New Cotton Webcasts Focus On Seedling Diseases And Soil Fertility

By Jim Steadman

Two new webcasts offering information on seedling diseases and soil fertility – two important factors for establishing cotton stands and ensuring a healthy cotton crop – have been added to the Focus on Cotton online webcast resource, developed by Cotton Incorporated and the Plant Management Network.

In “Role of Seedling Diseases and the Efficacy of Fungicide Seed Treatments in Stand Establishment in Cotton,” Craig Rothcock, professor of plant pathology at the University of Arkansas, helps growers, consultants and other practitioners in the cotton industry make effective decisions on seedling disease management and limit losses from seedling diseases. His presentation covers the causes of seeding diseases on cotton, planting decisions to help avoid favorable environments for seedling diseases, and the importance of seed treatment fungicides to help lessen the impact of diseases.

In “Cotton Nutrition in the Southeastern U.S.,” Charles Mitchell, professor and Extension agronomist of soils at Auburn University, shares recent findings from cotton-related soil fertility experiments that have been continually running since 1911. The findings will help viewers improve and update soil test calibration for phosphorus, potassium, secondary and micronutrients. In his talk, Mitchell looks at cotton nutrient uptake patterns to help with fertilization strategies. He also helps answer questions such as “Do I need to increase nitrogen rates on cotton for higher yields?” and “How do soil tests compare across the region?”.