The mission of the Cotton Stalk Destruction program is to eliminate cotton plants capable of hosting boll weevil populations in Texas, thereby creating a non-hostable period for overwintering boll weevils. By creating a non-hostable period, the number of boll weevils reproducing is reduced.

The Cotton Stalk Destruction program, in conjunction with the boll weevil eradication program, has made it possible to declare the state of Texas free of pink bollworm and the majority of Texas free of boll weevil. The continued success of the Cotton Stalk Destruction Program is crucial in keeping the boll weevil and pink boll worm from re-infesting eradicated areas of Texas, and will assist in eradicating the boll weevil from the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Know Your Zone

Pest management zones are geographical zones established by TDA for the purpose of cotton pest control and prevention. Each zone is established by cotton producers petitioning the Commissioner to certify an area as a pest management zone to control or prevent the spread of cotton pests.

TDA has implemented a tiered system of destruction protocols with minimum requirements in pest management zones in which the boll weevil has been eradicated and/or there is a low likelihood of boll weevil re-infestation, and more strict requirements in pest management zones that are still quarantined for boll weevil and/or have a higher likelihood of re-infestation.

Cotton stalk destruction methods and destruction deadlines depend on which pest management zone your cotton field is located in.  For a map of the pest management zones and the cotton stalk destruction deadlines, click here.

Cotton Stalk Destruction Methods

Destruction methods include, but are not limited to, pesticide/herbicide application, shredding of plants and plant residues, plowing, flood irrigation or a combination of these methods. The required destruction method depends on the pest management zone your cotton field is located in.  For the required destruction methods in each pest management zone, click here.

Request a Deadline Extension

There are two types of deadline extensions: Blanket and Individual.

Blanket Deadline Extensions

Blanket extensions are granted when TDA determines that all or part of a Pest Management Zone has had widespread adverse conditions that prevent completion of stalk destruction by the standard deadline. Blanket Extension Deadlines may only be submitted by the Cotton Producer Advisory Committee of that Pest Management Zone.

To see whether there are any blanket extensions for the current growing year, click here.

For information regarding upcoming Cotton Producer Advisory Committee meetings, click here.

Individual Deadline Extensions

Individual extensions are granted when a producer has special circumstances preventing the completion of stalk destruction by the standard deadline or by the blanket deadline extension.

A producer may request an individual deadline extension by:

• Completing Form RCD-901E online. Once the form is uploaded, you will receive an immediate email confirmation that the form has been received.  To make a request online, click here.
• Downloading Form RCD-901 and Form RCD-901A from the TDA website. Complete both forms electronically and email completed forms as attachments to cotton@texasagriculture.gov.
• Completing Form RCD-901 and Form RCD-901A by hand, and printing and mailing to TDA at:

Cotton Program
Texas Department of Agriculture
PO Box 12847
Austin, TX 78711

All deadline extension requests must be received by TDA on or before the applicable pest management zone’s destruction deadline. If the area has a blanket deadline extension, the request must be received on or before the blanket extension’s deadline date. If mailing, the post-marked date will not be used to determine if the extension was received on time.

TDA will carefully evaluate each circumstance to determine if an extension is warranted. Deadline extension applicants will be notified in writing regarding TDA’s decision on whether to grant an extension or not.

Cotton Stalk Destruction Deadline Extensions FAQs

Have more questions?  For more information, click here.

Cotton Regulations

 To view TDA’s cotton regulations (Texas Administrative Code Title 4 Chapter 20), click here.

Helpful Links

Cotton Stalk Destruction Deadline Extensions Information and Forms

Cotton Stalk Destruction Methods

Pest Management Zone Map with Planting and Destruction Dates