Open Bolls Reported from Coast to Coast

By Jim.Robinson|August 26, 2013

The 2013 cotton crop continues to progress from coast to coast, with more and more open bolls appearing in fields during the past week.

According to the USDA Crop Progress Report dated August 25, open bolls can be found in nearly all of the top cotton-producing states. On average, 10 percent of bolls are reported open nationwide, with Arizona (41 percent) and Louisiana (36 percent) leading the way.

The overall condition of the crop showed a slight improvement in the last seven days, with 47 percent of the crop rated good-to-very good and 33 percent rated fair. Twenty percent of the crop is considered poor-to-very poor, with the largest percentages coming from Texas and Oklahoma (both 29 percent), where continued drought conditions have already led to crop abandonment.

Poor-to-very poor conditions also continue throughout the Southeastern states, where continued wet and cool conditions continue to challenge both stands and the patience of growers.