Cotton: Cotton is progressing rapidly, and a few bolls are starting to crack. This period of rapid growth means some post-bloom nutrient problems are beginning to show up. Most of the pale yellow color in the bottom to the middle of the plant is nitrogen related. Potassium will show more interveinal chlorosis, yellowing between the veins. Sulfur will turn the whole plant a pale yellow; this can sometimes be confused with nitrogen deficiency. Most fields are now past the 3rd week of bloom, limiting our nutrient supplementation to foliar feeding. The plant’s roots are in decline, which limits soil uptake, so soil application through ground rigs and pivots is not recommended. Foliar feeding during the 5th – 7th week of bloom may or may not be effective depending on the cotton variety. Anything after the 8th week of bloom is about too late to apply. Most cotton has hit the high mark for water usage and is on the downward portion of the water use slope. Currently, cotton planted in the first to middle of May should be at 1.1-1.3 inches a week; this will rapidly decline, dropping by 2 tenths a week over the next few weeks. From what I’ve been reading, August is predicted to look similar to July’s weather pattern, hot and wet.
Peanuts: Big questions this week have been, where is all of this spotted wilt coming from? Good question, and it is worse this year. The warm winter we had undoubtedly didn’t help, and most of the heavier infested fields I have seen were planted mid to late April or at the end of May. Thimet peanuts still look better overall. Some of the early hot and dry affected our vigor and emergence, which could also exacerbate the spotted wilt problem. Peanut Rx is always an excellent tool to use when making planting decisions.