By KC Sheperd | Radio Okla. Ag Network
OKLAHOMA CITY — Although some rain helped, “these temperatures we’ve been experiencing in the last couple of weeks have really taken a toll on the cotton crop,” cotton grower Mark Nichols of Altus told the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network recently.
Nichols, American Cotton Producers chairman for Oklahoma, said that although rain has been spotty across the state, most places received decent rains to start off the cotton crop well this year. However, temperatures in the 100- to 110-degree range have taken a toll on it since.
“All those rains were just kind of to the north and to the east of our watershed,” Nichols said. “We, again, are not going to have enough water in there to make a water run.”
Although Nichols is in irrigation country, he said the rains missed the watershed, only hurting the crop and limiting the options of producers this year.
“We’ve got lots of pivots down in Tillman County, and the cotton there actually looks really good,” he said.
Nichols said he looked forward to attending the National Cotton Council American Cotton Producers meeting last week to hear more about what cotton looks like in other parts of the country. In Oklahoma, he said, “Tillman County has shown the most promise with this year’s cotton crop.”
Although optimism is running low for this year’s cotton crop, “If we get a little rain there might be hope for some cotton to make a crop this year,” Nichols said.
With many producers putting wheat in behind failed cotton, numbers for Oklahoma cotton are down this year.
“It went to wheat and came out of cotton and didn’t go back to cotton,” Nichols said. “So, we are down about 100,000 acres. But overall I think the cotton got off to a better start this year than it did last year.”
Nichols said that other parts of the country have more options. Between soybeans and corn north of Oklahoma and peanuts and wheat in the midsouth and southeast, “rotating crops is a lot easier, making crops a lot better than what our Oklahoma producers have to work with.”
Turning to a discussion about the National Cotton Council, Nichols said the federal farm bill “is the big focus.” The Farm Bill is “a large priority” for the council.