As cotton planting season progresses, producers across Oklahoma are facing unique challenges, primarily due to an abundance of rain. OSU Cotton Extension Specialist Jenny Dudak recently discussed the current state of planting with Farm Director KC Sheperd, offering insights and advice for navigating the season.
Nationwide, cotton planting stands at approximately 66%, with Kansas at 82% and Texas at 61%. Oklahoma, however, presents a different picture. “We have been wet,” Dudak confirmed. “This planting season has been quite challenging with replanting and just trying to find those dry windows to get a planter in the field.”
Dudak estimates that most irrigated acres in Oklahoma are now planted or replanted. The main hold-up lies with dryland acres. “There are still some dryland acres out there that producers have been waiting on to plant after their irrigated acres, and then we got all this rain,” she explained. “So I think we might be a little bit behind in the dryland acres.”
The dilemma for dryland producers often involves balancing the need for moisture with the risk of excessive rain. Dudak noted that this year, the issue is less about waiting for moisture and more about finding a dry window to get equipment into the fields.
Producers also need to be mindful of planting windows and crop insurance deadlines. “You do have a planting window, and then you want to make sure that you’re calling your crop insurance agent as well and making sure that you’re getting your crop in on time, to make sure you are still covered by insurance,” Dudak advised. She emphasized the importance of not planting too late, especially in the northern parts of the state, as it can negatively impact cotton grade at the end of the season due to a shorter growing period.
For dryland cotton, the insurance cutoff date in the southern part of Oklahoma is around June 20. However, for those in the northern part of the state, particularly the Panhandle, Dudak suggested considering alternative crops if cotton hasn’t been planted yet. “You might want to shift focus to a different crop,” she said.
Dudak also provided an update on OSU’s cotton trials. “We were in Fort Cobb planting,” she shared. “We also have two on-farm trials left in Washita County, and one on-farm dryland trial left in Tillman County, and then we are finished with our trials for the year as far as cotton planting goes.” These on-farm trials are primarily variety evaluations, assessing different cotton varieties from various companies, including those with mixed technologies for herbicide tolerance. “At the end of the day, we’re really looking for yield and what our grades are,” Dudak explained.
Beyond planting, Dudak urged producers to be proactive in managing early-season pests and weeds. “One thing that I would urge producers to start looking for and be aware of is thrips pressure,” she warned. While seed treatments provide approximately two weeks of protection, thrips can cause significant damage to young cotton plants, ultimately impacting yields. Dudak recommended scouting for thrips and spraying if the threshold of one thrip per true leaf is met.
Finally, the abundant rainfall means producers should also be vigilant about weed control. “With all of this rain, the residuals that we put down pre are probably going to break a lot faster than normal,” Dudak noted. She advised scouting for weeds and applying early post-emergent applications on time, suggesting the addition of a residual herbicide to the tank mix to extend the weed-free window.
