SCOTT GRAHAM
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Good news: After the recent rains, the Thrips Model has totally shifted. For the majority of the state, VERY LOW thrips pressure is expected for anything planted from now through basically all of May. For pretty much the whole state,...
JOSH LEE
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
We have finally gotten so much needed rain across the state and planters are back in the field. However, some areas of the state like central Alabama got a little more rain than what they bargained for....
GUY COLLINS, DR. ADRIAN PEKARCIK AND DR. DOMINIC RESIG
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
Asiatic garden beetle is an invasive insect that can occasionally injure seedling cotton in North Carolina. Adult emergence began in mid-May this year, and we expect activity to increase...
MARY HIGHTOWER
JONESBORO, ARKANSAS
May’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, or WASDE, report is shining a biofueled ray of light as it forecasts higher average prices for soybeans and corn.
Each month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s World Agricultural Outlook Board issues...
MARY HIGHTOWER
JONESBORO, ARKANSAS
Arkansas was still the No. 3 cotton producer in the United States in 2025 despite growing fewer acres than the previous year, and this year, farmers may grow the smallest number of cotton acres in nearly a decade.
The U.S....
CHANDLER GRUENER
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
As planting season has started with a long dry spell, followed by heavy rain, I find myself thinking about fertilizer as an investment and the loss mechanisms of these nutrients. Specifically, focusing on nitrogen management, the loss...
JOHN LOVETT
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS
With the 2026 cotton planting season in full swing, research out of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station provides a fresh reminder of the importance of sufficient potassium for cotton lint yield and quality.
Over the past decade, potassium...
DR.SIMER VIRK
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Regular In-Field Planter Checks -With cotton planting underway across the state, we want to emphasize the importance of regular in-field checks during planting to ensure good planter performance and avoid costly mistakes. A few important things to pay...
AMANDA SCHERER
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Until recently, it has been pretty dry across Alabama, which has kept our risk for seedling disease low. However, as cotton planting continues to increase across the state, wet, cool weather could increase the risk of seedling...
Josh Lee
ALABAMA
Cotton pests come in all shapes and sizes. By the time you read this, the May-planted cotton crop will be approaching about a month old, which coincides with the pinhead square development stage. At this stage, we...
Camp Hand
GEORGIA
As June arrives, cotton growers are typically crossing key milestones. Planting is largely complete, the thrips window has closed in our region, and many early season pest management decisions are already in the rearview mirror. While some later-planted...
Ben McKnight
TEXAS
As I write this in early May, statewide planting progress of the 2026 cotton crop is on pace with the five-year average for cotton planting progress in Texas. By the time you are reading this, planting progress will...
Brian Pieralisi
MISSISSIPPI
It’s been unusually warm and dry in the Mid-South for this time of year. Mississippi growers were timely in planting both corn and soybean and optimizing their planting windows. As for cotton, despite the latest “cool snap,” we...
Ken Legé
TEXAS
Cotton production across the High and Rolling Plains of West Texas remains a high-risk endeavor, with success largely dependent on a producer’s ability to anticipate and manage numerous challenges — along with a measure of good fortune. Our...
Randy Norton
ARIZONA
Most of the Arizona cotton crop has experienced a strong start to the 2026 season. Uncharacteristically warm temperatures from late February through mid-April provided excellent planting conditions. Early season fruit set has begun, with squares and some early...
