Oklahoma cotton is off to a good start, blessed by rainfall and good growing conditions early, according to Oklahoma State University Extension Cotton Specialist Jenny Dudak, Stillwater.

“So far, cotton looks good, really good around the Altus area,” Dudak says. “The area has had early rain and popup showers, so cotton is off to a good start.”

Oklahoma State University Extension Cotton Specialist Jenny Dudak (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

She says overall, cotton is at about 7 to 8 nodes with some replanted acres a little behind. “Earlier cotton is a bit bigger.”

She says Maxwell Smith, OSU Extension weed specialist, reports an April planted field with “pretty big squares. I’m eager to see that.”

Dudak says with the rain Southwest Oklahoma received early, the recent popup showers, and rain chances for the rest of the week (June 19-23) “we have moisture in the air and we have soil moisture.”

She adds that potential to irrigate out of Lake Lugert is “up in the air. We have to wait and see.”

Oklahoma Panhandle

The Oklahoma Panhandle also looks promising early, Dudak says.

“The Panhandle got from 3 to almost 8 inches of rain last night (June 18). They have been blessed with rain, and they needed it. The area was very dry. That rain will keep cotton sustained for a little bit. The Panhandle also got some rain last week.

“For now, the outlook for cotton in the Panhandle looks better.”

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She says cotton is “pretty much out of the thrips window. Producers who had to replant should watch for thrips since they're also cutting wheat but pressure has been low, especially down here in southwest Oklahoma.

“A few farmers have had to spray a good bit for grasshoppers. Now, we start looking for fleahoppers and then plant bugs.”

Weed pressure, Smith says, has been about normal. “I’m seeing nothing unusual. But we can tell a difference where growers applied a pre-emergence herbicide and where they did not.”

He says producers are not having issues with dicamba loss. “We can still use it for now, but we may see hurdles next year.”

Dudak says most producers planted what they intended to plant. “A few might have fallen off a little.”

She says cotton is in a “wait and see time, a lull part of the season. For now, we need some heat units and continued rain. It’s been cool and overcast the last few days around Altus; temperatures have been in the high 90s with lows in the 70’s —perfect cotton weather.”