Heavy rains across the Cotton Belt in February and March made it difficult for growers to plant corn on time, so many are making the switch to cotton this season. Successful cotton crops in the region over the last few years are also making cotton production a good solution for many, even with lower cotton prices. With planting quickly approaching, planning can make all the difference toward a successful season.

Choosing the right variety sets the pace for a successful crop. It’s important to consider soil type, irrigation capabilities and management style when selecting varieties.

The next step to a successful cotton crop is proactive management. Using a seed treatment like Avicta^® Elite Cotton Plus with Vibrance^® can help protect against early-season diseases, nematodes and difficult insects. An early foliar application of an insecticide with an alternate mode of action, from the neonicotinoid class of insecticides, at the one true leaf stage can also help.

A proactive, season-long approach to weed management can help growers keep potential issues in check. With weeds exhibiting resistance to several chemistries, growers need to diversify their programs and include herbicides with different modes of action, like Dual Magnum^® and Caparol^®. Dual Magnum can be used pre-plant surface-applied, pre-plant incorporated or as a pre-emergence application, while Caparol provides foliar knockdown of emerged weeds and residual control of later-germinating weeds for even greater flexibility.

Sign up for the Know More, Grow More Digest to receive twice monthly agronomic e-mail updates pertinent to your area.

Photos are either the property of Syngenta or used under agreement.

©2016 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. Avicta Duo Cotton and Avicta Duo COT202 are Restricted Use Pesticides. Avicta Elite Cotton Plus with Vibrance is an on-seed application of Avicta Duo Cotton or Avicta Duo COT202 nematicide/insecticide, Gaucho Grande insecticide, Dynasty CST and Vibrance fungicides. Avicta Complete Cotton is an on-seed application of Avicta Duo Cotton or Avicta Duo COT202 seed treatment and Dynasty CST fungicide. Avicta technology is protected by U.S. Patent No. 6,875,727. Avicta^®, Caparol^®, Dual Magnum^®, Dynasty CST^®, Vibrance^®, the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Gaucho^® is a registered trademark of Bayer.