The cotton harvest is well underway across the Texas High Plains. Cotton strippers are rolling amid the favorable weather patterns we’ve seen the last couple of weeks. While every year is generally a mixed bag of conditions, experts agree that both yields and quality grades are consistently better than the last three crop years.
“As a region, I would say we’re probably close to 25% harvested,” said Ken Lege, cotton extension specialist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock. “The Panhandle is probably closer to 50%.”
Some producers are waiting for a killing freeze, which is anticipated this weekend—although it’s doubtful that any fields south of Lubbock will experience cold enough temperatures to help with defoliation.