Talkin' Cotton Podcast

You Can Fix A Stand Fast If You Fix Downforce

A wet stretch can feel like a gift and a trap at the same time. We sit down with the UGA cotton crew to sort out what the rain really changed across Georgia cotton fields, from how fast acres are going in to what you should do the minute you can get back in the field. We talk about planting pace, why slow rain helps stand establishment, and how to think about planting decisions when shallow moisture is back but the long-term water picture is still tight. Then we get practical. Dr. Lauren Lazaro joins us to flag what that moisture triggers next: major weed emergence. We walk through why pre-emergence herbicides matter, and how precision agriculture fundamentals like nozzle condition, boom height, and sprayer setup can be the difference between clean fields and those telltale straight stripes of escapes. We also dig into planter performance, including real-world downforce failures that leave seed on top of the ground, when active downforce helps, and when sandy, dry soils can make you overdo it. On the pest side, we cover early-season thrips management, what we are hearing about grasshoppers and false chinch bugs, and why scouting stays non-negotiable. We also push the maintenance items that pay back fast, especially irrigation pivot uniformity, before dry weather exposes problems on yield maps and in the bank account. We wrap with cotton price and acreage outlook plus upcoming UGA opportunities, including scout schools, an irrigation expo, and a preview of the National Proving Grounds weed tech work in Perry. Subscribe, share the show with a friend who is planting right now, and leave us a review so more growers can find these weekly Georgia cotton updates.

Georgia Cotton Drought Playbook

Georgia cotton is trying to get started with one hand tied behind its back: dry soil, low ponds, and more pivots running in late April than most of us like to see. We sit down with Dr. Bob Kemerait, Dr. Wes Porter, and Dr. Phillip Roberts to break down what this drought pattern means for cotton production decisions you’re making right now, from getting a stand to protecting roots and stretching limited water through the season. We dig into why soil moisture matters beyond germination, especially for nematode management and the performance of nematicides like aldicarb. Wes shares what he’s hearing on pre-watering, irrigation inefficiencies, and why a water allocation plan matters when surface water sources are already low and the state is running a major rainfall deficit. We also talk planting depth, seed placement, and how cover and residue can buffer soil temperature swings that stress seedlings. On the pest management side, Phillip gives a straight update on thrips pressure, what immatures on seedling cotton really indicate, and how seedling vigor can reduce injury. We also hit grasshoppers, the ongoing cotton jassid search (okra, sunflowers, even hibiscus checks), and early whitefly monitoring with sticky cards as hot, dry weather builds risk. We close with thoughts on cotton acres, input costs, and making ROI-based fertilizer and protection decisions even when cotton prices improve. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, share this with a grower who’s making planting calls this week, and leave a review so more cotton folks can find the show.

How To Stay Ready When Rain Won’t Show Up

Cotton season can feel like a race when it’s warm in April and the rain won’t come. We sit down with Dr. Taylor Singleton and Mrs. Sarah Hobby to get practical about what actually works in a Georgia drought spring: how to avoid “planting on hope,” what counts as a meaningful rain event, and why planting into moisture matters more than any date on the calendar. We also talk through cover crop termination timing and how a dead cover can help conserve soil moisture by creating a protective mat when the forecast is stingy.  From there, we dig into early-season cotton pest management and the decisions that get harder when soils stay dry. Thrips are already showing up, and we explain why they’re the one insect where we consistently recommend preventive protection, plus what changes when in-furrow products may not activate without moisture. We also cover variety selection, including ThryvOn trait options, the fast turnover of cotton varieties, and why multi-year performance data beats chasing last year’s “perfect” weather results. Along the way, we don’t ignore the economics: fuel and nitrogen costs are up, but cotton price movement changes the math.  We wrap with stewardship that protects both yield and people. Pivot uniformity can make or break irrigation efficiency, and UPW updates around dicamba, ESA compliance, and documentation are now part of doing the job right. Then we share a vivid pesticide safety lesson using fluorescent dye that shows how exposure spreads from hands to sleeves, cars, pets, and home, plus simple PPE systems that make gloves, eye protection, and respirators easy to use every time. Subscribe, share the episode with a grower or consultant, and leave a review to help more cotton acres start the season ready.

Georgia Cotton Insect Updates For 2026 And What To Do First

Jassids didn’t “ease into” Georgia cotton, they exploded across the map. We recorded this update heading into 2026 because what we learned in 2025 changes how we scout, how fast we react, and how we protect yield when a new insect pest shows up and multiplies in summer heat. We walk through the big lessons from the UGA Cotton Team’s response: how we confirmed what kills cotton jassid, why insecticide rotation matters for resistance management, and what hopperburn tells you before losses become permanent. We also share the field reality that makes this pest so unforgiving: you can’t miss a spray once the threshold is met because the crop can go from green to yellow to red in about two weeks, and red leaves don’t recover. We explain the current working threshold moving into 2026 and the push to standardize scouting by sampling main stem leaf number four so agents, consultants, and growers can make faster, clearer decisions. Just as important, we zoom out to the full cotton insect management picture. Thrips still deliver one of the most consistent yield responses in Georgia cotton, plant bugs are a major problem in specific regions with confirmed pyrethroid resistance, and whitefly pressure can be influenced by winter freezes. We also touch on practical risk factors like field edges, weak spots, potash deficiency, and why excessive nitrogen can make pest issues worse. If you want a grounded, field ready IPM plan for Georgia cotton, this conversation is built for you.

Jealous Of Jassids And Afraid Of Nematodes - Bob Kemerait's 2026 Update

One wrong assumption in a cotton field can get expensive fast. We sit down with UGA’s Dr. Bob Kemerait to talk through the 2026 decisions that are easy to “cut out” on a spreadsheet but hard to recover once the planter runs, especially nematode management, variety selection, and early-season disease prevention. We dig into the reality that nematodes are already there, including reniform nematode, root-knot nematode, and sting nematode, and why winter weather mostly slows them down rather than erasing the problem. Dr. Kemerait explains how to think about nematicide choices, why rates and product types matter, and how nematode resistant cotton varieties can protect yield differently depending on which nematode you’re fighting. We also cover why stalk destruction can help hit a “reset button” by breaking the life cycle, even if the economics are still being pinned down. Then we shift to diagnosis and mid-season protection: jassid injury that can look like potassium deficiency, how Stemphylium leaf spot ties back to nutrition, and why scouting prevents wasted sprays. We wrap with practical updates on target spot and areolate mildew fungicide timing, the warning signs around declining azoxystrobin performance on mildew, and why boll rot remains a weather-driven headache. Finally, we talk rotation, including the long-term risks of peanuts behind peanuts and why cotton still matters for Georgia agriculture.