Specialists Speaking- Ben McKnight

Ben McKnight
TEXAS

As of early September, the Corpus Christi classing office has classed nearly 212,000 bales, and early reports indicate good quality so far, especially micronaire and fiber strength. Dryland yield reports from the Lower Rio Grande Valley are ranging from 700 to 1,200 lbs. per acre, and irrigated cotton yields in the region are very good. Further north in the Coastal Bend, many fields are producing 1,000 to 1,250 lbs. per acre yields with some yielding more and others less depending on location within this region.

Early September cotton harvesting continues in the Upper Gulf Coast with yields of 1,000 to 1,300 lbs. per acre most recently being reported. Late summer rainstorms can be common along the coast this time of year and in some cases have slowed harvesting in some areas of the Upper Gulf Coast recently. In the Blackland Prairie, harvest preparation is underway with many fields recently receiving harvest-aid applications. Some early planted fields have been harvested in this region, and early yield reports are average to above average for the region.

Dry late-season conditions in parts of Central Texas have led to some recent challenges with harvest-aid activity and efficacy. When the condition of the crop near harvest time is quite droughty, products may take some extra time to produce typical defoliation or desiccation results that we expect, but there are some things we can do to potentially enhance their activity in this scenario. Spraying harvest-aid products early in the morning while leaves are still unfurled prior to mid-day wilting can enhance coverage. Additionally, slowing down our application speed and increasing our spray volumes can enhance coverage and may speed up results, getting us into the field quicker with harvesting equipment.