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"I grew up in a cotton-oriented environment," says Walter Oliver, who farms in north central Mississippi, "and though I’ve grown soybeans and corn, cotton is my favorite. There’s just something about cotton — once you’ve grown it, it’s hard to get away from it." He favors a cotton/corn rotation, and this year has 1,500 acres of cotton and 1,350 acres of corn.
“ALTHOUGH I’VE GROWN soybeans and corn, cotton is my favorite,” says Walter Oliver, who farms in north central Mississippi. He prefers a cotton/corn rotation and this year has 1,500 acres of cotton and 1,350 acres of corn.
Cotton on stale seedbed
Cotton goes on a stale seedbed that has been rowed up in the fall; in the spring, he makes a burndown application, runs a Do-all, and plants.
This year’s crop was planted May 5-16. “I applied three shots of Roundup, and laid by with Roundup and Valor, which pretty much takes care of weed control for the season. I used to apply only two shots of Roundup, but when the price came down, I added a third for better control.”
For insects thus far this year, Oliver sprayed Bidrin early for thrips and has applied Bidrin and Centric for plant bugs.
He expects to start harvesting the last of September or first of October.
His consultant, Heath Hill at Jimmy Sanders, Greenwood, Miss., works with him on crop management and treatment recommendations. He gins his cotton at Vaiden Gin, Vaiden, Miss., and markets it through Chassaniol Cotton at Greenwood, Miss.
Corn has worked out well in his cropping program, he says, although the hot, dry June this year and last year took a toll on the crop.
“I’m hoping to average about the same as last year, 145 to 150 bushels, although some spots will do better,” he says.
He plants several varieties of corn, but the largest acreages are DeKalb 6805, followed by Pioneer 1615.
“Corn is planted either stale seedbed or no-till; behind cotton, I prefer to plant no-till. After burndown, I apply Halex and atrazine and that pretty much takes care of weed control till harvest, which usually starts about the end of August.”
He takes soil samples every year and follows laboratory recommendations for fertility.
“I’ll use a 20-50-90 mix on cotton ground and sidedress with N-SOL. For corn, I apply 70-70-70 up front and sidedress with N-SOL.
