Diligence Technologies Inc.

Monday, January 5, 2026

Research Update (January 5, 2026)

Research Update

January 5, 2026
Diligence Technologies Inc. | West Tennessee

Events From the Past Month

A good time was had by all at the North Central Weed Science Society meeting in Grand Rapids. It was great to see old friends and officially begin the process of preparing for the 2026 field season.

If you missed us there, we will still be out and about later this winter. Look us up at one of the events listed below.

Upcoming Events

National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants
January 26–31 | Orlando, FL
Cotton & Rice Conference
February 5–6 | Jonesboro, AR
Mid-South Farm & Gin Show
February 27–28 | Memphis, TN

Cropping Seasons

Most of our field activities have been replaced by equipment and facilities maintenance as we fix the broken stuff from last season and work to be more efficient in 2026. We have about two months to get everything in shape before we start venturing back out into the fields.

Greenhouse Activities

The greenhouse is in full swing as we move into what are traditionally our most active months of winter testing. The period after the holidays tends to get busier as folks begin to think about projects that might impact the coming year.

Aphid Testing Update
It appears that we will be able to conduct aphid testing this season. We currently have a population building that we hope to use to infest test plants later this winter. If you need aphid data, please let us know as soon as possible so we can run trials before the population crashes.

Upcoming Trial Reminders

Winter Wheat (Spring Applications)

We plant extra wheat in the fall in anticipation of wheat trials that arise the following spring. This year is no exception, and we have space available to accommodate new protocols this season.

Postemergence Herbicide Trials
Applications can be made over the next few months. We have locations with a variety of common winter annuals found in wheat production, including henbit and chickweed.
Wheat Fungicide Trials
Trial areas will be marked in February and March ahead of anticipated applications.

Septoria leaf spot is our most common foliar disease and is typically sprayed at flag leaf, generally in mid-April.
Head scab trials are usually sprayed on developing wheat heads, typically in early May.

Wheat Fertility Trials
Please let us know soon if you are considering wheat fertility trials. As the season progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to find sites where spring fertilization programs have not already begun.

Burndown Trials

Diligence Technologies has several excellent locations for spring burndown trials. Early communication is critical so potential trial areas are not oversprayed or tilled in preparation for other work.

We typically have a strong presence of winter annuals common to our area, including henbit, chickweed, cutleaf evening primrose, and poa. These weeds emerge during winter and are typically sprayed as temperatures increase in March.
Horseweed
Horseweed is frequently requested for burndown trials due to its increased importance as a weed that often survives into the cropping season. Horseweed typically emerges later than other winter annuals, with targeted applications often occurring in April depending on desired weed size.
Ryegrass
Burndown trials targeting ryegrass have increased in recent years as effective control options have declined. These trials often require additional scouting to locate suitable sites. Please notify us as early as possible if you are planning a ryegrass trial.

Weather Update

Overall, the winter has been generally mild so far, with a couple of bone-chilling cold snaps thrown in to remind us it really is winter. We will see what lies ahead as we move into what is typically the coldest part of the year.

Looking Ahead

We look forward to another great year in 2026. Please let us know how we can support your research needs in the greenhouse this winter and during the coming field season.

Tim, Jackson, Jake, Will, Jim, & JT

Proverbs 27:23–24
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds; for riches are not forever.

Monday, December 1, 2025

Research Update (December 1, 2025)

Research Update – December 1, 2025
Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Events From the Past Month

Another field season is nearly in the books. All of the corn, cotton, and soybeans from this summer have been harvested, and reports have been sent. Wheat is in the field, but it will require minimal attention until late February or early March. For now, we are spending much of our time servicing equipment and repairing the long list of items that wore out—or broke—over the summer.

Upcoming Events

Meeting season is here. We will be headed to the North Central Weed Science meeting in a couple of weeks, traditionally our first winter meeting of the year. We look forward to reconnecting with friends and beginning the planning process for another season.
If you will be at any of the meetings below, let us know—we would enjoy catching up.

North Central Weed Science Society: December 15–18, Grand Rapids, MI
National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants: January 26–31, Orlando, FL
Cotton & Rice Conference: February 5–6, Jonesboro, AR
Mid-South Farm & Gin Show: February 27–28, Memphis, TN

Cropping Seasons

Wheat is the only crop still in the field and will remain dormant until warmer weather arrives in the spring. That said, it is not too early to begin planning wheat trials for early next year. We have plenty of extra wheat available for any type of postemergence trial you may need.

Greenhouse Activities

The greenhouse is in full operation. Some early trials are already complete, and others are just beginning. The greenhouse is well-suited for a wide range of testing, so let us know what type of data you need and we will develop a method to generate it.

Weather Summary

Winter has finally arrived in West Tennessee. After a long, mild fall, temperatures have dropped and extra layers are becoming necessary.

This past year brought two distinct weather patterns. Spring was wet, with frequent rains continuing through June and making planting difficult. Once the weather turned dry, it stayed dry. July and August were especially hard on both crops and researchers. What had once appeared to be an excellent crop of corn, cotton, and soybeans ultimately finished as an average year at best.

Pest Update

Winter annual weeds are emerging. If you need postemergence wheat herbicide testing or burndown evaluations for next spring, keep us in mind. We should be able to help.

As we enter the holiday season, we are grateful for everyone who entrusted part of their research program to Diligence Technologies. We wish you a wonderful Christmas and look forward to working with you again in the coming year.

Tim, Jackson, Jake, Will, Jim, and JT

Proverbs 27:23–24
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds; for riches are not forever.

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Research Update (November 3, 2025)

Research Update – November 3, 2025
Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Events from the Past Month

Harvest is ongoing. Overall, conditions have been favorable until the past week or so. We have experience some equipment delays along the way, but hope to be back in the field in the coming week.

Upcoming Events

As we move into winter, planning is underway for meeting season. Below are a few conferences we plan to attend, with more to be added soon:

North Central Weed Science Society – December 15–18, Grand Rapids, MI
National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants – January 26–31, Orlando, FL
Cotton & Rice Conference – February 5–6, Jonesboro, AR

Cropping Seasons

Harvest is wrapping up across most crops. Corn and cotton harvests are underway, and soybean harvest should ramp up as soon as we dry out from the recent rains.

Winter wheat planting is also in progress. We plan to plant some additional wheat acreage to accommodate potential herbicide or fungicide trials next spring.

Greenhouse Activities

The greenhouse is already up and running this year—earlier than usual. We typically open in November, but several early projects prompted an early start. If you’re interested in running a greenhouse trial this winter, now is an excellent time to reach out.

Weather Update

Harvest weather has been mostly favorable. A few scattered showers have caused minor delays, but overall progress has been steady until recently.

Pest Update

This has been one of the lowest insect pressure years in recent memory. While this has been good news for growers, it has made conducting insecticide trials more challenging.

We were able to find moderate populations of soybean loopers, but plant bugs and stink bugs were scarce. Even fall armyworm pressure in corn was below normal. We pursued infestations where we could, though not always with success.

We are thankful that you trusted us with your research projects over the past season. We are working hard to get everything out of the field and final research reports written. Please let us know if we can be of service now and in the future.

Tim, Jackson, Jake, Will, Jim, & JT

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings.” – Proverbs 22:29

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Research Update (October 7, 2025)

Research Update – October 6, 2025

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Cropping Seasons

We’re beginning to see the finish line for this season. Corn harvest is underway, and cotton and soybeans won’t be far behind. The hot, dry late summer has pushed crops to mature rapidly, and we plan to begin defoliating cotton in the coming weeks.

There’s still plenty of work ahead, but it’s good to be wrapping up some of our yielded trials.

Upcoming Trial Reminders

Winter Wheat

Wheat planting in West Tennessee typically runs October 15 – November 10.
Trials with fall treatments (at planting or before winter dormancy) should be prioritized soon.
Trials with spring-only treatments can be delayed until later.
We usually have extra wheat available for spring trials.

👉 If you’re considering wheat fertility trials, please let us know soon so we can match trial location and maintenance to your needs.

Greenhouse Trials

Our greenhouse is available about seven months each year (October – April). By May, fieldwork takes over and greenhouse projects are wrapped up.

We can accommodate a wide variety of greenhouse research, including:

Fertility testing: seed treatments, soil amendments, foliar sprays
Crop tolerance screening: nearly any foliar-applied product
Efficacy testing: weeds, insects, and diseases that are obtainable in winter
Special projects: hydroponics, lysimeters, citrus evaluations, and more

💡 If you have an idea, give us a call—we’ll help design a plan.

Greenhouse Projects

Here’s a sample of the crops, pests, and trial types we’ve worked with in recent years:

Crops	Weeds	Insects	Diseases	Application / Trial Types
Beet	Barnyardgrass	Aphid	Frogeye leafspot	In-furrow
Bell pepper	Common ragweed	Fall armyworm	Rhizoctonia	Postemergence foliar
Camelina	Johnsongrass	Fungus gnat		Preemergence soil (spray/liquid)
Carrot	Large crabgrass			Preemergence soil (dry/spread)
Citrus	Morningglory			Preplant incorporated
Corn	Palmer amaranth			Seed treatment
Cotton	Prickly sida			Adjuvant
Dry beans	Ryegrass			Compatibility
Flowers (Petunia)	Sicklepod			Defoliation
Hops	Velvetleaf			Fertility
Mint	Wild mustard			Fungicide
Mustard	Yellow nutsedge			Herbicide
Peanut				Hydroponic
Radish				Insecticide
Rice				Lint staining
Soybean				Lysimeter
Squash				Miticide
Sunflower				Moisture usage
Tomato				Plant growth regulator
Turf (Bentgrass)				Phytotoxicity
Turf (Bermudagrass)
Turf (Kentucky bluegrass)
Turf (Tall fescue)
Wheat

Weather Update

Spring/Summer: Frequent rainfall until mid-July.
Since July: Hot, dry conditions with limited rain.
Impact: Yields should be average to slightly above average overall.
Some trials required replanting after early stand loss, which will extend our harvest season.

Pest Update

One of the lightest insect years in recent memory.
Challenges: Limited availability of research-grade plant bugs and stink bugs.
Adequate pressure: Soybean looper populations.
Foliar disease pressure: Typical for corn and soybeans (i.e., good for testing).

Closing

Thank you for partnering with us in research this year. We look forward to working with you on upcoming wheat and greenhouse projects.

— Tim, Jackson, Jake, Will, Jim & JT

“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.”
— Proverbs 21:5