Louisiana cotton planting is near complete. The state is expected to nearly double its acreage this year.
The LSU AgCenter’s Craig Gautreaux shares more.
Louisiana cotton farmers are just about ready to wrap up planting this year’s crop. Cotton acreage is expected to increase to nearly 200,000 acres, which is well above last year’s 110,000 acres. Wet weather a year ago had cotton planting well behind schedule, but this year has seen a complete reversal.
“The main hold-up now is dry weather. Some guys are in need of rain to finish planting. Some are planting cotton a little deeper than usual, chasing moisture.”
Not only is acreage rising, but the price for cotton has been surging. The increase in cotton acreage has led to a smaller corn crop in the state.
“Prices are looking good. Cotton has lower fertilizer inputs compared to corn. So, you know, high fertilizer prices are driving that increase in acreage as well.”
Foster is testing 41 different cotton varieties on four research stations across the state. He is doing similar research on 10 farms across the state. The results of his tests provide farmers with information to make informed decisions.
“It has experimental lines in it as well as commercial lines. And a lot of growers look at this data to make variety of selections.”
The price of seed is a major expense to farmers. The price reflects the research and development that goes into making today’s modern seed
“Technology. Herbicide tolerance, insect tolerance, and I’m afraid it’s going to increase in the future with newer technology being added to the arsenal.”
It takes approximately 120 days for cotton to go from seed planting to being ready to harvest.
Related:
Meet a cotton producer who is creating fields of joy in Texas
Evaluating and Promoting Cotton in Tennessee
