Jonesboro, Arkansas: Crop dusting businesses are getting busier

Jonesboro, Arkansas - You can expect to see more yellow-colored airplanes in the sky soon.

Local crop dusters are taking orders and getting shipments of chemicals to spray on the cotton.

The recent rain has pushed plans back, but Mike James of Bootheel Ag Air Services says this week's forecast is perfect for flying.

"Tomorrow we're supposed to spray forty acres of cotton. We'll hit it the first time with some Folex and Boll Buster."

They've already got the schedule figured out on one of the first days of spraying.

"He does all the prepping, I fuel it. Then we mix the chemicals and shoot the chemicals in it. Then I write his time down on the sheet when he leaves, and what chemical he's taking out, and his time of arrival back."

Mr. James says that as long as the rain will hold off, they'll only need to spray the defoliant twice.

"We'll go back in four to five, or seven days and hit it again with Takedown, which will knock the green leaves off."

James says the first round of spray will knock the leaves off the plant, while the second will help open the cotton boll.

As cotton modules start to fill up the gin yards around Region 8, we'll know that cooler weather is just around the corner.

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