Falling temperatures hurting cotton crop

The cotton producers in the world’s largest cotton growing patch have said this year has been different. The weather has been cooler with temperatures so far failing to warm enough to optimally encourage cotton's fruit, its bolls, toward maturity.

Texas grows more cotton than any other state, and produces about a third of the nation's total.

Brad Heffington, a cotton farmer, said, "This is really an odd year. The cooler temperatures are not exactly ideal for cotton. It's not a major concern right now but it could have real serious implications down the road."

This will lead to reduced yields at harvest which begins at the end of September. "It could stand to be sunnier and warmer," Plains Cotton Growers spokesman Shawn Wade said.

Heat units, the measure of accumulated warmth on cotton plants throughout the growing season, are down 16 percent from normal for the three-month period that ended Tuesday.

From Bharat Textile