Randy Norton
The 2025 Arizona cotton season has been a year of contrasts marked by encouraging progress and a few lingering challenges. The crop got off to a strong start with solid germination and stand establishment across most regions.
Coming off the 2024 season, growers were understandably wary. Last year’s record-setting heat stress — with more than 40 days of “Level 2” heat in central and western Arizona — took a heavy toll, leading to poor boll set, reduced pollination and seed development, and overall lower yields statewide.
Fortunately, 2025 brought a much-needed reprieve. This summer proved to be one of the mildest in recent memory with fewer than 25 “Level 2” heat stress days recorded. As of this writing, much of the crop has already been harvested, and early reports indicate slightly above-average yields, significantly improved over 2024, with excellent fiber quality across the board.
Monsoon activity was spotty and generally light from mid-June through mid-September. However, a shift in late September brought widespread rainfall, with some areas receiving up to six inches. While these late rains complicated defoliation efforts in Arizona’s low desert regions and caused minor harvest delays, they have not had a notable effect on yield or quality so far.
Overall, the 2025 season stands out as a positive turnaround — proof that even after a record-breaking year of heat stress, Arizona cotton remains resilient when conditions improve.
rnorton@cals.arizona.edu