Key Considerations for Cotton Defoliation

By Jim Steadman|August 27, 2015

The 2015 cotton crop is quickly winding down, and it’s time for growers to be thinking about preparing this crop for harvest.

The NC State Extension cotton team – Guy Collins and Keith Edmisten – remind growers that multiple factors influence product selection and rates, and that it’s easy to make errors if weather or crop conditions change after an application is made.

“I find that it’s easier to make these decisions by considering the basic underlying principles behind the defoliation process, and ‘breaking down’ all of the components into their simplest form,” says Collins.

The team has developed input on several considerations that should help growers with these decisions – physiology, defoliation timing, product selection, and nozzle and application volume.

Click here to see their recommendations.