Cotton
I have been looking at the extended weather forecast for the past few days. The temperatures for later next week keeps changing. However, this morning it has been lowered to 36 degrees on Wednesday night and 38 degrees on Thursday night for Statesboro. Please keep your eye on the forecast, because it seems to be a moving target.
Of course, the big question mark on next week is what happens after Wednesday. Will there be frost? If so will it be a heavy or light frost? Who knows, and betting on it (or not) is a gamble either way.
There is a big difference in dipping into the 30s and staying in the 30s. However, if it is accompanied with a frost it can impact a cotton crop. A light frost can be helpful , but a heavy one can be detrimental.
If you are not a risk taker and don’t want to bet on a light frost and the cotton that is 5-6 NACB or less – defoliate it by Monday. That will give it two solid, warm and sunny days for the defoliant to get the process started before the cold snap arrives. If your cotton is definitely ready, I would follow same advice.
Below is the extended forecast as of this morning for Statesboro, GA:
Peanuts
The temperatures later next week can be problematic for peanuts if they have been inverted too close to the colds arrival. That being said, be sure you allow a minimum of 48 hours (I prefer 72 hours) once peanuts are inverted before a frost or freeze. The risk for freeze damage is much higher at times shorter than this. Leave the peanuts in the ground if you are concerned about not having enough time before the cold arrives. Look at the upcoming days future forecast before you dig to be sure the temperatures will be warm enough.
