Weed Control in Cotton

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Cotton farmers can get a head start on controlling next season's weeds by taking time to assess this year's weeds now. New Mexico State University's Anna María Pérez-Wright has more.

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Controlling weeds before planting cotton next year can make a difference in crop quality and yield. Agronomist Denise McWilliams with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service says silver leaf nightshade; perennial morning glory, also known as field bindweed; yellow and purple nutsedge; and perennial grasses such as Bermuda grass and Johnson grass should be kept on a least-wanted list.

"With silver leaf nightshade, they can grow by roots or seeds, so they are a real problem in cotton. Some of the berries can create so many seeds that you can increase your weed seed bank quickly. Also, the seed can remain viable in soil for over 39 years. So once you have silver leaf nightshade, you're going to have a tough time eradicating it out of the field."

Tubers produced by the nutsedge plant help it to spread and field bindweed propagates through seed and rhizomes. McWilliams says that makes these two weeds difficult to control chemically.

"With some of the perennial grasses such as Bermuda grass and Johnson grass you really have a tough time. We're working with rhizomes as well as seed here also, and they're able to survive variations in moistures and other conditions."

McWilliams says assessing weeds in previous years will give cotton farmers a big clue on probable weeds that will emerge in the spring. For more information, call your county Extension office. For N-M-S-U's College of Agriculture and Home Economics, I'm Anna María Pérez-Wright.