Cotton has rebounded as a major crop in North Carolina. Cotton production declined from 1.8 million acres in 1926 to 42,000 acres in 1978. The boll weevil eradication program has resulted in a dramatic increase in cotton acreage through the 1990s, reducing annual insecticide sprays from 8-12 to 3 or less. The decrease in production costs through the 1990s led to a resurgence in annual cotton acreage to the current level of 700,000 - 900,000 acres. Soil-borne diseases, especially nematodes, such as root-knot and reniform, are main threats to yield, with management relying on nematicides and crop rotations. Resistance to nematodes in cotton is generally lacking, although cultivars tolerant to some of these nematodes has been identified.
Cotton Disease and IPM Information
Cotton Problem Diagnosis Services
- Plant Disease and Insect Clinic for disease and problem diagnosis
- NCDA&CS Agronomic Services for tissue, solution, and nematode assays
