All posts by Tyson Raper, Cotton & Small Grains Specialist

06 Jul 2016

Updated sulfur recommendations for cotton

06 Jul 2016
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Tyson Raper and Frank Yin

ARTICLE OVERVIEW 

  • Sulfur deficiencies are starting to show up this year in TN cotton.
  • Deficiencies appear as uniform chlorosis of new growth, slight stunting
  • Soil applied applications of ammonium sulfate can still remedy the deficiency 
  • Late season deficiencies can be addressed with (2) applications of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)
  • UT currently recommends 10 lb S per ac for cotton
Ames Plantation, TN S plots
LEFT: New growth of sulfur deficient cotton will appear uniformly chlorotic (yellow) and may be stunted. This row received no S at planting. RIGHT: Applications of 10-20 lb S per acre have been shown to prevent the deficiency. This plot received 20 lb S at planting.

Sulfur (S) deficiencies are beginning to appear in some West TN cotton fields.  The image above was taken last week at Ames Plantation in a trial conducted by Dr. Frank Yin.  Although the soils at that location (Collins fine sandy loam) are coarser than our typical silt loam, I was surprised to see such a strong response to the nutrient by Continue reading →


04 Jul 2016

Managing cotton plant growth in 2016

04 Jul 2016
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blooms2016

Many fields in West TN reached first flower well-before the 4th.  I wouldn’t be surprised if over half of our acres will be blooming by the end of the week.  With rain and warm temperatures in the forecast, expect very rapid plant growth in areas which have adequate moisture as we move into flowering.  For those who have not applied an early shot of a plant growth regulator (PGR), you should consider doing so very soon.  Several points should be considered when attempting to regulate growth in 2016. Continue reading →


23 May 2016

Making the decision to replant in 2016

23 May 2016
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The 2016 window for planting cotton in Tennessee has been a mixed bag.  Warm weather in late April let soil temperatures reach 70 degrees in some areas but several cool spells, including one which might even be deemed a ‘blackberry winter’, quickly dropped soil ‎temperatures back into a more-marginal range.  Unfortunately, some areas also experienced packing rains followed by windy, dry conditions which led to crusting.  Most areas have remained wet enough to allow seedlings to lift through the crust and, in general, we appear to be at a better place in 2016 than we were in 2015 at this point in the season.  Still, several are having to decide whether or not to replant Continue reading →

24 Apr 2016

Cotton Planting Forecast

24 Apr 2016
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I’ve spoken with several who planted a few fields last week.  Soils have been a little cooler than we would prefer but it was hard to keep the planter at the shop with 60+ degree soil temperatures at 3” at 8 AM with warm temperatures in the forecast.  Moisture is currently not hard to find in most areas given you caught some of the showers Continue reading →


22 Mar 2016

Increasing water use efficiency/drought tolerance and yields with cover crops

22 Mar 2016
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Increased infiltration rates, increased soil water retention, and decreased rates of erosion are frequently mentioned as benefits of integrating a cover crop into a production system.   In order to test these proposed benefits, a site was selected early in 2015 to compare a wheat cover crop versus fallow management Continue reading →


18 Mar 2016

A few thoughts on incorporating/managing cover crops

18 Mar 2016
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IMG_0747Cover crop questions have begun to pick up in recent weeks.  Many of these have stemmed around termination timing and method to maximize the benefit of the cover crop while minimizing the potential negative impacts associated with the cover on the following cash crop.  I’ve got good and bad news for you. . .

Continue reading →


03 Mar 2016

Cotton Variety Characteristics/Management Descriptions

03 Mar 2016
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At the 2016 Cotton Focus event, Dr. Darrin Dodds, Cotton Specialist from Mississippi State University, presented a summary of the characteristics of the commercially available varieties available for the 2016 season. I have attached those tables to this blog and taken the liberty of highlighting those varieties which are most likely to fit our short-season environments here in Tennessee. Continue reading →