Cotton Disease Loss Estimates from the United States — 2022

Cotton diseases annually reduce yield in the United States. Diseases of importance vary from year to year, and diseases that affect yield are based on many factors, including weather conditions, crop production practices, and variety susceptibility to disease.

Plant pathologists representing 17 U.S. cotton-producing states estimated the percent yield loss from cotton disease for each participating state. These states accounted for a total production of 14.7 million bales (480 lbs. each) of cotton lint in the United States in 2022 (Figure 1). The yield loss estimates include root rots, stem diseases, seedling blights, foliar diseases, boll rots, and nematodes. For the purpose of this summary, cotton diseases were divided into two categories: foliar and boll or root and stem diseases.

This publication documents the impact of major diseases on cotton production during 2022 in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Cotton pathologists in these states estimate disease loss data annually; data collection began in 1952 for the entire U.S and was expanded to include individual states starting in 1965. It is important to note that methods for estimat­ing disease loss may vary by state and/or over time. The estimates may be based on feedback from university extension and personal experience with disease losses.

Values for cotton disease losses are based on yield before estimated losses occurred for each state and are determined using the formula (harvested bales/[{100 – percent estimated disease loss}/100]). Next, the formula ([percent loss/100] x yield before estimated loss) is used for determination of bales lost for each participating state.

This publication seeks to quantify only yield losses caused by cotton diseases, and does not determine additional costs associated with disease management including crop scouting, fungicide/nematicide application and product cost, research associated with improving cotton varieties, or implementation of other management stratagems.

2022 Conditions and Production

The United States produced 14.7 million bales of cotton on 13.8 million acres in 2022. The resulting crop value was more than $6.4 billion. The U.S. national marketing year value of cotton was 91.5 cents per lb. Climate conditions during 2022 included warmer than average temperatures for much of the U.S., near normal rainfall for the southeastern U.S., and drier conditions in western Kansas and in several southwestern states.

2022 National Disease Losses

In 2022, disease reduced cotton yield by 8.7 percent, or 1.4 million bales, across the U.S. Percent yield reduction in 2022 was similar to the values from 2018-2021, but much less than the 12.2 percent average annual yield reduction observed for the 22-year period from 2000-2021.

The top yield reducing disease or disease group in 2022 was root-knot nematodes, followed by boll rots, Stemphylium leaf spot, reniform nematode, and seedling diseases, respectively (Table 1). Compared to the top five yield-reducing diseases or disease groups, other diseases had much lower yield impacts, although they are still important management considerations.

Table 1. Estimated cotton yield losses (number of bales) due to diseases in 17 U.S. cotton-producing states in the 2022 growing season.

¹ The boll rot loss value from South Carolina includes hardlock from multiple causes on bottom bolls.

² Meloidogyne incognita is the most widespread and therefore the species of root-knot nematode that most reduces cotton yield, M. enterolobii causes less than 1 percent of estimated yield reduction due to root-knot nematodes.

³ The Verticillium wilt loss value from California resulted from multiple causes including disease and heat.

⁴ Yield losses in this category are due to southwestern cotton rust (Puccinia cacabata), and cotton stem blight and boll rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) in Arizona.

Diseases in the Southwestern United States

The states reporting data from the Southwestern cotton-growing region accounted for 31.8 percent of cotton production in the U.S. Root-knot nematodes caused the greatest yield reduction in the Southwestern U.S. in 2022 — with 46,382 bales lost. Reniform nematode caused the second greatest loss followed by Fusarium wilt, seedling diseases, and Phymatotrichopsis root rot (see Table 2). All five of the most significant diseases in this region were root and stem diseases. Overall, yield reduction caused by disease in this region was 3.2 percent.  

Table 2. Estimated cotton yield losses due to the five most significant diseases in the Southwestern U.S. states¹ in 2022.

¹ Arizona, California, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Diseases in the Southeastern United States

The states reporting data from the Southeastern cotton-growing region accounted for 68.2 percent of cotton production in the U.S. Root-knot nematodes were the greatest cause of yield reduction followed by boll rots, Stemphylium leaf spot, reniform nematode, and seedling diseases. Due to the climate of Southeastern U.S. states, foliar and boll diseases are more likely to be problematic than in the states further west. Diseases reduced yield by an estimated 11.0 percent in Southeastern states, a value much higher than that observed in the Southwestern U.S.

Table 3. Estimated cotton yield losses due to the five most significant diseases in the Southeastern U.S. states¹ in 2022.

¹ Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Disclaimer

The disease loss estimates in this publication were provided by University Extension cotton pathologists. This information is only a guide. The values in this publication are not intended to be exact values of cotton yield losses due to diseases. Participants used what they considered the best means available to estimate disease losses and assume no liability resulting from estimate. 

Values reported in this document were accurate as of publication date and do not reflect corrections or updates occurring since that time. For the most up-to-date values and additional information on yield and economic losses due to diseases, see the Field Crop Disease and Insect Loss Calculator.

Acknowledgements

Authors

Travis Faske, University of Arkansas and Adam Sisson, Iowa State University.

Contributors

Kathy Lawrence and Amanda Strayer-Scherer, Auburn University; Jiahuai Hu, University of Arizona; Travis Faske, University of Arkansas; Robert Hutmacher, University of California; Zane Grabau and Ian Small, University of Florida; Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia; Adam Sisson, Iowa State University; Rodrigo Borba Onofre, Kansas State University; Trey Price and Tristan Watson, Louisiana State University; Tom Allen, Mississippi State University; Bradley Wilson, University of Missouri; John Omololu Idowu, New Mexico State University; Guy Collins and Keith Edmisten, North Carolina State University; Seth Byrd, Oklahoma State University; John Mueller, Clemson University; Heather Kelly, University of Tennessee; Tom Isakeit and Terry Wheeler, Texas A&M University; and David Langston, University of Virginia.

Reviewers

Daren Mueller, Iowa State University and Kiersten Wise, University of Kentucky.

Production data from the United States Department of Agriculture-National Agriculture Statistics Service. Climate information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Center for Environmental Information.

United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. Quick Stats Database. Accessed 7 and 9 March 2023.

Sponsors

This project was supported by United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture.