Cotton harvest aids

"Original authors: David W. Albers, Fred Fishel and Jill B. Mobley""By properly managing the time of defoliation, the crop can be prepared for a timely harvest, which is critical in Missouri's short season environment. The number of suitable hours for harvest operations decreases rapidly during the fall. With timely harvest, earlier stalk destruction can occur as an essential part of insect and disease management. The objective of this publication is to provide information on proper defoliation techniques and the available harvest aids on the market today."--First page.Gene Stevens (State Extension Agronomy Professor)Taken from the Extension website: Revised Sept. 202

Plant growth regulators for cotton

"Original authors: David W. Albers and C. Tim Schnakenberg"Abstract supplied by catalogerAn informational article about plant growth regulators for cotton.Gene Stevens (State Extension Agronomy Professor)Taken from the Extension website: Reviewed Sept. 2020Includes bibliographical reference

Cotton fertility management

"Original authors: David W. Albers, State Extension Specialist-Cotton; Steve Hefner, Research Associate; and Dale Klobe, Area Agronomy Specialist Much of the information in this publication is taken from the National Cotton Council newsletter Cotton Physiology Today, volume 2, no. 3, authored by Kater Hake, Ken Cassman and Wayne Ebelhar in January 1991.""The proper fertilization of cotton is difficult to determine because many variables can affect development and production. Anything that causes plant stress will affect nutrient uptake. Some factors involved are: soil texture, drainage, field preparation, weather, variety, time of planting, plant populations, emergence and stand, previous crop, and carry-over fertility and/or chemicals. A current soil test is still the best tool for taking the guesswork out of fertilization, and a balanced fertility program is necessary for good yields."--First page.Gene Stevens (Extension Professor, Agronomy

Protecting cotton seedlings from blowing sand with winter cover crops

"Windy days in late May can be a serious problem for Delta cotton farmers in southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas. Young cotton plants are most vulnerable to injury from blowing sand at this time. Weather records at Clarkton, Missouri, show that the period from May 15 to 30 usually produces at least one day with maximum wind speeds greater than 35 miles per hour. The level topography in the North Mississippi River Delta region provides little resistance to wind. Many trees, which provided wind protection for young cotton plants, have been removed from field borders to allow the use of large field equipment and center pivot irrigation. Blowing sand and the constant movement of cotton leaves and stems injures cotton seedlings and young plants. Depending on the severity of the winds in a given spring, 10 to 30 percent of cotton fields without wind protection are replanted because of blowing sand. In fields with less damage, wind injury usually delays the maturity of the cotton one to two weeks. Since the region is on the northern fringe of the Cotton Belt, delays in early growth often result in yield losses. From 1992 to 1996, a study at the MU Delta Research Center showed the benefits of planting wheat cover crop in cotton row middles. Wind gauges (anemometers) placed in the rows next to cotton seedlings showed that killed wheat in row middles significantly reduced wind speed. Cotton lint yields at Portageville, Missouri, were 121 pounds per acre greater with wheat ridge-till than with conventional-till cotton. Soil temperatvure next to cotton plants was not reduced by winter wheat residue in the row middles. At first square growth stage, ridge-till cotton planted into killed wheat always averaged 1 to 3 inches taller than conventional-till cotton plants. Also light interception readings from cotton plants averaged 10 percent greater with ridge-till wheat than with conventional tillage."--First page.Authors: Gene Stevens is an associate professor of agronomy in the University of Missouri Division of Plant Sciences, Delta Research Center, Portageville. David Dunn is supervisor of the Soil Testing Laboratory at the University of Missouri Delta Research Center, Portageville.Taken from the Extension website: Reviewed Nov. 2019New 7/08/2

Delta soils of southeast Missouri

"Note: This guide was originally published in 1966.""The Mississippi River Alluvial Valley is called the Delta region. The Delta includes parts of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. This report focuses on the Upper Delta in Southeast Missouri. It is one of the most fertile places for growing crops in the United States (Figure 1). The high crop productivity is due to the soils, climate and abundant ground water for irrigation. Delta soils were formed by alluvial sediments from the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and smaller rivers from the Ozark Highlands. Temperatures in the growing season are warm enough for producing cotton and rice, but also suited for producing high yields of corn and soybeans. Farmers often apply water with furrow and center pivot irrigation systems during periods of low rainfall. This report describes the different kinds of soils and their locations in the Delta, explains how they were formed, and provides an evaluation of their potential for production and adaptation to different crops. The Delta is an alluvial valley of recent geological age. Soils are usually in the early stages of weathering with slight to moderate horizon development. When alluvial material was deposited, sediments often varied in texture due to shifts in stream channels, sometimes with clay over sand and vice versa (Figure 2). Farmers should remember that the present prosperity of the region was preceded by the toil and struggle of the pioneers who cleared the land and constructed the first drainage ditches. There were many failures in capital investment for reclamation before the land became productive. The physical, agricultural and cultural development of the Delta forms a special chapter in the history of Missouri."--First page.Written by: Gene Stevens (Extension Professor, Agronomy), Henry Krusekopf (Professor Emeritus, College of Agriculture)New 10/2

Cotton tillage and planting guidelines

"Original author: David W. Albers, former State Extension Specialist-Cotton Support for the tillage research referenced in this publication is in part from the Missouri State Support Committee and Cotton Incorporated, using grower check-off dollars.""Tillage operations performed prior to planting cotton should make a firm, well-drained seedbed that will provide a warm environment for seed germination and vigorous seedling growth. Since cotton is a semi-tropical, perennial plant, it grows very slowly early in the growing season compared to other Missouri crops such as corn and soybeans. The slow, early growth nature of this crop requires a grower to provide a seedbed that will allow the young seedling to get off to the best start possible. With new equipment, especially planters and cultivators, developed to handle high-residue conditions, it is possible to plant cotton into stale beds or fields that have received minimal tillage. Clean-till approaches are still the predominant tillage system for cotton, but using fewer tillage operations is one way that cotton growers have found to reduce costs yet produce yields equal to those in conventional, clean-till systems."--First page.David L. Reinbott (Area Farm Management Specialist, Scott County), Gene Stevens (Extension Professor, Agronomy)Taken from the Extension website: Reviewed Sept. 201

The boll weevil in Missouri : history, biology and management

"Original author: Clyde E. Sorenson""The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis, was the most important pest of cotton in much of America's Cotton Belt. Fortunately, it was eradicated in the United States by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program in cooperation with state agencies and cotton farmers. In Missouri, the eradication started in 2001 and lasted seven years. The weevil's importance was due not only to the considerable damage it does but also to its disruption of management programs that target other pests. High numbers of boll weevils caused repeated insecticide applications during the growing season because the boll weevil went through several overlapping generations during every crop season, reproduced quickly, moved often and could be controlled with insecticides only during its adult stage. Applying insecticides reduced populations of organisms that regulate the populations of other cotton pests, such as aphids, plant bugs and the bollworm complex. The presence of significant boll weevil populations dictated, to some extent, the management of other pests."--First page.Written by; Clyde E. Sorenson (formerly of the MU Delta Center), Gene Stevens (Extension Professor, Agronomy)New 4/95; Revised 9/1

How to Diagnose Soil Acidity and Alkalinity Problems in Crops: A Comparison of Soil pH Test Kits

Extension agronomists are often asked by farmers to determine why crop plants are stunted or have abnormally colored leaves. Soil acidity and alkalinity are common fertility problems that can cause these symptoms. In a study to measure the accuracy of in-field pH test kits, hand-held pH meters and pH color indicator kits provided fast and reliable results. Soil pH probes gave poor measurements of soil acidity and should not be used by Extension agents. Results by untrained personnel with hand-held pH meters varied by individual. Agents using pH test kits should read instructions carefully before using these instruments

Rice Production with Furrow Irrigation in the Mississippi River Delta Region of the USA

Furrow irrigated rice is an alternative method for growing rice with less water and labor than conventional flood irrigation. In the Mississippi River Delta region, layflat plastic pipe is used to supply water to furrows from irrigation wells. Different size holes are punched in pipe to optimize uniformity of water distribution. Beds are made before planting to channel water down furrows. Rice seed is planted in rows with a grain drill. Water infiltration in furrows is two-dimensional through a wetted perimeter with soil in the bottom of furrows and sidewalls of beds. An ideal field for furrow irrigation has no more than 0.1% slope with high clay content. No rice cultivars have been developed specifically for furrow irrigation but tests showed that some cultivars tolerate water stress better than others. In field trials, rice yields with furrow irrigation were lower than flooded rice with the greatest yield loss in the upper part of fields. However, results indicated that rice yields can be increased with proper timing of nitrogen fertilization and irrigation and adaption of new rice herbicides for weed control