Georgia cotton growers are starting the 2023 season with a boost from near-record-breaking yields last year. The United States Department of Agriculture released final yield data in late May, confirming the second-highest yields on record, as forecasted by University of Georgia cotton experts in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“Our final number last year was 1,002 pounds per acre,” said Camp Hand, assistant professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and cotton specialist for UGA Cooperative Extension. “The record was set in 2012 with 1,091 pounds per acre, so it was a very close second.”
Cotton ranks No. 1 in production value among row and forage crops in Georgia, and second in the nation according to the 2023 Ag Snapshots report produced by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development. On average, cotton contributes more than $1 billion to the state’s economy each year.
Although planted acres will likely be down by about 100,000 acres this year due to normal crop rotation, Hand hopes cotton growers will see another good year for yields – weather-depending.
“Cotton is one of those crops that is highly dependent on the weather,” said Hand. “Much of last year’s success can be attributed to the exceptional environmental conditions we experienced throughout the season.”
While higher-than-normal temperatures last June may have set other crops back, Hand believes it was a contributing factor to high cotton yields.
“The heat early in the season slowed down plant growth and forced the plant to conserve energy and redirect plant nutrients and resources into fruit retention. A cotton crop only retains about 40% of the fruit that it produces over the entire season, as it can only support a certain fruit load,” he said. “Because plants slowed down in response to the higher temperatures, growers didn’t need to apply as much plant growth regulator, which had positive, long-lasting impacts…
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