The ultimate guide to growing cotton in Farming Simulator 22 🌾

Cotton in Farming Simulator 22: A guide to cultivation 🌾

Cotton is a valuable crop in Farming Simulator 22which is not only a challenge, but also a lucrative source of income. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn how to grow, care for and harvest cotton effectively. 🤓

Field preparation 🌱

Careful field preparation is necessary before you can start planting:

Plowing: If the "regular plowing" option is activated, you should plow your field. Use either a plow, a cultivator or a seed drill to bring the field into optimal condition. A field marked in red on the map indicates that it needs to be plowed.
Lime: A bluish-green shimmer of the soil indicates that lime is required. You can spread the lime evenly with a lime spreader from the in-game store.
Remove stones: Activate the "Field stones" option to remove stones that could damage your machines. You can either collect them with a stone collector or push them back into the ground with a roller. The field stones do not directly affect the yield.
Crop damage: To avoid difficulties, we recommend deactivating this setting.

Plants 🌾

Cotton is planted with a normal seeder. Note the following points:

Direct seeding: Certain seed drills such as the Missouri and Kinsey Blue allow planting without prior cultivation of the field. Nevertheless, liming and plowing must be taken into account.
Fertilization: Some seed drills can apply liquid or solid fertilizer at the same time. Pay attention to the type of fertilizer that your machine supports.
Seeds and fertilizer: These are available in the in-game store.
Planting time: With the "seasonal growth" option, you can only plant in the months of February and March, otherwise all year round.

Care of the plants 🌿

After planting, you need patience and care:

Fertilize: Wait one day after planting before fertilizing again. Use sprayers for liquid fertilizer, manure spreaders, fertilizer spreaders for solid fertilizer, slurry tankers or fermentation residues.
Weed control: Use herbicides or hoes to remove weeds. Herbicides are effective at any stage of growth, while hoes are only effective on small or medium-sized weeds.

Harvest time 🚜

The harvest time depends on seasonal growth:

Harvest months: With seasons activated, the harvest time is in the months of October and November.
Harvesters: Two harvesting machines are available: the Case IH for round bales and the John Deere for square bales. Round bales hold 10,000 liters, square bales 20,000 liters.
Recommendation: The Case IH is recommended because of its lower price and easier unloading of partial bales.

Transport of bales 🚛

Various trailers are available for the transportation of round and square bales. Options range from small trailers for single bales to trailers for multiple bales.

Sale and use of cotton 💰

After the harvest, you can sell the cotton for a profit:

Points of sale: Sell the bales at appropriate sales outlets for a good price.
Production: Cotton can be further processed in spinning mills, tailoring and rope production.

Tips for maximizing the yield 🌟

To maximize your yield in Farming Simulator 22, there are some additional considerations:

Crop rotation: Plan your crop rotation carefully. Nitrogen-demanding crops such as soybeans affect the cotton nutrient balance. Alternate between nitrogen-fixing crops and cotton to optimize the soil.
Field size: Larger fields offer more space for machine movement and are more efficient at harvest time. However, growing and maintaining cotton in large fields requires powerful equipment.
Contract work: Offer other service contracts to generate additional income and unlock machines or technologies.

Innovation in agriculture: upgrades and investments 🚜

Buying machines or entering new business areas can be cost-intensive, but it pays off in the long term:

New machines: Invest in more efficient harvesting machines or applications that can combine fertilizing and spraying to improve processing speed.
Storage: Consider building a warehouse to create more space for production and distribution. This will allow you to store and sell the cotton when prices rise.
Research: Focus on developments in the areas of sustainable cultivation and organic production to reduce operating costs in the long term.

This guide emphasizes the use of standard equipment included in the game and does not include mods. Good luck growing cotton! 🌟