Terminate Cotton Irrigation at First Cracked Boll

According to the August 24 USDA Crop Progress Report, 19 percent of the 2014 cotton crop is showing open bolls. Darrin Dodds, Mississippi State Extension cotton specialist, says that growers should use that first cracked boll as the point at which plans should be made to terminate cotton irrigation.

In a recent article, Dodds explained the guidelines that growers should consider for ending both furrow irrigation and pivot irrigation of their cotton to help avoid hard lock and/or bollrot.