Weekly in-season Updates
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INFORMATION |
September 25, 2006 Talkin’ Cotton J.C. Banks It is now time to consider application of harvest aids. With increased vegetative growth resulting from recent rainfall, the cotton may be ready for harvest aid application before it develops that “off color” of the leaves that is normal for late September. Many of the fields I have recently observed are ready but from a distance the field looks immature. Due to the surge of growth this year, we need a defoliant that will remove young leaves, and help prevent new leaf regrowth prior to harvest. Traditional defoliants such as Def and Folex are good at removing mature full sized leaves, but not as effective on young leaves. The best defoliant to add to the mix when immature leaves are present is Ginstar. If boll opening is needed, a boll opener such as Prep, Finish, First Pick or Ethephon should be tank mixed with 6-8 ounces of Ginstar. This combination should be effective in leaf removal and prevention of leaf regrowth in the top of the plant. Ginstar does not work as quickly as Def or Folex and you will not see immediate leaf injury, but in 6-10 days the leaves should fall off.
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