Cotton growers are expecting a good crop in the state -- whether harvest is just beginning or ending -- Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

"All in all, the cotton that has been harvested is good, high-quality cotton and we're making much better yields than in the past," said Dr. Robert Lemon of College Station, Extension cotton specialist. "Cool temperatures are affecting the growth of cotton on the High Plains, and that's the big story right now. There's a wonderful crop on the plant, we just need the warm weather to finish it out."

Cotton harvest is expected to begin in about a month in the Panhandle.

"The main thing about cotton this year is that we've had an exceptionally cool summer, and that means [cotton] is a little low on heat unit accumulation," said Dr. Brent Bean of Amarillo, Extension agronomist. Heat units are a measurement of air temperature.

"It is the average of the daily maximum and minimum air temperatures minus a base temperature of 60 F," he said. "Basically, what it all means is that cotton needs a lot of hot weather." Without the hot weather, cotton quality and yields will decrease. In order for a cotton boll to fill and have the fiber of cotton mature, it needs a certain amount of time and heat, he said.

"[The Panhandle's] crop looks excellent right now; it's just questionable if we're going to have enough heat in time for a significant number of the bolls that are now present to reach maturity before a killing frost." Jose Pena of Uvalde, Extension economist, said cotton producers in the Southwest district should begin harvesting by early September. "We expect a very good crop with very good yields," Pena said. "April rains delayed planting, so we got started late. But after lots of moisture and Memorial Day's hot weather, cotton really took off, and I mean really took off. "We could even take some more rain right now, but in another week or two we won't want any," he said. "Rains pose the risk of knocking bolls off onto the ground or causing discoloration."

Insects can also affect a cotton crop's yield and quality. Aphids, mites, thrips and white flies were more of a problem this year than last year.

"Although we had to increase chemical use from last year, it's still nowhere near what it has been in the past," Pena said.

Lemon said producers don't agonize over pests as long as the boll weevil is under control.

"Boll weevil is the key pest to cotton, and it hasn't been a major problem," he said.

Producers in South Texas are nearing the end of the cotton harvest, said Brad Cowan of Edinburg, Extension agent in Hidalgo County.

"Harvest went really well; (we) got just a great crop," Cowan said. "This year's harvest is quite larger than last year's, something that could be because of all the early summer rain we got."

Lemon summed up Texas' more than 6 million-acre cotton crop as good, just in need of higher temperatures.