Cotton Crop Thrives With Timely Rains Across the State

By Kay Ledbetter

Despite some challenges, cotton production is expected to be better than average due to timely rains this season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service reports around the state.

Ben McKnight, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide cotton specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station, said the Aug. 25 acreage report from the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation has total planted Texas acres at approximately 5.41 million acres.

While planted acres rarely translate into “harvested acres,” it appears that cotton field abandonment may be lower than in the past few years, McKnight said.

Losses experienced in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, South Plains

Cotton acres in the Lower Rio Grande Valley were much lower than in previous seasons. Growers planted around 60,000 acres compared to the typical 100,000-120,000 acres. Flooding in late March reduced those acres by an additional 20%.