Precision Crop Management (PCM) provides the crop what it needs, when it needs it, where it needs it. The advantages of this management system include: crop inputs are typically reduced without yield loss; in some cases yield increases; and the potential for adverse environmental impact of agricultural operations are lowered. The fact cotton yield monitors are now standard on pickers allow cotton producers the chance to map yield variability in their fields and see firsthand if within-field variability is an issue on their farms.
Cotton Incorporated is sponsoring projects across the entire cotton belt to determine how cotton producers can best benefit from these technologies. Examples include: use of remote sensed data to make management decisions for plant growth regulator application, better placement of within season fertilizers, and development of “smart” sprayers. Links to some of these study results are provided below.