Diligence Technologies Inc.

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Research Update (February 2, 2026)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

We look forward to January because it means its time for the NAICC annual meeting. This year’s meeting in Orlando allowed us to escape the snow (if not the cold weather) for a few days. More importantly, we were able to catch up with old friends. It is one of the few opportunities we have to talk to many of the others in our industry as well as begin the planning process for upcoming trials. We are blessed to know so many wonderful people involved in agriculture.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

West TN Grain Conference
February 5 | Dyersburg, TN
Cotton & Rice Conference
February 5–6 | Jonesboro, AR
Cotton Focus
February 19 | Jackson, TN
Mid-South Farm & Gin Show
February 27–28 | Memphis, TN
CPDA
April 27-29 | Austin, TX

CROPPING SEASONS:

Things are quiet in the field right now. Winter wheat is dormant and nothing else is in season. Instead of planting and spraying, we continue to repair equipment and expand our application options with the hope of being more efficient in the coming season. Several of our team have also taken it on themselves to help eliminate excess waterfowl in the surrounding area but those efforts have just wrapped up. Time to get back to business.

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

In contrast to the field, February and March are traditionally some our most active months in the greenhouse. We continue to make progress finishing up early trials and starting others. We have some of our more popular test subjects (corn, cotton, soybean, various weeds) growing continuously throughout the winter. If you are looking for a postemergence application of some sort, there is a good chance we can make it happen in short order.

Also note that we currently have aphids for testing in the greenhouse. Let us know soon if you need aphid data since we never know when the populations will crash.

UPCOMING TRIAL REMINDERS:

LATE WINTER GREENHOUSE TRIALS

We have approximately three months of greenhouse season left before we shut it down and move back to full-time field work. Since most trials require some preparation ahead of trial initiation (growing out plants, acquiring test materials, etc.), we generally need to start our last greenhouse trials in March. That will give us time to complete the evaluations before we are overwhelmed by spring planting and other field activities.

We welcome a strong finish to our greenhouse trial season, so please do not hesitate to bring us any ideas or projects you may have. However, please let us know soon so we can get them started in a timely manner.

CORN (YIELDED TRIALS)

We generally target early April to begin planting yielded corn trials. Note that this does not include corn fungicide trials. We plant corn fungicide trials later in the season (approximately mid-May) to increase disease pressure. For all other yielded corn trials, we try to get planting done before the end of April where possible.

Yielded corn fertility trials, biostimulant trials, and a host of other corn trials are targeted for planting in this April planting window. As is always the case, weather is the largest variable. This is particularly true in April where cooler temperatures often lead to extended drying times in the field after a spring rain.

Please contact us as soon as possible if you require a site that does not receive a standard spring fertilizer program. It is much easier to block those off now than to go look for a site after the fertilizer truck has run.

HERBICIDE TRIALS (CORN)

We generally target late April to begin establishing corn herbicide trials. We will have corn seed for hybrids tolerant to glyphosate and glufosinate in stock. If you have trials that require corn with a different trait package, please let us know as soon as possible. Sometimes it can take a while to import corn hybrids that are not readily available in this area.

Most corn herbicide protocols that we receive call for conventionally tilled ground. Therefore, we generally till several fields early in the season to be ready. However, we do have no-till ground available when the need arises. If you are planning any corn herbicide trials in no-till, please let us know so that we can reserve you a spot.

For those looking to run trials on a specific soil type, almost all the soils in this area are classified as silt loams (medium texture) and tend to have organic matter in the 2% range.

WEATHER INFO:

We had a week of uncharacteristic warm weather in early January with highs around 70 degrees. Talk about giving us all false hope. Like a lot of the south, we later got hit with freezing rain, snow, and sleet followed by an unusually long stretch of cold weather that will not let it melt. The “wait till tomorrow and it’ll be gone” method we normally use for dealing with snow has failed us in a big way.

PEST INFO:

Pests in the field are pretty much limited to winter annual weeds and a few aphids in the wheat. Otherwise, things are quiet and we do not expect much excitement until it is time to spray postemergence wheat herbicide trials (think ryegrass) and burndown trials.

We are truly blessed to have so many friends among our list of customers. Thanks for your support in the past and let us know how we can serve you in the coming year.

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

Proverbs 10:4

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

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