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I realize that harvest of the 2006 cotton crop has just begun and few are concerned about anything but getting this crop harvested. However, producers should now start preparations for the 2007 cotton crop. The following is a check list of items to consider.

• Select the fields you intend to plant to cotton in 2007.
• Sample the soil in each field and test it for pH and nutrients if this has not been done since 2002.
• Apply needed lime and fertilizer this fall or early spring.
• Break hardpans by subsoiling this fall or early spring.
• Improve drainage of the fields this fall or next spring to reduce wet soil problems for the 2007 crop.
• Dig cotton roots after harvest in areas of the field where nematode problems are suspected and examine them for rootknot nematode (RKN) galls. University of Missouri research shows that root gall severity due to RKN is a reliable indicator of the presence of this nematode and the severity of RKN damage to cotton. Producers should do this soon because December is too late. Contact me for more information about this method. If RKN is a problem,producers should make decisions this winter about how to manage it in 2007.
• Select varieties for planting in 2007 based on University of Missouri cotton variety yield trials and the yields of varieties in your own and your neighbor's fields. The University of Missouri cotton variety yield trial results for 2005 are available on the web at http://aes.missouri.edu/delta/cotton/index.stm, and the 2006 data will be available at this site by mid-November.
• Hire a cotton scout or consultant to weekly inspect your 2007 crop for pests. Following these suggested procedures will give Missouri cotton producers a better chance of producing higher yields and greater profits. For more information contact Allen Wrather the University of Missouri Delta Center (Phone: 573-379- 5431, E-mail: wratherj@missouri.edu) or check the Delta Center Web Page ( aes.missouri.edu/delta).

Allen Wrather
University of Missouri-Delta Center