Record cotton yield possible in northeast Arkansas

JONESBORO, Ark. - Last weekend's rainfall caused a leap in the majority of northeast Arkansas' cotton crop, University of Arkansas Extension Service officials say.

"We saw a few problems early with some cool temperatures and a few insect problems, but over the past few days the crop has really improved," said Clay County Extension Staff Chairman Andy Vangilder. "Cotton is doing well. It is squaring early. And if everything plays out right I think we're getting ready for not only an early cotton harvest, but possibly record yields.

"But, we'll need it," Vangilder said, because cotton prices have dropped. And if things continue like they are, the industry may see prices in the 60 cent range by harvest. Compare that with around a dollar last year, and it is easy to see the need for big yields, he said.

Vangilder said he and Blake McClelland, Extension cotton verification coordinator for northeast Arkansas, looked at some fields in Clay County on Wednesday morning, and McClelland was in Craighead County later with Craighead County Extension Staff Chairman Branon Thiesse checking a field southwest of Dixie.

They were finding the same thing - that squaring was going on from nodes 4 through 6, and there was very little insect pressure at this time. McClellan said squaring at nodes 5 and 6 are normal, 4 is a little unusual.

"Back when I was at Helena, we were shooting for 7," Thiesse said.

They were also using a sweep net to check for insects and found a few.

"There are lots of beneficials," McClelland said. They saw a lot of spiders, which eat other insects including the ones that can cause damage to cotton.

Cotton may be a little early this year because producers didn't have to spray at early squaring, pinhead or match-head size, for boll weevils.

"Since the boll weevil eradication program we have been finding more spiders and other beneficial insects," McClelland said. Those take care of a lot of the damaging insect problems, as they not only eat insects, but their eggs and larvae as well, the agents said.

Growers used to have to spray at early squaring to kill boll weevils, and the spraying also killed beneficials. And because the beneficial insects were gone, they would have to spray again.

Vangilder said the heavy fruit set appearing on the cotton will also help limit plant height, which sometimes is done using chemical plant growth regulators.

"There's no better growth regulator than a good boll load," Vangilder said. The load allows the cotton plant to divert more energy to fruiting rather than rank growth that serves no useful purpose.

"If we keep having the kind of weather we are having and get plenty of rain, we stand to have a bumper cotton crop," Vangilder said. "The temperatures in the 90s daytime and 70s at night are ideal for cotton. We all hear that cotton is a hot weather plant, but it likes 90s and 70s better."

He explained that the 90s provide the heat units necessary to produce the crop and the 70s at night allow the plant to rest, which is critical for higher yields. Too hot in the day and too hot at night stresses the plants and harms yield, he said.

"Last year we had a good crop here," Vangilder said. It wasn't an awesome crop but it could be a lot better this year, if prices go back up.

With prices in the high 60s, 69.8 cents on the New York exchange, a high yield will be necessary to help make up the difference between last year's prices that ranged around a dollar, officials said.

"We'd like to have both the yields and prices," Vangilder said. "We need it."