Brian Hayes
Hayes Agricultural Services, Inc.
Kosciusko, Miss

 
Mississippi’s King Cotton has us guessing this year! As consultants in the hospitality state, we have all wondered if we would ever again experience the cotton acres we had previously. This year, with the price being well over a dollar per pound, the cotton crop has come roaring back. However, Mother Nature has decided to throw everything she has at us, from cold weather at planting time to extreme heat, from record floods to extreme drought. We have even experienced endless wind topped off with a little hail.

Now as we pass mid-season and head into harvest with what appears to be a very good crop, everyone asks, “What is it going to take to finish up this year’s harvest?” We can’t predict the future, but there are a few things we can do to plan ahead.

First, it is important to keep weeds under strict control. Fortunately, in my area of central Mississippi, few places are infested with resistant pigweeds. However, fields that aren’t currently troubled with pigweed should still be checked carefully, and farmers should have zero tolerance for weed infestation. Even if farmers are diligent in using a variety of residual herbicides, it takes only one overlooked pigweed to cause problems for next year.

Second, it is especially essential to stay vigilant in fighting insect pests. So far, insect populations have been fairly light, but as corn and soybeans finish their season and begin drying up, we will undoubtedly witness a large influx of plant bugs and stink bugs migrating into adjacent cotton fields. We will also spend the majority of August fighting worms in our conventional cotton.

All dedicated consultants understand that it takes a lot of boot prints out in the fields to help safeguard against pest infiltration. Only diligence in insect monitoring combined with balanced and consistent pesticide use ensure against catastrophic damage.

Third, productive soil that provides optimum cotton production doesn’t just happen by chance. Planning ahead is the only way to establish high quality land, and August is the best time to make plans for the soil work that must be done this fall.

As the high heat begins to stress the crops, soil problems become more evident. Something as simple as sampling the soil to determine if there are nutrient deficiencies or low pH could make all the difference. Soil analysis also will determine if nematodes are a problem in a specific area or if a hardpan is restricting root growth in some fields.

Of course, we won’t know the outcome until the cotton is actually in the basket, but if we keep walking the fields, hopefully there will be a great yield to go along with the record prices.

Click here to ask Brian Hayes a question or submit a comment about this month’s Cotton Consultant’s Corner.

• B.S. in Agronomy – Mississippi State University
• Consulting for 14 years. Crops include cotton,
  corn, soybeans, milo, peanuts and wheat.
• Member of the Mississippi Agricultural Consultants
  Association (MACA)
• Served on the MACA Board of Directors for
  two years
• Served as the MACA Secretary/Treasurer for
  seven years
• Married to wife, Lindsey. Three children: Miller, 11;
  Rachel, 6; and Scott Ross, 6 months
• Enjoys hunting, fishing, spending time with family
  and helping his two oldest children with their show
  pig projects