Distributed 06/20/01
Two Northeast Louisiana parishes lead the state in cotton acreage this year - which is showing its greatest increase since the mid-1990s.
According to figures released by the Louisiana Boll Weevil Eradication Commission, the parishes with the state's highest cotton acreage figures are Tensas Parish with 115,000 acres and Morehouse with 104,000 acres.
Dr. John Barnett, cotton specialist with the LSU AgCenter, said cotton farmers across the state are reporting about 896,000 acres planted this year - up more than 200,000 acres from those reported last year.
"This is the largest acreage reported planted since 1995," Barnett said. "The state's cotton acreage is way up this year, and the crop is off to an excellent start."
Barnett was one of several LSU AgCenter faculty members who spoke at the annual Northeast Research Station Crop Production and Pest Management Field Day held in St. Joseph.
The event also included field tours that provided participants with views of research plots, and LSU AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson provided an explanation of the AgCenter's role in Louisiana agriculture.
"Agriculture is struggling quite a bit right now," Richardson said. "We here at the LSU AgCenter believe the thing we can do most to help you as producers is to get quality information out to you as quickly as we can to help you get the most out of your crop production."
During the June 13 field day, John Andries of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry also gave a promising report on the state's boll weevil eradication program.
"The boll weevil numbers are down," Andries said. "We're finding fewer and fewer weevils in our traps. These last few are going to be hard to get, but we're going to do it and get out of the boll weevil business in Louisiana."
Another of the speakers at field day was Dr. Sandy Stewart, an assistant professor at the LSU AgCenter's Dean Lee Research Station in Alexandria, who said fiber quality is a big concern across the Cotton Belt right now.
"One concern, in particular, is micronaire," Stewart said. "There was a problem with high micronaire cotton last year, and farmers are concerned that it may happen again this year."
Micronaire is a measurement of the lint surface area, Barnett explained. Measurements above 4.9 or below 3.5 will result in the crop being sold at a discounted price, he said, adding that variety selection is key to micronaire and that there are management techniques growers can use to give them the edge on this important fiber quality characteristic.
"How you manage your crop can have a definite effect on micronaire, regardless of where you farm or what variety you plant," Barnett said. "There are four major production areas where growers can impact micronaire - stand, irrigation, fertility and defoliation."
Most micronaire problems occur in seasons where there are hot, dry conditions, especially late in the season, Barnett said. Any time a grower can use irrigation to offset these conditions, he or she should do so to help keep the crop out of the micronaire discount range, Barnett advised.
"Timing is the key to irrigation," Barnett said. "The biggest problems come from starting irrigation systems too late or waiting too long between applications. Growers who are going to irrigate need to have some type of management schedule."
Barnett said the LSU AgCenter recommends using the Arkansas irrigation scheduler for the Northeast region of the state. But growers also can use tensiometers or rely on visual inspections, he said, warning, however, that visual inspections can be misleading and often can mean a late start on irrigation.
Corn irrigation was another topic discussed at the field day.
Dr. Rick Mascagni of the LSU AgCenter said corn yields have suffered in recent years because of low rainfall and high temperatures. Mascagni said yield and seed quality depend on management, climate and the interaction of these factors.
"Whenever plant stress occurs, yield and seed quality may suffer," he said. "Numerous studies have indicated the stress that most often affects yield is lack of soil moisture. Research also has indicated that plant stress, particularly lack of soil moisture and high temperature, predisposes the corn plant and grain to aflatoxin contamination."
Much of the corn acreage planted in Louisiana is on soils that typically show moisture stress at some time during the growing season, Mascagni said, adding some soils are more drought-prone than others. For example, alluvial clay soils are subject to drought stress, in large part, because of a relatively shallow rooting zone and physical characteristics that restrict soil moisture availability, he said.
Agronomic practices such as planting date, hybrid, plant population and the interaction of these factors with soil type influence the moisture status of the plant, he said.
In addition to proper irrigation techniques, crop rotation is important, according to the experts.
Dr. Steve Hague and Alphonse Coco of the LSU AgCenter's Northeast Research Station said studies at the station since 1982 have shown alternating crops improves productivity in comparison to continuous growth of the same crop in the same area.
"A cotton and corn rotation study is now in its sixth growing season," Hague said. "So far, a cotton yield response from residual nitrogen applied to the previous year's corn crop has been observed. In some treatments, residual corn nitrogen reduced the nitrogen requirements for optimal corn yields by 30 percent."
Hague and Coco also are involved in a several other research studies at the Northeast Research Station including variety testing, irrigation, soil fertility and bronze wilt.
In addition to these topics, other issues discussed during the field day included cotton weed management research, soybean weed management research, cotton early season insect management, cotton and soybean variety and strains tests and rice weed control research.