By Shala Watson
Multimedia Writer
Despite a rain delay and a late start to the growing season, the Brazos Valley cotton crop is looking good.
David Stratta is a Robertson County cotton farmer and manages the Variso-Cort Cotton Gin near Bryan. He said the heat units have allowed the crop to “catch up.”
He said they experienced a few early season pests but haven’t had any major pest infestations in the region.
They also have had some resistance to weed control methods, but overall the weeds are under control.
“We just have to manage them a little differently,” Stratta told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio (TFB) Network.
He said the dry weather has allowed them to get in the field to spray and keep weeds under control.
Late season rains last year delayed harvest by a month and hurt cotton quality, according to Stratta.
Normally harvest in the region begins around the first of September. But Stratta is anticipating an earlier harvest start date if the heat persists.
“If this heat keeps up this way, it’s moving us closer to Aug. 15,” Stratta said.
Spotted rains have helped Stratta with his irrigated acreage.
The high nighttime temperatures have caused them to “keep a lot of water on the plants.”
He said July is the best month for them to make cotton.
“We make a bottom and a middle crop in July,” Stratta, who also serves on TFB’s Natural Resources Committee, said.
He expects cotton bolls will begin to emerge and open in about two weeks.
Until harvest begins, Stratta is busy maintaining the gin and getting prepared.
“We’re going through checking all the lint cleaners and the gin stands,” Stratta said. “You want to try to find as much as you can now to eliminate down time.”
He noted the last two years have brought poor harvest conditions.
“We’re making a decent crop, but the prices are so low there is really no margin for error in there,” Stratta said.
Click here to hear more from Stratta on the TFB Radio Network.