Cotton

Many fields are beginning to open and the plants have few developing bolls near the terminal. Therefore, insects are of little concern. The extreme heat coupled with drought a few weeks back took care of our top crop. Late maturing fields that caught a scattered thunderstorm should be watched for stink bugs until the last bolls we expect to harvest are 20-25 days old. Several growers have expressed concern about the number of hard locked lower bolls due to boll rot. What began as a promising cotton crop has turned into a below average yield potential for the state as a whole. The southwestern region of the state had the best rainfall pattern and will likely have the best yields.