We are close to the end but a few still have acres left to defoliate.  Others are considering applying another application to remove small amounts of leaf.  Generally, most all of the harvestable bolls are open.  Yields are off, in many areas considerably more than expected.  At this point, we need to consider what we have in the field and what we might gain from another defoliation application.  Most acres loosely break out to either 1,000+ lb per acre  or far less than 1,000 lb per acre.  The approach on these fields should generally be different. In this blog, I make a few comments and give a couple of examples of the best approach to wrap up 2025.

Continue reading →

Defoliating the 2025 crop just became more difficult.  While you wait for your fields to dry, I’ve got a document that I believe may come in handy over the next few weeks.  Each year, the MidSouth Cotton Specialists’ Working Group generate a defoliation guide.  This document is a collaborative effort between Dr. Bradley Wilson (Missouri), Mr. Tyler Sandlin and Dr. Joshua Lee (Alabama), Dr. Brian Pieralisi (Mississippi), Dr. Shelly Kerns (Louisiana), and Dr. Zachary Treadway (Arkansas).

The 2025 document is just short of a complete rewrite and is worth your time to peruse.  I’m particularly proud of the breakdown of the factors which influence plant response to product and rate along with the decision matrix and the streamlined program product selection guide.  Special thanks to each of the authors for their time on this revision!

I’ve had a flurry of calls wondering what should change as we move into slightly cooler and *possibly* wetter conditions.  I’ve also had several questions about why we’ve seen different responses to our concoctions this year than in years past.  In this short blog, I list a few points to keep in mind. Continue reading →

There has been uncertainty around the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill.  I’m posting today to highlight a recent Cotton Specialists’ Corner podcast which covers this topic and let growers know about an upcoming meeting hosted by the National Cotton Council at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (605 Airways Blvd Jackson, TN 38301).   Information on the meeting hosted next Thursday, Sept. 11th at 3PM can be found by clicking here.  

You can listen to the podcast by clicking here. 

Continue reading →

The 2025 UT Cotton Tour is Sept. 10 at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (605 Airways Blvd, Jackson, TN 38305).  Pesticide recertification and CCA points will be available.  Cajun Express will be frying catfish for lunch.  Agenda to follow next week.  Look forward to seeing each of you there!

I’ve spent several days over the past week making my way through much of Tennessee’s cotton.  In this blog, I share a few observations, several thoughts on where we are, and attempt to set expectations for the 2025 crop. Continue reading →

The leaf spot complex is having a heyday.  In this blog, Dr. Kelly and I explain why we may be seeing a relatively high level of incidence this year and what you should do about it.  Spoiler alert, the best action for it is, fortunately, inaction.

Continue reading →