Research Update (November 4, 2024)

 

Research Update (November 4, 2024)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Harvest was the main event in October.  We finished off corn and cotton harvest and those reports are being written.  Cotton samples have been sent off for quality evaluations (as appropriate) and I expect that information soon.  Soybean harvest is in progress and we hope to put this field season in the books soon.

Many thanks to the members of the Tennessee Entomological Society for a great meeting this past month in Memphis.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

We do plan to get in one winter meeting prior to Christmas.  Let us know if you plan to attend the North Central and we will get together.

North Central Weed Science Society, Dec. 9-12, Kansas City, MO

We should be setting up the remaining meetings on our winter calendar soon.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

There is still a bit of time before our winter wheat planting window closes.  Let me know soon if you have any last-minute wheat trials that need to go out this year.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

The greenhouse is open and activity has started.  Now is a great time to let us know if you need a greenhouse trial this season.  We already have several crops and weeds growing right now and are looking to begin lysimeter testing in the near future.

We have completed most of our initial improvement projects including installing a new lighting system.

 

WEATHER INFO:

The weather has been very dry for a couple of months now with the only exceptions being the remnants of a couple of hurricanes in September.  If not for those rains, things would be extremely dry at this point.  However, the dry weather has helped with harvest season and we hope to finish up well ahead of last year.

 

PEST INFO:

As harvest finishes off this year, it is anticipated that several growers will make fall residual herbicide applications.  These treatments have not been common in Tennessee in past years, but the difficulty in controlling ryegrass in the spring has made this timing more appealing.  Otherwise, things are fairly quiet right now.

 

As always, we are thankful that you let Diligence Technologies be part of your research program.  Please let us know what we can do to help.

 

Tim, Jake, Will, Jim, & JT

 

Proverbs 21:5

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.

Research Update (October 7, 2024)

 

Research Update (October 7, 2024)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Harvest season is in progress with a lot still left to go.  Much of our early corn has been harvested and reports are going out.  Our earliest planted cotton is almost ready for picking and soybeans should not be far behind.  Some of our later planted trials still have a ways to go so it looks like harvest season will stretch out for a while this year.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

We have a few events that we are looking forward to later this year.  Let us know if you are planning to attend.

Tennessee Entomology Society, Oct. 14-15, Memphis, TN

North Central Weed Science Society, Dec. 9-12, Kansas City, MO

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

When the rain turned off this summer, it really turned off.  We were dry for about a month and a half before the remnants of a hurricane broke the dry streak on September 12.  Some of our earliest planted crops proceeded to finish off ahead of schedule prior to rain while some of the later plantings may have benefited from the moisture.  In any case, it was good to see things green back up for a while.

As noted above, the only thing left for most of our trials is harvest.  With a wide planting (and re-planting) window this spring, it may take a while to get our later trials wrapped up.

Winter wheat planting normally occurs here beginning in mid-October and runs into early November.  Let us know if you are looking for some wheat work this season and we will get it going soon.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

As we begin to wrap up most of our field activities, we look forward to getting the greenhouse open and going.  We normally begin starting greenhouse in October, so now is great time let us know if you are considering any projects this winter.

 

WEATHER INFO:

As already noted, the later part of the summer was very dry and we are hopeful that the rain will cooperate a bit better for wheat planting season.  In conjunction with the dry weather, our relative humidity numbers have been lower than normal.  This dry period impacted our overall disease pressure.  Frogeye leaf spot in soybean and gray leaf spot in corn did not reach the levels we normally see.

 

PEST INFO:

We had plenty of rain early in the season and the majority of our weed control trials had excellent pressure.  We did have a few late trials where getting weeds established was a challenge.  Soybean looper populations ranged from adequate to good depending on the timing of the trial.  Cotton insect pressure was generally light (particularly in trials targeting worm pests).  As noted above, we got our typical foliar corn and soybean diseases, but pressure was lower than what we normally expect.

 

Many thanks to those who sent us research trials this past season.  We are very grateful that you trusted us to be part of your research program.  Trial reports should be headed your way soon (if you have not already received them).

 

Please let us know if we can help you with winter wheat or greenhouse trials.

 

Tim,  Jake, Will, Jim, & JT

 

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (April 1, 2024)

 

Research Update (April 1, 2024)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Ready or not, the season is upon us.  We spent the past month easing back out into the field as weather allowed.  Wheat is being sprayed, burndown trials are going out, and preparations for corn planting are underway.  Things should get real busy over the next month.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Wheat trials are marked out in preparation for fungicide trials later this month.  Some burndown trials have been sprayed with others going out in the near future.

Row crop planting season is upon us as we have the second week of April targeted to begin corn planting.  Later in April we hope to be establishing several weed trials before moving on to cotton in early May.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

The greenhouse is still surprisingly busy as we enter what is normally the last month of greenhouse season.  We have a few more soybean, cotton, and vegetable trials to wrap up before we shut the greenhouse down for the season and move back to spending all our time in the field.  Many thanks to all that brought us greenhouse trials over the winter.  We are very grateful to be able to stay busy through the cold months.

 

WEATHER INFO:

The weather has been quite nice so far this spring.  We have had several warm days scattered in among the normal cool spells.  Rain has been fairly consistent so far and we are entering planting season with good soil moisture.  Now we just hope the trend will hold as we start to put seed in the ground.

 

PEST INFO:

With the warm weather, we are beginning to see some summer annuals in the fields a bit earlier than normal.  Otherwise, we still have a collection of winter annuals until we get them all burned down.  Aphid pressure in wheat has been light this year and we have not had much to talk about on the insect front for a while.

We are looking forward to another safe and productive research season.  Let us know how we can be of service to you in the coming year.

Tim, Jake, Will, & Jim

 

Proverbs 12:24

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be put to forced labor.