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cotton field

January

  • Complete fertility samples.
  • Review gin sheets, on-farm trials, and OVT data for yield and fiber quality. ƒ
  • Begin variety selection.
  • Attend technical meetings.

February

  •  Attend meetings.
  • Complete fertility sampling.
  • Address pH problems.
  • Continue variety selection process.

March

  • Apply lime, fertilizer as needed.
  • Finalize variety order and purchase.
  • Burn down cover crops and winter weeds 2 to 3 weeks before planting.
  • Finalize equipment repairs, maintenance, and readiness.
  • Initiate preplant tillage.

April

  • Apply lime, fertilizer as needed.
  • Burn down cover crops and winter weeds 2 to 3 weeks before planting.
  • Finalize preplant tillage.
  • Initiate planting mid to late month concurrent with favorable moisture and temperature.
  • Employ seed, in-furrow, or hopper box treatments to address insects, fungi, and/or nematodes
  • Apply residual herbicides; eliminate any emerged weeds at planting to start clean.
  • Be ready to address thrips with early foliar insecticides as needed.

May

  • Apply fertilizer as needed.
  • Plant concurrent with favorable moisture and temperature.
  • Employ seed, in-furrow, or hopper box treatments to address insects, fungi, and/or nematodes.
  • Apply residual herbicides; eliminate any emerged weeds at planting to start clean.
  • Be ready to address thrips with early foliar insecticides as needed.
  • Replant as needed.

June

  • Finish late planting by early month.
  • Finalize replanting by mid-month.
  • Make timely post and residual herbicide applications to stay clean.
  • Initiate sidedress N application between first square and bloom; same with first B.
  • Scout every 5 to 7 days; specifically check for plant bugs and damage (lost pin head squares) and aphids.
  • In well-watered fields, initiate PGR applications between mid-square to first week of bloom.
  • Provide lay-by weed control to stay clean.
  • As available, irrigate to minimize plant stress.
  • Follow up B application by early bloom.
  • Rogue pigweed.

July

  • Finalize weed control.
  • Finalize sidedress N (and maybe K)
  •  Scout every 5 to 7 days. Early in the month, check fruit retention and presence of plant bugs. In mid to late month, be alert to worm and stinkbug damage and react promptly.
  • If possible, irrigate as needed.
  • Manage plant canopy with PGR according to growth, weather, variety, etc.
  • Apply foliar N and K as needed.
  • In ranker, wetter fields, consider fungicide application at second to third week of bloom to minimize foliar diseases.
  • Rogue pigweed.

August

  • If possible, irrigate as needed.
  • Manage plant canopy with PGR according to growth, weather, variety, etc.
  • Scout every 5 to 7 days; be alert to worm and stinkbug damage and react promptly.
  • Apply foliar N and K as needed.
  • Rogue pigweed.

September

  • Finalize irrigation.
  • Finish insect control with particular attention to late season stink bugs.
  • Ready harvest equipment.
  • Apply harvest aids when uppermost harvestable boll is too hard to cut with knife or 3 to 4 nodes above a cracked boll; rates vary by temperature and crop.
  • Initiate picking.
  • In suspect fields, sample for nematodes concurrent with good soil moisture.

October

  • Apply harvest aids; rates increase with decreasing temperatures.
  • Pick ASAP! Gin.
  • In suspect fields, sample for nematodes concurrent with good soil moisture.

November

  • Finish harvest aid applications.
  • Pick ASAP! Gin.
  • Begin stalk destruction and soil testing.
  • Plant cover crops.

December

  • Finish picking. Gin.
  • Complete stalk destruction.

 

For more information, contact Steve M. Brown, Extension Cotton Specialist and Assistant Professor.

 

Download a PDF of Cotton Production Calendar, ANR-2361.

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