The cotton crop across the Southwest is not just “variable” this year, it’s split-screen. We talk with a panel of Extension cotton specialists from Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to compare what’s holding on, what’s falling apart, and why water capacity is still the number one story even when the heat is doing the loudest damage. From Arizona’s mostly irrigated acres and surprising insect pressure to West Texas estimates of massive dryland abandonment, the regional update is blunt, specific, and packed with field-level realities. We also pivot into the part of the season where good intentions meet hard math: defoliation and harvest aid decisions. When cotton is drought stressed, leaves droop early, plants are less active, and timing matters more than ever. We dig into practical guidance on spraying when leaves have turgor, adjusting ground speed and spray volume, choosing products that fit picker versus stripper systems, and scouting maturity by cutting upper bolls instead of waiting on a calendar date. Frost timing, cool-down risk, and the possibility of fall rain and regrowth all shape the strategy. Finally, we zoom out to the bigger question: what happens if the toolbox shrinks. Harvest aids are not just convenience products, they are central to fiber quality, timely harvest, and meeting stalk destruction deadlines tied to Boll Weevil Eradication Program. If you farm cotton, advise cotton, or just want a clear view of how drought, irrigation limits, and harvest logistics collide, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share the episode with a grower or consultant, and leave a review with your biggest harvest concern for 2026.

The cotton crop across the Southwest is not just “variable” this year, it’s split-screen. We talk with a panel of Extension cotton specialists from Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to compare what’s holding on, what’s falling apart, and why water capacity is still the number one story even when the heat is doing the loudest damage. From Arizona’s mostly irrigated acres and surprising insect pressure to West Texas estimates of massive dryland abandonment, the regional update is blunt, specific, and packed with field-level realities. We also pivot into the part of the season where good intentions meet hard math: defoliation and harvest aid decisions. When cotton is drought stressed, leaves droop early, plants are less active, and timing matters more than ever. We dig into practical guidance on spraying when leaves have turgor, adjusting ground speed and spray volume, choosing products that fit picker versus stripper systems, and scouting maturity by cutting upper bolls instead of waiting on a calendar date. Frost timing, cool-down risk, and the possibility of fall rain and regrowth all shape the strategy. Finally, we zoom out to the bigger question: what happens if the toolbox shrinks. Harvest aids are not just convenience products, they are central to fiber quality, timely harvest, and meeting stalk destruction deadlines tied to Boll Weevil Eradication Program. If you farm cotton, advise cotton, or just want a clear view of how drought, irrigation limits, and harvest logistics collide, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share the episode with a grower or consultant, and leave a review with your biggest harvest concern for 2026.

The cotton crop across the Southwest is not just “variable” this year, it’s split-screen. We talk with a panel of Extension cotton specialists from Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to compare what’s holding on, what’s falling apart, and why water capacity is still the number one story even when the heat is doing the loudest damage. From Arizona’s mostly irrigated acres and surprising insect pressure to West Texas estimates of massive dryland abandonment, the regional update is blunt, specific, and packed with field-level realities. We also pivot into the part of the season where good intentions meet hard math: defoliation and harvest aid decisions. When cotton is drought stressed, leaves droop early, plants are less active, and timing matters more than ever. We dig into practical guidance on spraying when leaves have turgor, adjusting ground speed and spray volume, choosing products that fit picker versus stripper systems, and scouting maturity by cutting upper bolls instead of waiting on a calendar date. Frost timing, cool-down risk, and the possibility of fall rain and regrowth all shape the strategy. Finally, we zoom out to the bigger question: what happens if the toolbox shrinks. Harvest aids are not just convenience products, they are central to fiber quality, timely harvest, and meeting stalk destruction deadlines tied to Boll Weevil Eradication Program. If you farm cotton, advise cotton, or just want a clear view of how drought, irrigation limits, and harvest logistics collide, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share the episode with a grower or consultant, and leave a review with your biggest harvest concern for 2026.

Drought, Water, And Heat Across The Southwest Cotton Belt

Brian Pieralisi, Tyson Raper, Bill Robertson, and Bradley Wilson provide an overview of cover crops and their management, and considerations for cotton planting in a cover crop system in the midsouth.

Brian Pieralisi, Tyson Raper, Bill Robertson, and Bradley Wilson provide an overview of cover crops and their management, and considerations for cotton planting in a cover crop system in the midsouth.

Episode 18 - Cover Crops in the Midsouth (Part 1)

Steve Brown, Keith Edmisten, Hunter Frame, and Camp Hand discuss in-season management of cotton in a cover crop system and benefits and limitations that accompany or impact the use of cover crops in the southeast.

Steve Brown, Keith Edmisten, Hunter Frame, and Camp Hand discuss in-season management of cotton in a cover crop system and benefits and limitations that accompany or impact the use of cover crops in the southeast.

Episode 17 - Cover Crops in the Southeast (Part 2)

Steve Brown, Keith Edmisten, Hunter Frame, and Camp Hand discuss the management of cover crops in the southeast and considerations for planting cotton in a system using cover crops.

Steve Brown, Keith Edmisten, Hunter Frame, and Camp Hand discuss the management of cover crops in the southeast and considerations for planting cotton in a system using cover crops.

Episode 16 - Cover Crops in the Southeast (Part 1)

Camp Hand, Ben McKnight, Brian Pieralisi, and Tyson Raper review 2021 and discuss considerations for 2022.

Camp Hand, Ben McKnight, Brian Pieralisi, and Tyson Raper review 2021 and discuss considerations for 2022.

Camp Hand, Ben McKnight, Brian Pieralisi, and Tyson Raper review 2021 and discuss considerations for 2022.&nbsp;

Episode 15 - Looking Back at 2021 and Ahead to 2022

Bill Robertson, Camp Hand, and Tyson Raper different types of variety trials and how the data can be used by researchers and producers in the variety selection process.

Bill Robertson, Camp Hand, and Tyson Raper different types of variety trials and how the data can be used by researchers and producers in the variety selection process.

Episode 14 - Using and Interpreting Variety Trial Data

Steve Brown, Camp Hand, Brian Pieralisi, and Tyson Raper discuss the impact of weathering on cotton fiber.

Steve Brown, Camp Hand, Brian Pieralisi, and Tyson Raper discuss the impact of weathering on cotton fiber.

Episode 13 - The Effects of Weathering

Ben McKnight, Randy Norton, and Bill Robertson discuss trends their seeing in variety performance this year, agronomic characteristics of successful varieties, and methods for evaluating variety maturity category.

Ben McKnight, Randy Norton, and Bill Robertson discuss trends their seeing in variety performance this year, agronomic characteristics of successful varieties, and methods for evaluating variety maturity category.

Episode 12 - Late Season Variety Trends

Guy Collins, Matt Foster, and Tyler Sandlin discuss various harvest aid products, tanks mixes, and how to address late season crop issues through harvest aid product and rate selection.

Guy Collins, Matt Foster, and Tyler Sandlin discuss various harvest aid products, tanks mixes, and how to address late season crop issues through harvest aid product and rate selection.

Episode 11 - Harvest Aids Part 2

Steve Brown, Camp Hand, and Bill Robertson discuss methods for scheduling harvest aid applications and application strategies to optimize harvest aid performance.

Steve Brown, Camp Hand, and Bill Robertson discuss methods for scheduling harvest aid applications and application strategies to optimize harvest aid performance.

Steve Brown, Camp Hand, and Bill Robertson discuss methods for scheduling harvest aid applications and application strategies to optimize harvest aid performance.&nbsp;

Episode 10 - Harvest Aids Part 1

Keith Edmisten, Bob Hutmacher, and Tyson Raper give a general overview of fiber quality topics from their perspective regions, including current issues, improvements in quality parameters, and research they've conducted on fiber quality.

Keith Edmisten, Bob Hutmacher, and Tyson Raper give a general overview of fiber quality topics from their perspective regions, including current issues, improvements in quality parameters, and research they've conducted on fiber quality.

Episode 9 - Fiber Quality

Extension Cotton Specialists and others from across the U.S. weigh in on a variety of topics that impact cotton producers, consultants, and the industry as a whole.

Science

Natural Sciences

Extension Cotton Specialists and others from across the U.S. weigh in on a variety of topics that impact cotton producers, consultants, and the industry as a whole.

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