Cotton growers hope for break in rain to plow their plants under

Local cotton growers who received an extension on plowing their fields were watching the weather closely, hoping rain holds off for a while. Without luck.

In normal years, cotton growers in the state must plow the plants under in their fields by Dec. 31 to help prevent pink bollworm.

Because of the heavy rains in the past month, growers were first given a two-week extension, to Jan. 14, and that has been extended again, to Jan. 31.

"The law was made to create a host-free environment for the pink bollworm," said David Robinson, agricultural commissioner for Merced County.
The pink bollworm is known as "pinkie" to growers and is a highly destructive pest that can ruin a cotton crop. Although the bollworm is a well-known pest to growers in the southeastern United States, California has been able to keep the tiny worm away through a long-running pesticide-free control effort.

Growers watching the weather can expect little rain through the next week. According to the National Weather Service in Hanford, a few sprinkles fell Tuesday night, but the rest of the week should be partly cloudy, with no rain forecast through Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The law about plowing cotton fields under is part of the California Food and Ag Law, and growers who don't make the deadline can face a $500 penalty, plus $5 for every acre that wasn't plowed.

Robinson said most cotton growers don't start planting until April, and as long as there's a period with no host for the bollworm, the pest shouldn't take hold in the state.

"The pest can't live without the host," Robinson said. "So far, we've nibbled a few weeks off the plow-down at this point, but hopefully by the end of the month the growers will all be able to plow their fields."

Robinson said he hopes growers get a small window to do their plowing, then get more rain.

(Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/12/3318024/cotton-growers-hope-for-break.html)