Crops: Cotton

Photo of cotton in bloom at sunsetCotton is a major crop in Mississippi. It ranks third behind poultry and forestry in state commodities with $598 million dollars of revenue produced each year.

Mississippi producers plant approximately 1.1 million acres of cotton annually. This number seems to fluctuates depending on weather, price of production and current commodity markets.

The highest acreage recorded in Mississippi was in 1930 when 4.163 million acres were planted to cotton. The highest production year was 1937 when 2.692 million bales were produced over 3.421 million acres. The highest cotton yields were received in 2004 with 1034 pounds of lint produced per acre. This same year there were 2.346 million bales produced almost as much as in 1937 with one third of the acreage. This yield beat the previous yield of 934 lbs in 2003.

Many changes have occurred over the last few years in cotton production:

The major insect pests in cotton have also shifted. The Boll Weevil used to be the main pest, followed by Tobacco Budworms and Cotton Bollworms. However, with the introduction of the new technologies and success of the Boll Weevil Eradication program, the Tarnished Plant Bug has now become the number one pest in Mississippi cotton production.

Cotton is and will continue to be a major crop in the state of Mississippi. With the current varieties and technology available average cotton yields in Mississippi may have risen to a higher plateau than in years past. Technological advances in transgenic cotton varieties have allowed cotton to be managed and produced easier than ever before and these advances continue to be major reasons that yields have continued to increase over the past few years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Publications

Other Cotton Information

Cotton Defoliation

Cotton Disease and Damages

Nutrient Management