Cotton is catching another gear.
6-17-2026
The 2026 cotton crop is on track for what we might consider the wide range of normal for what it needs to look like in June to carry a full yield potential. I have a philosophy that it doesn't matter what it looks like in at least early June, because yield is more coorelated with adequate rainfall during bloom, and low rainfall in the fall. Nevertheless, I'd rather have pretty cotton than ugly.
Two characteristics we have are fewer plants per acre, but not to low and it could be an advantage. Secondly, a lot of cotton germinated after a May 21 rain period began which will reflect a better planting date than the actual planting date. It's not a late crop but we don't have much early cotton either.
For management, during this transition to fast growth, we need to get the weed control tasks in place and also think through the topdress nitrogen plan. The early May cotton has squares and 9 nodes so it is ready. The later cotton is closer to the 5 leaf stage.
Go to the On-line Newsletter for fine tuning nitrogen management.
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