Cotton Harvest Timing Impacts on Yield and Quality

A large plot trial was planted in Midville, Georgia to evaluate how delays in harvest timing post defoliation may impact cotton yield and quality. Cotton was grown as "production cotton" with all plots defoliated simultaneously (10-5-2018). Treatments consisted of: harvest 14 days after defoliation (DAD); harvest 21 DAD; harvest 28 DAD; harvest 35 DAD; and harvest 42 DAD. Treatments were evaluated for yield with samples ginned at the UGA Cotton Microgin for lint turnout and samples sent to the USDA Cotton Classing Office for quality analysis.