Georgia Cotton Harvest: Data, Decisions, and Defoliation

A strong crop and a tighter runway. We kick off with a clear snapshot of Georgia cotton quality and why harvest has suddenly accelerated, then dive into the decisions that will define the finish: defoliation timing ahead of a hard freeze, reading yield data for profit, and recognizing when insects actually move the needle. You’ll hear what surprised us this season—big yield gains from thrips control on slow-starting April cotton—and why jassid responses hinged on timing relative to plant decline. We unpack the shift toward lower jassid thresholds, the role of potash in injury severity, and how to separate insect blame from drought, elevation, and fertility signals you can see on a yield map.

From the cab to the office, precision ag earns its keep. We walk through calibrating yield monitors and onboard module weighing, confirming software unlocks, and using John Deere Operations Center to turn data into profit maps that guide next year’s inputs. Instead of forcing uniformity, we talk reallocation: dialing seeding rates by zone, pushing strong areas responsibly, and reducing inputs where returns won’t follow. Elevation, soil texture, and nematode sampling help decode those stubborn 4-bale-to-1.5-bale swings inside the same field, so winter plans can do more than guess.

Urgency matters this week. A hard freeze with lows in the upper 20s means defoliants need three sunny days to work before the cold sets in. We explain why cloudy, cool conditions stall defoliation, how ethephon accelerates opening, and the difference between a helpful frost and a yield-costing freeze. We close with safety reminders around pivots and live power, plus practical tips to keep crews and equipment out of harm’s way during long harvest days.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Quality Snapshot And Harvest Ramp-Up
• 2:40 Team Introductions And Season Context
• 4:48 Pest Wrap-Up And Big Thrips Gains
• 7:55 Jassid Trials: Timing, Thresholds, Yield
• 13:20 Harvest Pace And Regional Differences
• 15:10 Irrigation Taper And Tractor-Time Insights
• 18:20 Yield Monitors And Module Weighing
• 24:30 Profit Maps And Variable Management
• 31:40 Diagnosing Weak Spots: Nematodes, Potash, Elevation
• 38:20 Seeding Rate Strategy By Zone