ABSTRACT

Remote sensing technologies are tools that can provide cotton producers with information to improve their decisions for cotton production strategies. Images of cotton fields developed from remotely sensed data are useful in detecting variation in crop growth patterns that can be associated with seedcotton yields and the presence of selected cotton arthropod pests. These images allow cotton producers to identify well-defined field zones that exhibit yield-limiting problems. The development of site-specific procedures, including prescription applications of pesticides at variable rates, can target specific management zones within a field. Remote sensing and variable rate pesticide application technologies can result in more efficient crop scouting procedures, reduced pesticide inputs, and fewer undesirable effects in the environment. The cotton industry's access to remote sensing technologies will continue to improve as site specific tools and services become more common.