Crop Production
Cotton Production Calendar
2 min read
January
- Complete fertility samples.
- Review gin sheets, on-farm trials, and OVT data for yield and fiber quality.
- 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.