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High Plains readies for 2007 cotton harvest
By Shawn Wade Plains Cottong Growers, Inc. Following what has been an almost idyllic September, and armed with a weather forecast indicating another week of the same, High Plains cotton producers are rapidly switching gears to prepare for a harvest season that has arrived before many thought it might. Earlier in the season the crop's delayed start had most producers thinking that even with slightly above average weather they were going to need every day they could string together in late September and early October to mature the crop. For some, this seems to have translated into a slightly delayed timetable for their harvest season preparations. Drive-by inspections seem to bear this out as much of the crop continues to look green and healthy in the field, and is absent in many cases of visual clues, such as purpling leaves, that typically indicate the crop is nearly ready for harvest. What is less apparent until you get out in the field is the crop is actually maturing bolls at a rapid pace and is further along than many had suspected. Heading into the first week of October, High Plains cotton producers are now quickly readying spray and harvest equipment to go get what is shaping up to be another excellent crop. A few areas have already witnessed harvest aid treatments going out on early-planted fields with good results. Over the next two weeks, however, that activity will increase exponentially, preparing the way for harvesters to hit the fields as soon as possible. Leading up to the October U.S. Department of Agriculture crop production estimate, some observers think yield expectations could get a slight bump, as additional samples of open bolls are analyzed and in-field boll weights given more weight in the yield estimation process. The USDA estimate release Sept. 12 indicates the crop in position to be the third-best in High Plains history. Any upward revision of significance could put the 2007 crop in position to challenge the 2004 crop's 4.8 million bale total, which currently ranks second all-time. As always, the High Plains is on the brink of providing an intriguing twist and promises to keep producers and buyers on the edge of their seats. Regardless of how it eventually turns out, one prediction that seems to be on its way to becoming a foregone conclusion is that the 2007 High Plains crop will have a little something for everyone and ample supplies of high quality fiber. Date: 10/11/07
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