Owen Taylor, Editor, 888-327-6329
Hello, !*FIRSTNAME*! !*LASTNAME*!...
Here is this week's AgFax: Midsouth Cotton. Our thanks to the field staff of FMC Corporation for sponsoring this season’s reports.
Subscribe at agfax.com/subs.
No longer wish to receive this report? Please let me know.
We welcome your suggestions and comments.
Owen Taylor, Editor (888-327-6329)
OVERVIEW
Maybe some improvement
Heavy rains in the middle of last week threw yet another monkey wrench into planting progress. But conditions seem to be improving this week. Daytime highs have moved solidly into the mid 80s to low 90s across much of the region and are expected to hang in that range for several days. That should help move along cotton that already has emerged and give a nice pop to seed in the ground. A chance of thunderstorms remains in the forecast, though, across a wide portion of the Midsouth through the weekend.
Pest pressure light
Thrips and cutworms are being treated here and there, with some migration of thrips from wheat to cotton taking place. But our calls this week did not turn up widescale pest outbreaks.
CROP REPORTS
Sandy Stewart, Louisiana Extension Cotton Specialist, Alexandria, La.
“We’re off to a better start than it sounds like some states are, but it still doesn’t seem like it. DD60 accumulation has been very slow. Cotton emerged to a pretty good stand, but it hasn’t been doing much. It does appear we’ll have some better temperatures over the next week or so and, hopefully, cotton will shift into a stronger growth trend. Thrips are a concern, especially near wheat fields, and we have migration into cotton. Also, getting weed control going has been a challenge. With the rain, some applications probably were made a little later than they should have been. A lot of fields are being cleaned up right now. Eliminating that early competition is important.
|
Cotton
pests getting old? Try a new mode of action.
“USDA estimates that 86% of our cotton has been planted. Some wheat harvest has started in south Louisiana, and we’ll probably see 25,000 to 30,000 acres of cotton doublecropped behind wheat.”
Tom Barber, Arkansas Extension Cotton Specialist
“Planting and growing conditions have really improved, and some people started planting again yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. Most people, I think, should finish planting cotton this week. We’ve made some replanting decisions and are trying to get that done this week, too. I’m replanting some plots, myself, at Marianna right now. The forecast calls for highs into the 80s, with 60s for lows, so this cotton ought to jump out of the ground.
“The main calls we’re getting right now are about whether to replant. I’m a big advocate at this point of keeping stands if they are anywhere close to minimum. You would need an even stand, with something like 1.5 plants per foot, and those plants in good conditions. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is May 20, and the rule of thumb is that we start losing some yield with anything planted after that. There are fields that might have been candidates for replanting in the first or second week of May, but you really have to think twice about replanting now. One good thing about replanting right now – if it’s necessary – is that you have good moisture.”
Trent LaMastus, Ind. Consultant, Cleveland, Miss.
“Our crop ranges from some just being planted to some two-leaf cotton. In Humphreys County, we got over 6 inches of rain Wednesday and Thursday. It would be hard to find a cotton planter running in the county today (Monday). Everyone probably is waiting to start tomorrow. We haven’t made any treatments on cotton yet. We’re seeing some thrips, ranging from light to heavy. Insecticide seed treatments and Temik seem to be holding for now, and we’re hoping that warm, sunny weather will get us further along so we won’t have to do anything.”
Darrin Dodds, Mississippi Cotton Specialist
“Rains last week have further delayed things. Some growers in Belzoni got 6.5 inches, while in the Starkville area it was maybe 1.5 to 2 inches. At Tunica, they only got about an inch. We’ve been trying to put in some tests behind the levee at Tunica, and about the time the water came off, it started raining again. I saw some cotton today (Monday) that probably was at the 3-leaf stage, and one guy said he will have some at the 4-leaf stage by the end of the week.
“So far, I’m not hearing about any applications going out on cotton. I don’t think there’s enough of it up to require much in the way of treatments. A lot of people held off planting early last week until that rain moved through. We’re maybe 35% to 40% planted, but people will try to punch out a lot of acres this week. I saw several planters running in the Greenwood area and a little north of Greenwood on U.S. 49.”
Ty Edwards, Edwards Ag Consulting, LLC, Water Valley, Miss.
“We’re probably 80% planted, with 50% up. We got too much rain last week. Rain gauges topped out in several locations, so totals ran at least 5 inches. We were already wet when last week’s rain developed. Soggy, wet fields have probably been our number one problem this spring. Nothing has been growing like it should. Most everybody is running wide open today (Monday), and some even started planting again over the weekend. We sprayed a little cotton for thrips. It was planted extremely early and had reached the point that seed treatments had worn out. I would love to spray something on these slugs, but nothing is available. That’s been a big problem.”
David Hydrick, Hydrick’s Crop Consulting, Inc., Jonesboro, Ark.
“We’re spraying cutworms and thrips and are trying to make Roundup applications when the wind isn’t blowing. About 1,000 acres of cotton and soybeans were hit hard by hail week before last. The only replanting we’ve done has been where we didn’t run a rotary hoe and cotton didn’t come up through the crust. Today (Monday) we’ve got high winds blowing sand pretty hard, and we may end up having to replant more due to that. Also, we may have to replant some cotton due to seep water under the levee, but some of that may be switched to beans.”
Herbert Jones Jr., Ind. Consultant, Leland, Miss.
“We’re probably 75% planted, and most of it is up. Seed treatments have held good, so far, but they’re beginning to wear off on a lot of the 2- to 3-leaf cotton. Fortunately, thrips haven’t gotten bad yet, but we can see an increase from last week. I’ve made some recommendations to spray this week when the farmer could line it up.”
Bill Brooks, Mid-South Farmers Cooperative, Alamo, Tenn.
“This is the first really good week we’ve had for planting. But with reduced cotton acreage, planting will probably wrap up for a lot of people this week. We have cotton up to a stand in places.”
Steve Schutz, Ind. Consultant, Coushatta, La.
“We may have some cotton in the fourth-leaf stage. That’s the oldest we have. The crop is about 2 weeks behind due to the cool weather. Everybody is making a shot of Roundup. Most of the growers who had cotton this year increased their Temik rates. Normally, we go with 3 to 3.25 lbs/acre, but most everybody went with 5 to 6 this year. Thrips levels have been real low, but this cooler weather may be a factor, too. Wheat is drying down, so that might change quickly.”
ALSO AT AGFAX.COM
Louisiana Cotton Bulletin, 5-19. Cleaning sprayers to prevent crop injury; Cool weather, slow growth and thrips; Is Replanting Crucial Following 2,4-D or Harmony Extra Injury?
Field Notes (Central Miss.), 5-19. Ag is the industry for us.
North Carolina Cotton Report, 5-20, Roundup Ready Flex cotton varieties and glyphosate resistant weeds will likely change the way some growers approach weed control this coming year.
Ag Report (E-Central La.), 5-18. Perfect rain; Valor cleanout; wheat harvest; corn borers; cotton insects.|
Closing Cotton: Rice posted solid gains 5/20
NYBOT Cotton: Futures | Options
On your cell phone at: agfax.com/m
AgFax: Midsouth Cotton is published by:
AgFax Media
142 Westlake Drive
Brandon, MS 39047-9020
Telephone: 601-992-9488
(Fax: 601-992-3503).
For
qualifying U.S. farmers and ag professionals, there is no charge. To
request being added to our list:
agfax.com/subs.
Owen Taylor, Editor. owen@agfax.com
©2008 AgFax Media