Because UT’s Cotton Specialist position is currently vacant, I encourage you to make full use of other resources, including experts from nearby universities. Dr. Darrin Dodds, MSU Cotton Specialist, made recommendations about defoliation at the UT Cotton Tour. You can view a video of these comments at the link below. Also refer to his recent article on the Mississippi Crop News website, also linked below. Finally, there are a couple of good UT publications about defoliants and defoliation linked below.
- Video – Dr. Darrin Dodds, Tips on defoliation (recorded by the Delta Farm Press)
- News Article – Dr. Darrin Dodds, Determining when to defoliate
- Publication – Cotton defoliation timing (UT Extension, W075)
- Publication – Cotton harvest aids (UT Extension, W225)
If you look at the DD60 accumulations to date (and projected) linked on the Quick Links menu, you will see that by October 1st we will accumulate about 670 DD60s since the last effective bloom date (August 15th). You will also see that, historically, accumulations after the first few days of October occur at a snails pace. It will be very important to watch forecast temperatures during the first week of October. However, if history repeats itself, there will be little incentive to delay defoliation applications beyond the first few days of October.
Are there any local county tests planned? Or industry ones perhaps? This green cotton may be a struggle but it all hinges on Mother Nature.
As far as I know there are no county tests planned, although we will have some trials on the station. I think it is one of the things that has to give while our Cotton Specialist position remains open. Hopefully that will be fixed next year. Thanks for the question.
Certainly understand – just wondered about Agricenter or the like – headed there next week…. Thanks for sharing Darrins comments. And….you blew my ‘handle’, btw. :))