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"We do it with a strong dose of herbicide," said Lester Hogan, a farm worker at Long Lake Farms in Friars Point. "We spray the grass and lay it by.
"It can be hard if the tractor breaks down or the herbicide isn't spraying right."
Hogan has been working at the farm, which also grows soybean and corn, for 25 years, and said the layby season is no harder than the rest of the year.
"When you work on a farm, all seasons are hard," he said, "from the spring when you plant it, to the fall when you roll it up."
Along with the layby, farmers will also be monitoring their insect populations and irrigating their cotton when necessary.
"We can stand a good rain about every 10 days," said Ann Ruscoe, Coahoma County extension agent. "But you can't order it."
According to the Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 4.9 days suitable for field work for the week ending June 13. After several weeks of rainy weather, producers took advantage of the drier conditions to harvest wheat, bale hay and plant late-season soybeans, the report said.
Although there has not been much report of insect damage throughout the state, the humid temperatures have contributed to some spread of disease; in particular, tomato spotted wilt disease has become problematic for quite a few commercial growers.
The statistics stated that 100 percent of the cotton in the state had been planted as of June 13 and that 99 percent of the cotton had emerged. Last year, 99 percent of cotton had been planted at this time and 98 percent had emerged.
Ninety-seven percent of cotton farmers in the state reported fair, good or excellent field conditions.
A hundred percent of rice had emerged in the state as of June 13.
Ninety-nine percent of soybeans had been planted and 98 percent had emerged as of June 13. Fifty-five percent of farmers rated soybean conditions as good and 25 percent as excellent.
Fifty-five percent of corn last week had silked, up from last year's percentage of 20 percent.
Rice harvest season begins in September, and soybeans and corn begins in August, Ruscoe said.
