Looks like we dodged a bullet with the storm but if you feel you have some losses and would like some assistance with loss assessments please let me know so we can work on getting Cotton Specialist Camp Hand to come out to the county to help out, otherwise please see his latest cotton defoliation update for this week post-storm:
I got a few calls last week about defoliation applications that did not have the desired results. Either leaving a “skirt” in the bottom (i.e. mature leaves in the bottom of the canopy didn’t defoliate) or unopened bolls in the top. There are reasons for some of this, and it is mainly environmental. One great example is from the experiment station in Plains – Seth called me about two weeks ago for a defoliation rec and I gave one. Some of the farm got sprayed on Wednesday, and it defoliated perfectly. However, some of it got sprayed on Friday and it resulted in that skirt being in the bottom of the plant. This particular Friday was 10/2, when it got overcast and then that first rain from last weekend set in. If you get calls from growers in a similar situation, I imagine this is likely the case, and in some situations retreatment may be necessary (something like Folex, Ginstar, or a PPO herbicide (ETX, Aim, Reviton, etc.) alone should get the job done here). As for the bolls that aren’t opening, I believe this is in response to temperatures following application. I sprayed a farm on 9/30 and it still has a lot of green bolls in the top. I can still get them to “pop” as I walk through the field, indicating to me that they will open, but they just need more time. I imagine this week will help with that. For those asking about reapplying ethephon for bolls that haven’t opened, just remind them that 42 oz/acre is the maximum labeled rate for a single season.
Temps for this week and sunshine favor defoliation so lets get after it. Rates for the week:
3-4 oz thidiazuron (even though lows are 60 statewide, with as much rain as we have had I still think we need this in the tank)
10-12 oz tribufos (Folex/Def)
32-42 oz ethephon (Prep/Bollbuster/Setup/etc.)
Last thing – the last two weeks have likely hurt the quality of our crop, so if you all start getting calls from growers or ginners about grades being off, these last two weekends were not good. Got lots of pictures of seed sprouting in the burr, which can cause a multitude of issues. The biggest piece of advice I’ll give on maximizing quality right now is to let the sun shine on this cotton for about 3 days before getting a picker in the field. This will help with color grades for certain, but we will likely see some elevated trash, reduced color, and potentially other issues. Just wanted to put this on your radar so you will be ready for those questions.
