By Clint Thompson
Deer’s threat to Georgia’s cotton crop is an annual concern for the state’s producers. It’s now a top research priority for Camp Hand, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension cotton agronomist.
He talked about deer management in cotton at this year’s Georgia Cotton Commission mid-year meeting in July.
“Last year at this meeting, I started to learn about how bad it really is. About a year ago is when I started shifting and trying to get some data on how bad it is. We got some really neat numbers on the percent of acres affected and yield loss that was observed by these growers to the amount of money they’re spending on it,” Hand said. “When you put all of that together, these deer might be more problematic than pigweed. That’s how bad it is.”
UGA Research
Hand said 525 growers filled out a survey and classified deer as a major problem. It led to research being doing on the UGA Tifton Camps by Hand and his students.
“I’ve got a few students that are doing deer work and we’re quantifying real yield losses from deer in growers’ fields. That’s been a major undertaking. We’re doing that in 21 locations across the state, trying to get a good average number, but then you can separate that out into cases that are more extreme than others; simulating deer damage with multiple feedings in multiple varieties,” Hand said.
Hand is also collaborating with Anna Scheyett, a UGA professor in the School of Social Work, to quantify the impacts on growers’ well-being and their mental health.
Hand offers a management option for growers to consider.
“If it’s as bad as growers say that it is, which I believe them, we do have to have a conversation about fences on land that is owned by growers,” Hand said. “But a lot of times, it’s not the land that is owned that’s a problem. That’s the land that’s rented.
“We’re all going to have to work together at the end of the day to try to find a real solution to this. It’s going to be tough, and it’s going to take a long time.”