The chart below illustrates how we define planting conditions. We cap DD60’s at a maximum value of 10 for each day. If you are computing DD60 accumulation on your own and a day is predicted to have 15 DD60’s, only use 10 for that day. We also lower the planting conditions by one category if a low of 50 or less or DD60=0 is predicted on day of planting.
Click Image to Enlarge
Soil temperature at a 3-inch depth was 63 degrees at 8 this morning (May 3). Soil temperature quickly increased to 65 by 10:00 am. The DD60s predicted for the 5 days following planting at Rocky Mount are included in the table below.
There is a cold spell on May 8 so pay attention to soil temperature as you may want to delay planting until temperatures reach the mid-60s.
Special thanks to Dr. Sandy Stewart for helping us with a program to help automate the calculations for this chart.
Click Image to Enlarge
It is certainly possible to achieve a good stand-in marginal conditions. Please consult Strategies for Planting Cotton in Suboptimal Conditions if you decide to plant under marginal conditions.
