On this episode of the Alabama Crops Report, the team discusses late-season cotton conditions across Alabama—including cotton jassid activity, harvest preparation, defoliation decisions, and planning for cover crops after harvest.

On the insect front, Alabama growers appear to be seeing very little threat from cotton jassids as the season winds down. Scott Graham shared encouraging scouting numbers from the Wiregrass region.

“I mean, we flipped 1,900 leaves this morning in headland and we found 67 jassids, which was three times as many as we found last week. So the numbers are just so low out there, but I just don’t think we’re I think we’re totally through the woods now.” — Scott Graham

The conversation then shifts to cover crops and the importance of selecting species based on a producer’s specific objectives. Whether the goal is nitrogen fixation, erosion control or building soil health, Chandler Gruener emphasized beginning with the end in mind.

“So with all cover crops I kind of like to set forward with kind of like have a plan in place. Like what is your goal? Are you trying to fix nitrogen or are you trying to cover the ground? What are you trying to do? Once you know your goal, that kind of helps determine a little bit more of your methodology.” — Chandler Gruener

The episode also covers defoliation considerations as cotton approaches harvest. Josh Lee discusses strategies that can help growers maximize efficiency and reduce application costs, emphasizing the value of achieving effective results with a single application whenever conditions allow.

“If we can get away with that one pass system, we’re saving time, we’re saving money, we’re saving product.” — Josh Lee

Overall, the episode provides timely recommendations for managing cotton through harvest while helping growers begin planning for the next season through thoughtful cover crop selection and efficient late-season management practices.