Plant Management
OSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences Extension has partnered with other universities and researchers to create resources for cotton producers to help them manage their plants through disease and insect identification and management, monitor plant growth and development while using plant growth regulators and use proper weed control methods.
Cotton Growth and Management
The following links will provide information regarding considerations for cotton planting, plant growth regulators, and defining cutout in cotton.
- PSS-2187: Considerations for Cotton Planting and Early Season Growth
- PSS-2189: Plant Growth Regulators in Cotton
- PSS-2181: Defining Cutout in Cotton
Diseases
Phymatotrichopsis or cotton root rot (PRR) is caused by the fungus Phymatotrichopsis omnivora. Once infected, cotton is rapidly killed by this disease.
Insect Management
The Plant Disease and Insect Diagnostic Laboratory (PDIDL) is the primary resource for identification of insect and arthropod specimens sent to the department. The PDIDL provides no-cost identification services in particular for any household pest (cockroaches, ants, stored product pests, moths, flies, spiders, scorpions, etc.) as well as home ornamental pests (wood borers, foliage feeders, aphids, mites, scales, etc.).
Plant Growth & Development
The resources below will guide you through using cotton management software, guide
you through monitoring cotton both pre and post bloom, provide a tracking form, a
fact sheet and a link to the National Cotton Council of America.
- COTMAN™ Cotton Management Expert System Software
- Monitoring Cotton Pre-Bloom Fruiting in Oklahoma
- Monitoring Cotton Post-Bloom Fruiting in Oklahoma
- Nodes above White Flower Tracking Form
- PSS-2181: Understanding Cutout in Cotton
- PSS-3002: Utilizing Heat Units in Oklahoma Cotton Production
- National Cotton Council of America - Cotton Physiology Today Newsletter Archive
Plant Growth Regulators
Mepiquat-based (such as Pix Plus, Mepex, Mepichlor, Mepiquat Chloride, Mepex GinOut,
Stance, and others) plant growth regulators (PGRs) have been available for many years.
Companies are constantly enhancing formulations, but the main active ingredient in
nearly all of these products is mepiquat chloride.
- 2017 Plant Growth Regulator Complete Handout
- Plant Growth Regulator Use in Oklahoma Cotton
- PSS-2189: Plant Growth Regulators in Cotton
Weeds
Agricultural losses due to weeds in the United States have been estimated at 10 billion to 12 billion dollars per year. These weed losses do not include losses to homeowners, public parks and other recreation areas, right-of-ways, railroads, and other noncropland areas.