Once a stand is established, doublecropped cotton behind wheat is essentially late planted cotton. Managing for earliness in late planted cotton requires an approach to cotton management that is somewhat different from cotton planted on time. The following key points for managing for earliness should be considered and implemented.

Variety Selection

Full-season varieties are generally too late to mature and become less attractive options because of exposure to late-season storms and insect pressure. Therefore, growers are encouraged to plant only early or early-mid maturing varieties in a doublecrop system.

For more information, please see Cotton Varieties and Biotechnology.

Roundup Ready Flex with Bollgard II or Widestrike Varieties

Early or early-mid maturing varieties with RR Flex varieties with an insect trait are attractive options for several reasons. First, late-season insect pressure is likely to be greater, therefore the added protection of the insect trait is of great value. Second, late-season weed pressure, particularly from grasses has been a growing a problem in recent years and The ability to manage these weeds throughout the season with glyphosate will likely be a great benefit.

Seeding Rates

As plant population decreases, maturity is delayed because of the need to produce more 3rd position and vegetative bolls. Therefore, seeding rates for doublecrop cotton should be higher than for cotton planted on time. Although research is lacking for a precise recommendation, it is suggested that seeding rates be increased 20% over cotton planted normally, in order to ensure earliness as well as help obtain an adequate stand in wheat stubble.

For more information, please see Cotton Planting.

PGR Management

Match-head square applications of mepiquat have become very popular in recent years. While an aggressive mepiquat program can promote earliness, it is important to remember that the quicker a cotton plant adds nodes and gets to the early bloom stage, the more likely it will be to mature faster. Therefore, pre-bloom applications may not be the best approach in doublecropped cotton because of their tendency to restrict node development and canopy closure. Instead, target the early bloom window of application for initial mepiquat treatments to manage plant size and promote earliness. Higher rates may be needed, but allow environmental conditions and cotton size to dictate the exact rate.

For more information on PGR management, see Cotton Plant Growth Regulators.