Cotton farmers are working to plant their seeds before the June 5 deadline, whether there has been enough rain or not.
Conditions to plant cotton only became favorable a couple of weeks ago. Farmers prefer to plant when there has been healthy rain, air temperatures above 70 degrees, and soil temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees. To get all these conditions at once has been a tough request for South Plains farmers, but if they want to be able to meet the crop insurance deadline, Lubbock County farmers need to have their seed planted by June 5.
Andrew Adams is a sixth-generation cotton farmer. He said he’s learned everything he knows about cotton from his grandfather, a great-uncle, and his dad. He used both irrigated and dryland fields to grow his cotton crop. The irrigated fields already had cotton plants germinating, but he was still working to get seed into his dryland fields.
Adams said the primary problem for farmers this year will be the high input costs and the low market price of cotton. They are also battling long-term drought and dwindling water levels for wells. One way Adams is decreasing his irrigation use is by planting less crop.
“We plant a little bit less seed per acre,” Adams said, “and that way there’s not as many plants competing for that moisture.”
Many issues are weighing farmers down right now. Every day they are working in their fields to make sure their crop has every fighting chance to mature. Adams said he’s determined to remain optimistic, and his faith and family encourage him the most.