Attack Weed Problems Early

With the volatility in the grain markets and the increase in acreage for corn, soybeans and wheat, an opportunity exists for cotton producers. With the decrease in acreage, the cotton prices are far better than most would have predicted. If you can’t plant more acreage, then manage for the highest yields possible.

The key for cotton production this year will be management. Producers who had irrigation last year during the drought had yields well above the Missouri projected yield of 962 pounds per acre. In fact, some producers had personal yield records due to the high number of heat units. So, producers who increased their irrigation capacity during the off-season can at least have more yield stability.

Final plant populations should be in the 1-2 plants-per-foot range, and the crop should be managed for early maturity in some of the fields by either planting earlier maturing varieties for managing growth regulators and fertilizer inputs to keep the internodes shorter and the total plant height more manageable.

Producers should look at all of their inputs and see what they can change to stay in production. With the high cost of fuel and labor, reduced tillage systems will benefit producers, yet we still have holdouts that use conventional tillage. Fertilizer inputs should be managed to increase earliness. Split applications are very beneficial on the sandy soils.

Missouri producers should take advantage of the increased yield potential created by removing the boll weevil as an economic pest.

Source : www.cottonfarming.com