New Webcasts Address Seedling Disease and Soil Fertility

Randall Weiseman Alabama, Cotton, Field Crops, Florida, Georgia, Industry News Release

From The Cotton Board:

cotton-board-logoMemphis, TN – Seedling disease problems and soil fertility are both important factors in establishing cotton stands and ensuring a healthy cotton crop through the growing season. Two new ‘Focus on Cotton’ webcasts, produced by Cotton Incorporated and the Plant Management Network, can help growers and their consultants get off to a good start with quality, science-based information from cotton experts Craig Rothrock, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas, and Charles Mitchell, Professor and Extension Agronomist of Soils at Auburn University.

Rothrock’s webcast, titled “Role of Seedling Diseases and the Efficacy of Fungicide Seed Treatments in Stand Establishment of Cotton” helps growers, consultants and other practitioners in the cotton industry make effective decisions on seedling disease management and limit losses from seedling diseases. The presentation covers the causes of seedling diseases on cotton, planting decisions to avoid favorable environments for seedling diseases, and the importance of seed treatment fungicides for lessening the impact of seedling diseases.

Cotton Nutrition in the Southeastern U.S.” authored by Mitchell, shares recent findings from cotton-related soil fertility experiments that have been continually running since 1911. These findings will help growers and cotton specialists improve and update soil test calibration for phosphorus, potassium, secondary and micronutrients. In his talk, Mitchell particularly looks at cotton nutrient uptake patterns to help with fertilization strategies. He also helps answer questions such as, “Do I need to increase nitrogen rates on cotton for higher yields?” and “How do soil tests compare across the region?”

Both presentations are freely available through the ‘Focus on Cotton’ webcast resource located at the Plant Management Network. ‘Focus on Cotton’ contains more than 25 webcasts on various aspects of cotton crop management. These talks–freely accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week– cover agronomic practices, crop protection, and ag engineering. This resource also features a new and improved Cotton Extension Search tool, where users can conveniently search for extension resources across all U.S. land-grant universities serving cotton producers. All of these resources are freely available courtesy of Cotton Incorporated at http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/foco.