Open Week of Weather Propels Cotton Planting

Growers took advantage of warmer, drier weather in the past week, boosting the percentage of planted cotton acres to 39 percent across the primary Cotton Belt states, based on the May 17 USDA Planted Acres Report.

Nationally, planted acreage to date is still 20 percentage points behind the same week last year. But in light of prolonged cool and wet field conditions this spring, the one week jump in progress is remarkable.

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California and Arizona continue to lead the way, with plantings in both states reported as 97 percent complete.

According to USDA, approximately 56 percent of cotton in the Southeastern states is now reported as planted. Likewise, roughly 43 percent of acres in the Mid-South are accounted for, with Mississippi and Tennessee still running behind due to lingering wet conditions.

Cotton planting in Texas is now ahead of last year’s average, with 29 percent of the state’s crop in the ground – mostly in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Planting on the High Plains is now underway, even as growers continue to watch for additional soil moisture to aid seed germination.

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