The Southeast Farm Press posted a story this week by Eddie McGriff of Alabama Extension discussing how good the cotton yields for both irrigated and dryland fields in Alabama this year. This in spite of the drought that has deepened over the area over the last few months.
Eddie noted that “We, in Alabama and much of the Southeast, came into the planting season with adequate to good subsurface moisture. Cotton is a deep-rooted crop that is able to withstand drought much better than corn or soybeans. Mild temperatures and a few timely rains allowed most growers to get their cotton crop planted in mid-to-late April and May.” The drought may have actually helped in cotton growth by presenting day after day of dry, sunny conditions which really helped the cotton plants use the sunlight efficiently.
You can read the full article here.
