Weed Control Strategy On Struggling Cotton

DR. LARRY STECKEL

JACKSON, TENNESSEE

   The call of the last week was easily “my cotton looks like #&*^!”. 

   The main reason for cotton looking bad was the cold wet spell over Memorial Day weekend that seemed to last longer. That poor cotton growing weather then catalyzed pre-applied herbicide injury in some cases, seedling diseases in other cases and has likely made a bad thrips window even worse across most every field.

   The main question is do I further stress struggling cotton with a Dual Magnum, Outlook or Warrant application? The answer to this question the first few days of June was it depends on how beat up the cotton is and have thrips been addressed. This week (June 6 to 10) with a 40 to 50 percent chance of rain most every day and better temperatures in the forecast the answer is yes, spray it. With dicamba resistant Palmer amaranth present in some fields overlapping residual herbicides is a must. Of course, a drawback to residual herbicides is getting them activated. The rain chances in the forecast would indicate a window of time where residual herbicides have a better chance of getting activated.

   In fields where cotton stands have been thinned by the weather and cotton plants are still struggling one might consider applying Zidua or Anthem Flex via fertilizer. In our research last year both herbicides applied via fertilizer provided good weed control and showed no cotton injury. ∆

   DR. LARRY STECKEL: Extension Weed Specialist, University of Tennessee