Cotton here on the western South Plains of Texas is all the board from just replanted, just hailed out, deciding on the third option for replant, and a small percentage of cotton acres on the other end of the spectrum which are near squaring.
One bright spot is that most everyone now has good soil moisture. I suspect many acres just recently lost, and waiting for it to dry out some will go to grain sorghum, possibly some corn.
I am always positive about the ability of cotton to recover and compensate in many ways, but when stands are inconsistent, skippy, and sub desirable populations then I must draw a line and go to the next option. After Juneteenth I have a hard time recommending going back to cotton.
Here are my priorities from mid-June through mid-July: Fertility -where are you at in reaching your realistic yield goal?
Adjust accordingly, get it implemented soon, and be done before mid-bloom.
Irrigation - allow plants to root down with this current moisture from rain. As we begin to square up and move into flowering is when irrigation will become critical.
Weed control – I would encourage producers to utilize glufosinate (Liberty) while we have moisture and some humidity to take some selection pressure off the Xtend and Enlist technology herbicides. I would encourage residual herbicide as well.
Plant map - what is the plant telling you: Will it need a plant growth regulator with good moisture, heat, and fertility?
Insect scouting - never let your guard down; watch for thrips on late planted acres; and fleahoppers and possibly Lygus as we moveto squaring cotton.
Foliar Nematicide applications – if you have a history of cotton root-knot nematodes and possibly failed to get the variety of your choice to best deal with the nematodes or you did not get an at-plant protection out, then your last resort would be and application of Vydate or Return.
I like a split application of 8.5 oz 7-10 days apart.