How this year’s scorching summer impacted cotton growers in Arizona

YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — It’s harvest season for cotton farmers in Arizona.

Cotton is a key ingredient in many everyday items, including clothing, baby products, and coffee filters. The seed separated from the crop is used for cattle and horse feed, biodiesel, and can be found in cooking oil.

“Here in Yuma, because we don’t have a lot of rain, a lot of the seed that is grown will go back to the seed companies and then the companies will use that as planting seed next year,” said Robert Masson, Assistant agriculture agent with the University of Arizona.

According to Randy Norton, who leads research efforts at the University of Arizona’s Agriculture Experiment Station, about 106,000 acres of cotton were planted across the state this year.

Arizona grows two types of cotton: long-staple and short-staple cotton.

“Most of the long-staple cotton which is premium fiber is grown in Southeast Arizona. The bulk of Arizona’s cotton is grown in Pinal County. Yuma grows about 10,000 acres of cotton,” said Norton.

Across Southern Arizona, they’re planting different varieties of cotton crops to see which ones thrive in certain climates, but 2024 wasn’t a particularly good year for the crop.

“Last year was probably the better year, if not the best year for cotton production in Yuma, this year could be the worst,” said Norton.

Norton says the record-setting heat from this summer impacted the crops.

“It particularly hit Yuma hard. This year, the heat came early and really did a number on the crop,” said Norton.

Low yields mean farmers losing money.

“If the temperatures get too hot, then we don’t have good pollen formation and so we don’t have good pollination. Oftentimes the flowers will go sterile and will fall off instead of setting the bolls,” said Masson.

Although it’s unfortunate, Norton says it’s also a learning lesson. He hopes the research currently being conducted by the university to reduce crop loss will give growers insight for the future.

“We always learn. One thing we are learning is there is a diversity in the varieties out there. Some of them can handle the heat stress better than the others. We’ll get that information to these growers and hopefully they can select those varieties in the future that can help protect them against these stressors,” said Norton.

Norton says cotton is one of the best crops in terms of sustainability and hopes to see increased production in the future.

“It’s a sustainable renewable resource. It doesn’t have some of the issues you run into with man made fabrics with microplastics. Cotton is a great natural fiber,” said Norton.

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