Mississippi’s soybean, cotton harvests benefit from clear weather
By Kristopher White,
3 hours ago
STARKVILLE, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Harvest for two of Mississippi’s most significant row crops is well underway, with soybeans and cotton both ahead of schedule.
As of October 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that cotton was 43% harvested, ahead of the five-year average of 31% complete by this date. Soybeans were 76% harvested, where typically the crop is just 60% harvested.
Officials with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service said soybeans benefit from an early planting date, but rains interfered a bit with planting times, making some of the crop later planted and pushing harvest later in the year.
“We should be finished with soybean harvest in the next five to seven days,” said Preston Aust, agricultural agent in Humphreys County with the MSU Extension Service. “Planting season was so stretched out this year that what is left in the field has not been sitting and waiting for harvest but is just now ready.”
He said the extended weather forecast shows beautiful harvest weather.
Cotton was nearing the halfway point of harvest in mid-October. Brian Pieralisi, MSU Extension cotton specialist, said growers should hit 75% within 10 days if the current weather holds. In 2024, Mississippi growers had 520,000 acres of cotton.
The state’s cotton crop is rated mostly in fair to good condition as harvest nears halfway done. This cotton was harvested Oct. 8, 2024, in Monroe County, Mississippi. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson)
Cotton harvest is well underway in October, with dry weather allowing growers to quickly harvest acreage. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson)
The Mississippi soybean crop is mostly ahead of schedule, with harvest complete in many places and scattered acres awaiting harvest elsewhere. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson)
A later planting date in many areas combined with drought during the growing season is pushing Mississippi’s average soybean yields lower than normal. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Preston Aust)
“We had a few slowdowns with hurricanes Helene and Francine, and some areas that experienced delayed planting due to wet weather have a later crop,” said Pieralisi.
Officials said other problems that can occur as cotton nears harvest are boll rot, when bolls fail to open, and seed sprouting if bolls are saturated for an extended time, which compromises quality.
Pieralisi said the weather forecast for the state looks good for the next two weeks, which should allow growers to get most of the cotton harvested during this time. Average yields are expected to be just under 1,100 pounds of lint per acre.
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