HUTCHINSON — Recent heavy rains in Kansas are threatening the state’s cotton crop as the plant’s bolls begin to open.
The Hutchinson News reports that rain can dislodge lint from the plant and decrease yields. Water can also cause color from the plant’s stems or leaves to bleed onto the cotton lint and damage the quality.
Rex Friesen is a consultant for Southern Kansas Cotton Growers. He says the crop appears to be holding up despite the wet weather. Friesen says harvesting should resume this week if the weather remains dry.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Progress and Condition Report says 77 percent of bolls have opened in Kansas. That’s up from 70 percent this time last year. The USDA says about 2 percent of cotton had been harvested earlier this month before rains halted work.
