggressive approach to crop termination and harvest.
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The market reflects the negative sentiment towards this crop. In recent days, December futures bounced from the low and mid-80s to almost 90 cents/lb. Trading remains in the mid to upper 80s, though the last couple of days and today's opening have declined somewhat.
As picking commences, we’ll have a better understanding of the impact of the long hot summer. Will our crop weigh heavy or light? In a few weeks, that answer should be clearer. If we can pick much of this crop with open weather, it may be better than we think. Brown
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Futures Prices, September 14, at market open:
December '23 - 86.78
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Harvest Aid Resources. Several information sources address the subject of harvest aid application, including discussions of application timing, methods, product mixtures and seasonal adjustments. Titles and links are below. The first is an Alabama Cooperative Extension System publication (ANR-2688). The second is an annually updated collaborative work of Cotton Specialists in the MidSouth. The third is a national podcast on the subject of harvest preparations with perspectives from North Carolina, the Lower Southeast, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
While there are a few fields that have been defoliated already, we’ve not seen enough to know whether this crop will prove to be a challenge in terms of leaf removal, regrowth inhibition and boll opening. Observation of results and the exchange information on product performance can serve as an aid in tweaking mixtures and rates. Brown
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Cotton Disease Update. Temperatures have started to cool down with highs in the upper 80s and the lows are in upper 60s. However, it is still warm enough for foliar diseases and boll rot, and disease severity will largely depend on how much moisture we have in the coming weeks. In cotton, both target spot and areolate mildew are present in central and south Alabama. With regards to areolate mildew, it can move through the canopy and defoliate plants quickly, especially if Stemphylium leaf spot is also present (see image below). At this point producers may be wondering if they need to spray a fungicide. It all depends on when you plan to defoliate and disease severity … and the threat of premature defoliation.
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Here are a few considerations:
- If you are more than 4 weeks from defoliating and the crop has good yield potential and target spot (<25% defoliation) and areolate mildew are already present or conditions remain conducive to disease development, then you should consider making a fungicide application. Bottom line is you don’t want to wait too long to spray.
- If you are within 4 weeks of defoliation or disease has already resulted in more than 25% premature defoliation, then I would not recommend applying a fungicide. Target spot and areolate mildew can be difficult to control with fungicides if 25 to 30 percent of the leaves are already gone.
For additional information and fungicide recommendations, please refer to the ACES Cotton IPM Guide.
Contact Amanda Scherer for more information. Scherer
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The Cullar's Rotation was established in 1911 to explore "cotton rust," which proved to be related to potassium (K) deficiency. The standard K rate for cotton at the site is 120 lb/A K2O. The site is also an excellent field laboratory to observe the progression of plant symptoms related to deficiencies of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and boron as well as the effects of low pH. These images were taken September 11. Brown
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In the Old Days… most Land Grant Institutions in the Cotton Belt had Ag Engineers who understood and could convey the basics and complexities of equipment setup and operation. Their range of knowledge included tractors, planters, sprayers, spray planes,cultivators, irrigation systems, pickers and gins. These Ag Engineers were all-around cotton experts who knew the crop inside and out, aided growers in proper setup and operation of the unique equipment associated with cotton production, and established or advanced the fundamental concepts related to irrigation, aerial application, defoliation, modules, ginning etc. I’ve had the privilege of working with several incredible Ag Engineers, men such as Herb Willcutt of Cotton Incorporated and later Mississippi State, Gene Seigler and Mike Bader of the University of Georgia, Bill Mayfield of Auburn University and later USDA, and Tommy Valco with USDA. I also remember meeting Lambert Wilkes, who was instrumental in developing the cotton module system, at church when I was a graduate student at Texas A&M. Their efforts have contributed vast knowledge and efficiencies to cotton production over the past 60-plus years. Brown
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This issue contributors:
Dr. Amanda Scherer, Extension Plant Pathologist
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.
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