Early season planting of cotton is desirable in some cotton-growing regions in order to allow fiber development under more favorable temperatures later in the season. Low temperatures (soil and air) at earlier planting dates can result in delayed emergence and increased seedling mortality. After emergence both high and low temperatures can result in oxidative stress and related damage that can reduce seedling growth and offset the advantages of the early planting dates. A surface soil amendment that increased the absorption of radiation was used to alter the soil and aerial environment of early planted cotton in Lubbock TX. The amendment resulted in a slight increase in soil temperatures that correlated with higher rates of seedling emergence. Cotyledonary and foliar levels of the oxidative damage indicator malondialdehyde were determined periodically and used to assess the extent to which oxidative damage was influenced by the altered thermal environment.