Alabama maintains a long history of cotton cultivation, remaining a significant part of the state’s agricultural economy. The yearly cotton harvest marks the culmination of the growing season. Since cotton is grown as an annual crop, its harvest timing is precisely managed to maximize both the yield and the quality of the fiber. This process involves specific calendar dates, careful chemical preparation, and the consideration of environmental and agronomic factors.
Primary Harvest Window in Alabama
The cotton harvest in Alabama typically begins in late September, following the maturation of the bolls. The peak harvest season generally occurs throughout October and extends into November, which is when the majority of the crop is collected. The total duration of the harvest period is variable, often spanning four to six weeks for any single farm. This schedule is dictated by the time required for the plant to progress from planting in late spring to fully opened, harvestable bolls in the fall.
Essential Preparation: The Role of Defoliation
Before any mechanical harvesting equipment enters the field, a preparation phase called defoliation must take place. Farmers apply specialized chemical harvest aids to cause the leaves to drop from the cotton plants. This is necessary for a clean, efficient harvest, because green leaves passing through a cotton picker would stain the white lint, significantly reducing the fiber’s grade and market value.
The timing of this chemical application is critical and dictates the final harvest start date. Growers commonly use the “percent open boll” method, aiming for application when approximately 60% of the cotton bolls are naturally opened. Applying the harvest aids too early can halt the development of the remaining bolls, compromising both yield potential and fiber quality. Once the defoliant is applied, the cotton is ready for picking within 10 to 14 days, allowing the remaining mature bolls to fully open. This preparation ensures the fiber collected is as clean and bright as possible.
Environmental and Agronomic Factors Dictating Timing
The precise date the harvest begins can shift significantly from year to year, as the cotton plant’s development is highly sensitive to its growing environment.
Planting Dates and Maturity
Planting dates, typically running from late April to early May in Alabama, set the initial timeline for the 150 to 180 days required for the crop to reach maturity. A later planting, often necessitated by wet spring conditions, automatically pushes the entire harvest schedule back into later October or November.
Heat Units and Temperature
The accumulation of heat units, tracked using DD60s (degree days above 60°F), is a major determinant of maturity. A season with consistently high temperatures will accelerate the boll development, potentially moving the harvest up slightly. Conversely, a cooler summer will slow the plant’s progress, requiring more time to accumulate the necessary heat for the bolls to mature fully.
Moisture Conditions
Rainfall during the growing season is also a factor, particularly in August and September, as excessive moisture can lead to boll rot and delay the natural opening process. Dry weather is necessary just before and during the harvest period. Rain can stain the exposed lint and prevent heavy machinery from operating in the fields.
From Field to Gin: The Harvesting Process
Once the fields are properly defoliated and the lint is fully exposed, specialized machinery is deployed to collect the crop. The most common machine used in Alabama is the spindle picker, which uses thousands of rotating spindles to remove the cotton lint from the open bolls. The harvested material, known as seed cotton, is then pneumatically conveyed into the machine.
Modern cotton pickers now form the seed cotton into large, cylindrical modules directly in the field. These bales are wrapped in plastic film for protection against the weather and are left in the field temporarily. Specialized module trucks then move the cotton quickly to the nearest ginning facility. Ginning is the necessary next step, where the cotton fiber (lint) is mechanically separated from the seeds and any remaining plant debris.