As you plan out your 2027 cotton planting season, it helps to first look back at 2026.
Planting conditions, variety performance, fertility and pest pressure can all point to adjustments worth making next year. The goal is not to rebuild the entire cotton production plan, but to identify what worked, where problems developed and what deserves another look.
Let 2026 lessons be your cotton planting guide
For some growers in 2026, the biggest challenge was navigating soil conditions at cotton planting time, namely, having enough moisture to establish the crop, says Jacob Smith, crop protection technical representative with BASF.
“We had areas where there simply wasn’t enough moisture to plant,” Smith says. “Some growers had to irrigate at planting, while others had to wait for moisture before they could get started.”
Soil temperature, moisture and the short-term forecast all deserve consideration alongside traditional recommendations for cotton planting dates. Reviewing which planting conditions produced the strongest stands in 2026 can help you refine your cotton planting dates for 2027.
Variety performance should be part of that review, too. A variety that performs well on one farm may respond differently under other conditions or management practices, including changes in cotton seeding rate. You should compare yield, maturity, plant structure and response to environmental stress.
Looking at both stand establishment and variety performance across the season can help you decide not only when to plant, but which varieties are the best fit for each field.
Start with what the soil can provide
Pre-plant soil testing provides a good foundation for next season.
Soil pH and nutrient levels can vary across a field, making fall and winter a good time to review soil tests and correct problem areas. Variable-rate applications may also help place lime and fertilizer where they are most needed.3
Review where weeds, insects and diseases broke through
Past pest pressure can also help shape the 2027 plan and good timing remains important.
Smith calls Palmer amaranth “public enemy No. 1,” but it is not the only weed demanding attention. Goosegrass can thrive in compacted soils, while morning glory can be difficult because growers have fewer residual herbicide options.
Overlapping residuals can help keep weed pressure manageable, but post-emergence timing remains critical.
“You have to be timely with herbicides,” Smith says. “Once some of these weeds get too big, they become much more difficult to control.”
Cotton growers also have to beware of major insect pests, including a newer insect to watch. Two-spotted cotton leafhopper, also called cotton jassid, surprised growers in parts of the Southeast in 2025 and remained a concern in 2026. Feeding can cause the leaves to slowly change from yellow to red and then brown, giving it the name “hopperburn.” Because researchers are still learning about the pest, Smith recommends paying particular attention during late-season scouting.
Disease scouting, including cotton seedling diseases, deserves similar attention. Target spot and areolate mildew can both cause damaging defoliation. Areolate mildew can be especially difficult to control after it becomes established, making early detection and timely fungicide decisions important.
Keep what worked and adjust what didn’t
Not every lesson from 2026 needs to result in a change.
If a variety performed consistently, a weed-control program held or a planting decision produced a strong stand, those practices may deserve another season.
“Pay attention to what your crop needs,” Smith says. “Get out in the fields and scout for what’s going on. Make your applications timely, and that comes from being out in the field.”
The goal for 2027 is not to change everything. It is to use what happened in 2026 to identify where timely, targeted adjustments can help protect the crop next season.
Experts are available to help you make your cotton planning decisions. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent or a seed company professional like your regional BASF representative.
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Endnotes
- Edmisten, Keith. “Cotton Planting Conditions May 21, 2026.” NC State Extension, North Carolina State University, 21 May 2026,https://cotton.ces.ncsu.edu/news/cotton-planting-conditions-may-212026
- Collins, Guy. “When Should You Switch to Earlier Maturing Varieties?” NC State Extension, North Carolina State University, 19 May 2020. Contributor Keith Edmisten,https://cotton.ces.ncsu.edu/news/when-should-you-switch-to-earlier-maturing-varieties-collins-edmisten/
- Bryant, Corey, Larry Oldham, and Darrin M. Dodds. “Inorganic Nutrient Management for Cotton Production in Mississippi.” Mississippi State University Extension Service, Publication 1622, rev. 2023,https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/inorganic-nutrient-management-for-cotton-production-mississippi
