Cotton farmers in Lyford say the hot, dry weather this season has made for a smoother harvest.

Cotton machines were running in a Lyford field collecting the crop. The field has since been harvested and is now ready for its next crop.

Travis Johnson owns Johnson Farms in Lyford. He planted his cotton at the end of February, unsure of what the weather would bring.

"The best weather for cotton picking is dry," Johnson said. "The last big rain event that we had Valley-wide was in June, which probably helped this cotton crop finish out the bolls that were growing, so it's been a pretty good year."

Johnson says rain can help bolls grow faster but can also create problems if too much falls.

"As is, it's ready to get as many picks as you can. One big three or four-inch rain or several three or four-inch rains on a cotton crop can change the economics of the plants," Johnson said.

The heat also plays a role during harvesting. Danielle Sekula, the integrated pest management specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife, explained that the heat accelerates the process.

"All the heat does is speed up these cotton plants so the bolls open quicker, just when you get your fluffy cotton, and as far as the heat goes, everyone is defoliating right now, so you want hot and dry weather," Sekula said.

Sekula said cotton crops can suffer if it gets too hot too fast or if it stays too hot for too long.

"Two weeks to defoliate and going into harvest. If this heat was in mid-May or in June, very extreme, it wouldn't have been good for the crop," Sekula said.

Johnson says cotton farmers want the heat to stick around a little longer.

"We don't have rain delays, so we are hoping to have a few more weeks of hot and dry weather so that the plants reach maturity and are ready to pick," Johnson said.

The cotton harvest season ends in September. Johnson says he hopes to see more of the same dry heat next year.

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