Explore essential cotton production research
JACKSON, Tenn. – Despite challenging cotton growing seasons in both 2024 and 2025, researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) are optimistic about yield potential in 2026. UTIA experts will share their latest predictions and research-based information during the annual Cotton Tour Field Day, scheduled for September 9 from 8 a.m. to noon at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center.
This free event is open to farmers, consultants, agribusiness professionals and others involved in Tennessee’s cotton industry. Attendees will take part in guided wagon tours of active field trials, where UTIA researchers and Extension specialists will present findings and recommendations on:
- Defoliation timing
- 2026 variety testing and selection tools
- ThryvOn cotton performance
- Cover crop practices
- Irrigation and nutrient management
- Disease identification and treatment
- Weed and insect control
- And more
“On average, Tennessee grows two bales of cotton per acre, or approximately 1,000 pounds,” says Tyson Raper, cotton and small grains Extension specialist. “As we prepare for the 2026 harvest, it’s hard to walk our ‘average’ cotton acres and not smile at this year’s yield potential. I encourage producers to join us for our annual Cotton Tour to ensure you have the right information to make final defoliation decisions and finish the year strong.”
The West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center is located at 605 Airways Boulevard in Jackson, Tennessee. Attendees will receive pesticide recertification points for attending, in addition to a complimentary lunch at the conclusion of the tour. The complete program will be posted on utcrops.com closer to the event date.
Producers are also invited to the Soybean Insect and Disease Field Day on September 10 at 8:30 a.m. CT at the AgResearch and Education Center at Milan, located at 3 Ledbetter Gate Road in Milan, Tennessee. The latest pest and disease management recommendations will be shared to help producers navigate the remaining few weeks before harvest and offer predictions about potential concerns for 2027.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.