According to Texas Tech University, 4.6 million acres of cotton are expected to be planted in that part of the country this year. However, that total should increase to 5.57 million acres by 2018.
The report from the university said that cotton production increased from the beginning of the 1990s. However, in 2006 many farmers turned away from cotton for other crops.
"Earlier this decade, many farmers moved from a pure cotton monoculture to rotations that included corn and soybeans, partly because of agronomic reasons but primarily due to price movement," said Darren Hudson, director of the university's Cotton Economics Research Institute.
Hudson said that Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas will lead the way when it comes to advancing cotton production, though levels may not be close to what was seen in the past.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cotton production in 2009 was down 3 percent when compared to 2008. In all, the harvested area for cotton amounted to 7.69 million acres in the entire country.
