Much of Georgia’s primary cotton-producing region has had no rain in more than a month, along with record heat. Conditions have not helped cotton defoliant products.

In a Oct. 3 blog post, Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Extension coordinator in Peach and Taylor counties, says cotton defoliants were working fine up until mid-September in his area, but not now.

“It is apparent that one month of no measurable rain will have negative impacts on the products that we use to get our cotton crop ready to pick,” he says.

Cook offered five tips growers can use to improve defoliant products during drought.

As of Oct. 1, about 20 percent of Georgia’s cotton crop was harvested, according to USDA survey data, or 10 percent to 15 percent more than the five-year average.