Cotton can look great from the road and still be quietly losing yield in the rows. We sit down with a roundtable of Georgia Extension agents (Savannah Tanner - Emanuel County, Will Brown - Appling County, and Seth McAllister - Terrell County) to compare notes from across the state: where the crop stands after a rocky planting season, how far along fields really are from early square to peak bloom, and what those growth stage differences mean for every decision you make next.

We dig into the calls agents are getting right now, starting with weather-driven challenges like herbicide programs that “fell apart” after leaching rain, and the scramble to keep pigweed, spiderwort, and nutsedge from escaping under the canopy. We also talk cotton pest management in real terms: aphids fading as fungus moves in, plant bug pressure that feels lighter than last year in some areas, stink bug scouting that is about to matter more, and the big question that keeps coming up, cotton jassid. The message is consistent across counties: scout for jassids, but do not stop scouting for everything else.

Then we tackle fertility and plant health problems that can fool even experienced growers. After side-dress applications and sudden downpours, the question becomes whether nutrients leached and if you should reapply. We walk through why yellow cotton is not always nitrogen, how sulfur deficiency can show up fast, and why documenting weak spots now is the best way to solve nematodes, fertility issues, and pest injury while the evidence is still in the field. If you’re looking for practical Georgia cotton advice you can use this week, this conversation is built for that.

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