You can feel it in the field right now: some cotton is ready to roll, some is two weeks behind, and the temptation is to keep spending money just to feel like we are “finishing” the crop. We sit down after a busy Cotton and Peanut Research Field Day to get real specific about late season cotton management in Georgia, starting with the decision that can drive a lot of profits or regrets: when to terminate irrigation.

We walk through what cutout actually means from the plant perspective and why nodes above white flower (NAWF) is still the backbone for our recommendations, even in a season with oscillating weather, scattered rainfall, and uneven growth. We also pull water use numbers that show how fast cotton demand drops near cutout and first open boll, why a near full soil moisture profile can carry you further than you think, and how to avoid chasing top bolls that rarely pay you back. If you have been irrigating well past 10 percent open out of caution, this conversation gives you a clearer way to scout, stage, and decide when it is time to walk away.

From there we shift into the practical realities of harvest season: equipment safety around today’s large cotton pickers and module handling, plus pesticide stewardship that still matters during defoliation. We close with what we are seeing in late season insect pressure including plant bugs, stink bugs, jassids, and especially whiteflies, with a blunt reminder that you cannot get behind and then catch up. If you care about cotton yield, input efficiency, and timely defoliation, this one is built for you.

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