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CottonA kindly agricultural researcher in our local offices supplied me with information regarding the cotton production cycle in our area of South Carolina. He has granted me permission to post his notes here. Keep in mind that with anything agricultural, the dates provided represent the "usual" times things occur. Nature can dictate that times get delayed or sped up.At the bottom of this page are links to other sites regarding cotton, as well as links to photos and videos at this site. Cotton Production System in Previous Fall: Prepare for Next Season Soil samples from fields are collected for nutrient status to determine lime and fertilizer needs. Samples are sent to state or private laboratories for analysis. If nematode (parasitic, microscopic worms) problems are suspected, soil samples are collected and sent to laboratory for testing. February-March-April: Prepare Fields for Planting Lime is applied if soil pH is low at rates recommended by soil test results. Fertilizers (phosphorous, potassium, manganese) as recommended from soil test results are also applied. Nitrogen, sulfur and boron are generally applied to each field each year. Farmers using conventional tillage methods generally prepare the soil by plowing, disking, and smoothing the soil surface. At this time, many farmers apply soil incorporated herbicides for weed control. Farmers using conservation tillage methods (leaving old plant residues on the surface to protect the soil from blowing and washing away) apply herbicides to kill all plants growing so planting can be done in a weed-free field. April to Mid-May: Plant Cotton Fungicide treated seeds (to protect seedlings from disease) are planted. Usually, an insecticide is also applied in the row for control of thrips. Nematocides can be applied if nematodes are a potential problem. Herbicides are applied at or shortly after planting for weed control. April-May: Monitor Early Season Development Cotton fields are scouted shortly after plants emerge to determine plant populations and make assessment of the need for replanting. At this time, farmers look for areas with weed pressure and may treat with herbicide. Most farmers grow cotton plants that are resistant to Roundup Herbicide. These farmers will apply Roundup to their crop when plants have less than 5 leaves (crop is less than about 1 month old). Early season cotton is regularly for insect pests, primarily thrips, spp. and insecticides applied if damage is high. June-July-August: Monitor Mid-Season Growth and Crop Development During June, an herbicide application is often made with a specialized sprayer that applies the herbicide to the ground under the crop canopy. In June and early July on fields with highly productive soils, farmers often apply a plant growth regulator to keep the cotton plants from growing too tall. If plants grow too tall, they shade each other and this can reduce yield. Fields are scouted regularly for insect pests, primarily budworms, bollworms, and stink bugs. Insecticide applications are made if pest pressures warrant them. Usually, farmers will make 2-4 applications to each field per year. September-October: Prepare for Harvest Field edges are mowed or tilled to kill weeds to help keep cotton free of weed debris. When about 60-80% of the bolls are open, farmers spray a defoliant to remove the leaves from the cotton plants so that they do not become a contaminant of the fiber. Also, a chemical boll opener is often applied at this time to hasten opening of the youngest bolls to allow for a once-over harvest. October-November: Harvest Cotton is harvested and the harvested cotton transported to the gins for ginning (removing the seeds from the fiber) and baling. Here are some links to help you teach about cotton and cotton-related topics: From NARA - Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin Like a Family: The Making of a Southern Cotton Mill World Teaching resources from "Cotton Counts" Moving cotton from the field to fabric Cotton Council International - facts and figures plus international cotton links - good for finding out about the dollars connected to this industry Cotton in Australia - lots of pictures and information at this site to learn about cotton in general 10,000 years of cotton in Peru PHOTOS and Videos related to cotton are available on this site. The photos are at http://www.jmadden.info/Cotton.htm The videos are at |