​​Fertilizing for High-Yield Cotton

May 2014 | 33 min., 15 sec.
by Glen Harris
University of Georgia

Summary

This presentation will help consultants, county agents, growers, and other practitioners in the Southeastern U.S. cotton states to understand more about the role of soil fertility, pH and fertilizers in producing high-yield cotton. Some of the soil fertility concepts discussed will apply to all cotton growing regions in US but the emphasis will be on managing soil fertility on Coastal Plain soils. Specifically in this presentation, practitioners will learn: important characteristics of Coastal Plain soils, which nutrients are essential in producing high-yield cotton, how N-P-K fertilizer recommendations are adjusted for yield goals, which essential nutrients are mobile in soil, the importance of pH and how it affects soil nutrient availability, the difference between calcitic and dolomitic lime and why overliming may cause problems, the importance of potassium nutrition and foliar feeding cotton and finally the potential for using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for increasing yield potential. By the end of this presentation, the practitioner should have a good understanding of the basic fertilizer strategy for producing high-yield cotton as well as specifics about some of the key fertility issues that can prevent reaching high yield goals.​

About the Presenter

Glen HarrisGlen Harris was born and raised in southern New Jersey, where he worked on vegetable and cut flower farms on Coastal Plain soils. After receiving a BS in Horticulture from Penn State University and MS and PhD degrees from Michigan State University in Crop and Soil Sciences, he was hired by The University of Georgia in March of 1994 as an Agronomist for Soils and Fertilizers. Located in Tifton, Georgia, on the UGA Tifton Campus, his responsibilities include Extension, applied research, and teaching in the area of soil fertility for all agronomic crops. The focus of his programs is fertilizer management for cotton, peanut, and corn. This also includes the management of animal manure such as poultry litter and numerous by-products such as fertilizers, liming materials, and soil amendments. The emphasis of Dr. Harris’s applied research program in recent years has been the evaluation of enhanced efficiency fertilizers such as urease and nitrification inhibitors, potassium fertilization of cotton, and calcium nutrition for peanut.​

Contact Information:
Email: gharris@uga.edu

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