Alabama Cotton Picksack

• 1999 Cotton Crop May Be Back on Track ......D. Monks, C. Burmester, D. Delaney, W. Birdsong
• Roundup Ultra for Morningglory and Nutsedge Control ...........M. Patterson
• Bollworm and Budworm Update .................................................... R. Smith
• Cotton Market Update........................................................................W. Goodman
• Physiology Update: "Crazy Cotton" ................................................D. Monks, D. Delaney
• Cotton Calendar...................................................................................D. Monks, D. Delaney

There has been a world of difference in the northern and southern cotton crop this year. The north Alabama crop was faring well as of late-June. Growth regulators were beginning to be applied, plant bugs were being treated, and layby herbicides were beginning to go out. Adequate moisture has been a real boost to the north Alabama crop this year.

In contrast, south Alabama suffered through extreme drought conditions most of April and the first half of May. Cotton that would have been squaring by June 1 under normal conditions was struggling to survive the dry conditions and heavy seedling disease and thrips damage. Thrips have been heavy this year and seedling diseases have trimmed roots in some fields such that the in-furrow insecticides were of little benefit (due to low uptake). There were also some problems with slow growth that may have resulted from less than ideal conditions at planting and low seedling vigor. Weed control has been difficult due to the sporadic flushes of weeds brought about by low soil moisture. Nutsedge has not suffered from the dry weather and most herbicides have resulted in variable success (on nutsedge).

Rainfall during the first two weeks of June helped put the southern crop back on track, although delayed. Cotton has responded well to the warmer temperatures and moisture. The Wiregrass area has cotton that ranged from 3-4 leaves up to blooming the third week of June. Growth regulators were being applied, tobacco budworms treated, and herbicides applied by the end of June in many fields. Many producers are choosing to include a residual herbicide at layby to help with late-emerging weeds.
 
 

Annual morningglories and nutsedge are two weeds which are hard to control in cotton. Roundup Ultra can control most morningglory species if the weeds are small (less than 2 true leaves) and actively growing. Use a minimum rate of 1.5 pints with ammonium sulfate additive. If morningglories have more than 4 leaves, then 2 pints of Roundup Ultra with ammonium sulfate may or may not kill the weed. This treatment will stunt morningglory and allow the follow-up use of a post-directed spray containing prometryn (Caparol , etc.), diuron (Direx, Karmex, etc.), cyanazine (CY-PRO), Cobra or Goal which should kill the weeds.

Nutsedge is a hard-to-kill perennial that generally requires two shots of Roundup Ultra at 2 pints per application to control. Adding ammonium sulfate to these treatments will help. Sprays should be applied in less than 10 gallons of water per acre.
 
 

Both bollworms and tobacco budworms will infest most Alabama cotton fields during the month of July. It is important that growers know which species they are dealing with, since the budworm is highly resistant to the pyrethroid chemistry. The bollworm on the other hand can still be controlled very economically with pyrethroids. Furthermore, pyrethroids offer broad spectrum control or suppression of several other pests such as plant bugs, stink bugs and fall armyworms. However, when budworms are present in damaging numbers, other choices of chemistry offer the best controls. The most effective chemistry for budworm control is Tracer from Dow Agrosciences .

The difficulty in this problem is knowing which species we are dealing with, while the infestation is either in the egg or small caterpillar stage. This cannot be determined by the eye in the field. However, a tool is now available that will enable us to determine the species mix in the egg stage. Thanks to support from the Alabama Cotton Commission and the FMC Corp., resources have been provided to purchase Hel ID kits and provide manpower to utilize them. Fulton "Buck" Faulk has been employed by FMC to sample egg populations in the various regions of the state for species determination. I will provide some backup sampling with summer student employees from Auburn. Information from these samples will be shared with extension agents, chemical distributors and private consultants so that the proper choice of chemical can be made. Growers and others may also call the 1-800 Insect Line at Auburn for results (1-800-458-3738). Time will not permit an egg sample to be taken from every field or farm since the process requires about 4 to 6 hours per sample. However, it is felt that samples collected from any given area of the state will give useful information for that entire area.
 
 

Well, I don't usually do it, but the market has been so depressing lately that I read what O. A. Cleveland had to say this week. He said if he didn't get some good news soon, he was going to stop writing his weekly market update. I feel the same way. Even the loss of over 400,000 acres to hail in Texas didn't disturb the downward march. I think it's time to look to the loan as a home for any unpriced cotton. If they don't want it, don't try to make them take it.

I was in north Alabama last week, in Huntsville. We went to the Soil Conservation Society meeting (my wife Mary is the new chapter president). We took our children along, kind of like a vacation. On the way home, I took my daughters on a tour of cotton country. We went out and had lunch at the "Greenbriar" and went over by the station and Belle Mina. Her comment was "boy they sure know how to grow it up here". So I guess in her expert (10 year old) opinion, the crop looks pretty good. It looked pretty good to me, too.

Management of a crop in low price conditions is pretty tough. It's hard to keep spending more money on a crop when prices are this low. But this year you will need a good crop just to break even. Remember that each boll is only worth about three-quarters of what it was a year ago. You can't spend as much to protect each boll as you are used to. Each boll may be worth less, but you buy your insecticide by the gallon, not by the boll. Even if it is worth less, if there are a bunch more of them out there, don't hesitate to protect them. If you have a two-bale crop coming, keep it coming. It may take two bales to break-even in some cases this year. All I'm saying is don't give up and get discouraged too soon. I know I have had a hard time keeping a positive attitude this year, with this market situation and all.

If you have a good crop, keep it coming. If you don't, avoid sending good money after bad. Wait and see what happens, it might turn around. But the market will not bail you out this year. If you put a lot of expense into a small crop, you will lose money. That may sound like useless information, but it's a situation in which many Alabama farmers will find themselves this fall, some through no fault of their own. Don't let yourself be one of them through negligence. Some Alabama cotton farmers will make money this year. I know the weather is the biggest factor, and we don't run the weather. But I hope you can figure out a way so you can at least have a chance to be one of them.
 
 

There have been reports from across the state on damage from the tarnished plant bug. When the storms rolled through the state in mid-June, there were reports of hail damage. There is a common type of damage that occurs to the terminal of the plant from both of these problems. "Crazy cotton" refers to the loss of apical dominance that results in excessive side branch development when the top of the plant is lost due to insects or mechanical damage. It is somewhat similar to the same thing that occurs when a locust or mimosa tree is cut down and shoots spring up from the roots.

One of the questions that always arise when terminal damage occurs is "will the cotton be able to compensate?" Research conducted at the EV Smith Research Center in 1996 indicated that the effect of terminal removal on cotton yield becomes less as the plant ages. This study (supported by the Alabama Cotton Commission) involved removal of the growing point beginning at the 2-leaf stage and continuing at weekly intervals for 6 weeks. The greatest impact was when the terminal was removed at the 2-leaf (28% decrease) and 2-leaf plus 1 week (16% decrease) stages. Maturity was delayed when the terminals were removed as late as 3 weeks after the 2-leaf stage. Later removal resulted in similar maturity and yields (compared to the unaffected control) for that one year.

Dr. Mike Jones, Extension Cotton Specialist, is conducting a hail-simulation study (where crushed ice is applied with a simulation machine) at Clemson University. His first year results indicate that "yield reductions occurred only when early-season (4-leaf stage) hail-damage reduced the plant population by at least 50% and reduced leaf area by 95%. The ability of hail-damaged plants appeared to be directly related to the amount of stem and vascular tissue damage sustained. Hail damage occurring at the pinhead square, match head square, early bloom, peak bloom, and cutout reduced total yield by 31, 44, 64, 71, and 58%, respectively, compared to undamaged plants." Our study at EV Smith involved only the removal of the terminal and not leaf damage.
 
 

You can access cotton and other row crop information through our website at:
http://www.aces.edu/department/cotton/index.html

As always, if we can be of service at the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, please do not hesitate to call or visit your local county Extension office.
 

Alabama Cotton Picksack Newsletter Reference: PSK-5-99; D. Monks and C. Burmester, Editors

Return to Index

Return to Cotton