Specialists Speaking – CAMP HAND GEORGIA
One of the things on the forefront of everyone’s mind in Georgia is how dry we have been since last October. Just looking at a couple of locations on the University of Georgia Weather Monitoring Network, we are around 6”-7” behind the past few years, but in some places we are 10”+ behind. Many in Georgia have told me this is similar to 2011-2012 (my friends in Texas probably do not want to hear that), but the good news is that we broke a yield record in Georgia in 2012, so maybe we will do the same in 2026.
Being this far behind on rainfall is a cause for concern for both irrigated and dryland, as the aquifer in Georgia didn’t recharge as it normally would in the fall, and we certainly lack the ability to “bank” moisture on our sandy soils. There are a couple of things I think need to be done. First, if you have any actively growing cover crops or weedy covers in your fields, we have got to terminate those — anything that is green is robbing moisture that we need to get a good stand and get off to a good start. Secondly, if you’re in an irrigated situation, I would highly encourage you to irrigate prior to planting. I know some do not like that idea or want to hear that, but to get off to a good start, I believe it is necessary.
In 2025, we had the second-best crop ever in Georgia at 1,047 lbs. per acre. We faced many challenges throughout 2025, but I want everyone to remember that despite all that, we made an incredible cotton crop. I believe we can have another great year in 2026 — we just need to control the things we can control and put ourselves in a position to be successful.
As always, if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our UGA County Extension agents and the UGA cotton team are here to help! ∆
Specialists Speaking – CAMP HAND GEORGIA