It’s no secret that the massive storms that came through central Arizona on October 5th were intense and caused extensive and widespread hail damage on cotton crops. The timing of hail damage is critical in deciding what to do, and is often a difficult decision. In fields with questionable stands, there are several things to consider before making a replant decision.
1) What is the calendar date?
Mid-summer monsoon storms that cause hail damage could be early enough to allow replanting, but a hail storm this close to picking can be catastrophic.
2) What is the population of plants that will survive?
A good yield can still be obtained on a low plant population.
3) What is the health and damage level of the remaining plants?
Determine what percent of the field is damaged and what percent have a terminal versus what percent are cut off below the cotyledon node. Those cut below the cotyledon node will probably not recover. Damaged plants may survive but mature later and be susceptible to insects and weather.
4) And perhaps most important, is insurance in place to cover the crop loss?
Many insurance options are available with different coverage levels. Multi-peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) covers adverse weather, such as hail, and separate, privately-offered crop-hail policies are also available on cotton crops in Arizona. Your crop insurance agent should be contacted and a Notice of Loss (NOL) should be timely submitted within 48 hours of the storm event. A NOL should be submitted under both your MPCI and Crop-Hail Policy (if applicable) ~ it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Should you need some advice after this untimely hail storm, please call me at 1-520-507-2220.
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