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Summaries Of Arkansas Cotton Research In Progress In 2001, Derrick M. Oosterhuis

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Cotton yields in Arkansas increased steadily during the eighties, but in recent years there has been a leveling off. Of more significance, however, is that extreme year-to-year variability in yields has occurred in the last decade, which is a major point of concern with cotton producers. It has been suggested that this may be related to extreme weather conditions during the boll development period in July and August. Average maximum temperatures in the 2001 season were a few degrees above normal. Recent research in Arkansas has indicated that elevated night temperatures during boll development may be a major contributory factor …