I am happy to report the agenda for the 2024 Cotton Focus has been set and we have a very informative lineup. We will start the morning out with a Cotton Specialist Roundtable with Dr. Brian Pieralisi (MS), Mr. Tyler Sandlin (AL), and Dr. Bradley Wilson (MO) discussing their season observations, tips for 2024, and things they will be watching over the coming year.  Next, we will have Dr. Thomas Ducey with USDA from Florence, SC discussing the emerging field of Biologicals- you will not want  to miss his section!  Our late morning section will include the always valuable updates from Dr. Lori Duncan, Dr. Aaron Smith, Dr. Sebe Brown, Dr. Larry Steckel, Dr. Nutifafa Adotey and Dr. Heather Kelly.  Finally, we will close out the meeting with a catered lunch from Tulum.  Pesticide and CCA points will be available.  Looking forward to seeing each of you there!

The 2024 University of Tennessee Cotton Focus is coming up on February 7th from 8AM to 1PM in Jackson, TN at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (605 Airways Blvd Jackson, TN 38301).  Lunch will be provided and CCA, Commercial Applicator and Master Row Crop Points will be available.  Tulum will be catering lunch.

We have several excellent speakers that will provide very valuable insight into several important decisions that we will have to make during 2024. We look forward to seeing you there!

The 2023 Tennessee Cotton Variety Trial Results (PB 1742) are now available online.  Included within these results are thirteen large strip trials (CSTs) testing 13 XtendFlex commercial varieties, four large strip trials (CSTs) testing 6 Enlist commercial varieties, and eight small plot trials (OVTs) testing 44 experimental and commercial varieties.

Special thanks to all of the agents and producers who helped generate this data.  Additionally, thanks to the USDA Classing Office in Memphis for assisting with this effort.  If you have any questions on location response or variety placement, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to your county agent.

Many in West Tennessee have begun defoliating and questions on timing have been pouring in.  In this blog, I rehash results from an old survey on boll maturity, give a few additional pointers on timing defoliation, and share a few thoughts on concoctions as we move towards the end of September. Continue reading →

The 2023 Mid-South Cotton Defoliation Guide is now available online.  You can access the guide by clicking the above image or any of the embedded links within this post. This guide was compiled and is updated yearly by Extension Cotton Specialists from throughout the Mid-South.

I’ve had several questions over the past two weeks about how many heat units we have accumulated and how this compares to our average year.  As of August 28th, we have accumulated 1,974 DD60s since May 1.  We’ve broken from the 30 year average trend line several times throughout the year; May was considerably warmer, June pulled us back to the average trend line, and although we have been rolling above and below the line from the end of July through August, as of August 28th, we are within 15 heat units of the 30 year trend line; on average, by August 28th, we accumulate 1,961 DD60s.  As you look at the above graph, you may notice these breaks with the trend line are ever-so-slight.  Keep in mind rate of change is important.  If you zoom in on several of the regions highlighted above, you can see how our weather this year breaks from the trend line before rejoining it throughout the season. Continue reading →