Summaries of Arkansas cotton research 2007

"Arkansas' cotton producers reduced acreage approximately 29% to 850,000 acres of cotton in 2007. The reduction in acres was a direct result of increased commodity prices, mainly for corn. Cotton producers averaged 1,062 lb lint/acre in 2007. This was the second highest yield on record for Arkansas and 17 lb/acre on average higher than the 2006 crop. The highest yield recorded for the state was 1,114 lb lint/acre in 2004. For the last four seasons, cotton producers in Arkansas have averaged over 1,000 lb lint/acre and ranked second for the last three years behind Texas in United States cotton production. Arkansas produced 1.8 million bales of cotton in 2007. The 2007 growing season started off rough for many producers across Arkansas. Colder temperatures causing a late April freeze resulted in many acres of replanted corn. The cooler temperatures also delayed cotton planting for the first time in many years. However, conditions improved and the bulk of the 2007 crop was planted during the first and second week of May. Cotton emerged quickly with warm temperatures and with these warmer temperatures, emergence was more even than the last few seasons. Environmental conditions were excellent for cotton early, which resulted in quick growth and high fruit retention going into bloom. Rainfall patterns were scattered throughout the state in 2007. The northeast portion experienced droughty conditions, while in some areas of southeast Arkansas, irrigation pumps were not turned on until late July or early August due to frequent rainfall. Production problems in 2007, other than the extreme dry conditions in the northeast, were mostly pest-related. The increased acreage of corn surrounding cotton fields resulted in extremely heavy infestations of tarnished plant bugs. Many producers suffered yield losses from plant bugs where fields bordered corn. In some cases, threshold levels were reached every time the fields were scouted, resulting in numerous sprays to control re-infestations of plant bugs. Glyphosate-resistant weeds continued to be a problem that plagued cotton fields. This past season numerous fields were sampled and found to contain populations of glyphosate-resistant pigweed. Management of glyphosate-resistant weeds will continue to be a major challenge in the future of Arkansas cotton production. Overall, 2007 was a good year for cotton production in Arkansas. However, increased costs of production, mainly fuel and fertilizer, reduced profit margins in many areas. Producers needed to average close to 1200 lb/acre to break even in 2007."