Experiments were conducted in 1984 and 1985 to evaluate nitrogen foliar fertilization based on a petiole nitrate monitoring program. Fifty, 75 (in 1985), or 100 lbs/A nitrogen was soil-applied to well watered 'McNair 235' cotton prior to early bloom. Beginning at early bloom, petioles were collected at weekly intervals from the most recently matured leaves in the center rows of 4-row plots. Nitrates were determined following procedures outlined by Baker and Smith (1). Following guidelines developed under Arkansas conditions, plots were sprayed with 0 lbs/A nitrogen as urea. Adjacent control plots were left untreated.