Research Update (September 7, 2026)

 

Research Update (September 7, 2026)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Many thanks to those who have visited over the past month.  It is always good to have our friends out in the field looking at plots.  You are welcome any time.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

          UT Cotton Tour, September 9, Jackson, TN

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

The rain in May, June, and July finally gave way to a hot and dry August.  Fortunately, most of our crops were far enough along that they are still in good condition.  Corn is drying down rapidly and harvest is coming soon.  Soybeans and cotton still have a way to go but harvest is on the horizon for these crops also.

Cotton defoliation is coming up soon.  Let us know soon if you need a defoliation trial.  We can cut those out of an existing cotton field, but we do need to know to save you a spot.

Also, September is the last good opportunity to run a quick weed control or crop tolerance trial in the field.  Let us know quickly if you need to get something out before it gets too late.

 

UPCOMING TRIAL REMINDERS:

GREENHOUSE TRIALS

The greenhouse is generally available for about seven months each winter beginning in October and ending in April.  By the end of April, we are busy with field work and trying to have greenhouse activities wrapped up.

We can do a wide variety of testing in the greenhouse.  We have worked on most major field crops grown in the US as well as a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and turf.

Fertility testing is very common in the greenhouse.  We can test seed treatments, soil amendments, and foliar sprays on most any crop we can get seed for.

We also do quite a bit of screening for crop tolerance with any product that can be applied to the foliage of a crop.

We do efficacy testing on many weed species and any insects and diseases that we can obtain in the winter.

About the only types of trials we cannot do in the greenhouse are those where we cannot obtain the target pest in the winter.  We have conducted trials related to hydroponics, lysimeter trials, and evaluations on citrus trees to name a few.  If you have an idea, give us a call and we will formulate a plan.

 

WEATHER INFO:

August was hot and dry.  While not unusual, we had gotten a bit spoiled by the rains of spring and early summer.  However, the crops still seem to be in good shape and I would expect yields to be average or better.  Yield reports from early-planted crops in the area have been positive.

 

PEST INFO:

This year has certainly been the year of the weed (for both good and bad).  It was great for herbicide trials.  We had lots of rain to active preemergence products (occasionally too much) and lots of weed germination.  The biggest issues involved trying to keep the weeds down in all the other trials.  We have been chasing the weeds from behind all season.

Plant bugs in cotton have developed quite nicely this season.  They came in a bit later than we normally see, but at least they showed up in good numbers with time.

Frogeye leaf spot in soybeans is showing good pressure in the plots right now.  Gray leaf spot pressure in corn is not better than average.  While we have had plenty of gray leaf spot for ratings, the disease progress has slowed with recent hot, dry weather.

 

Let us know what we can do help with your research needs.

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

 

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (August 3, 2026)

 

Research Update (August 3, 2026)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

UPCOMING EVENTS:

SWSS Weed Contest, Knoxville, TN (August 5-6, 2026) 

UT Cotton Tour, Jackson, TN (September, TBD)

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Foliar fungicide applications in corn and soybeans are largely done with a few exceptions for later-planted trials or those with later application timings.  Disease pressure is off to a good start, but the weather going forward will likely have a greater influence on disease development than the rains we have received so far.

Our weed trials are in many different stages ranging from completed to just initiated.  All our crops for insect trials are established and we are monitoring some of these to determine the proper application timing.

 

UPCOMING TRIAL REMINDERS:

WINTER WHEAT

Wheat planting in west Tennessee normally runs from about October 15 to November 10.  We need to start working on any trials that focus on the fall (i.e. any trials that have treatments at planting or before winter dormancy).  We can wait a bit later on trials that have treatments targeted at next spring.  We typically have extra wheat to work with and spring trials can be established at that time.

Please let us know soon about any wheat fertility trials you might be considering so that we can match the location and maintenance program to your needs.

 

WEATHER INFO:

We finally managed to get all our current field trials underway.  June and the first half of July presented a challenge with frequent showers that often made planting and spraying difficult.  However, I continue to hold to the belief that too much rain is better than too little.  With too much rain, progress is slow.  With too little rain, progress is stopped.  And if most every August is any indication, we will be asking for rain again soon.

 

PEST INFO:

We have had no shortage of weeds this season.  In fact, one of our biggest challenges has been cleaning up fields in order to get other types of trials established.  The frequent rains made the weeds grow fast and made it difficult for us to get in the fields and clean them up.

Our major diseases (gray leaf spot in corn, frogeye leaf spot in soybean) have progressed well to date.  However, it is generally August before these diseases really come and on and we start to see which treatments are working.

We may be spraying cotton plant bugs before long.  At present, we are just waiting for “research grade” populations to build.  Insecticide applications to corn and soybean will be made later in the season.  It is generally beneficial to plant those trials late which tends to result in higher pest populations.

 

If you need a late trial this summer, let us know.  We can usually find a spot to run another trial or two.

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

 

Proverbs 12:24

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

 

Research Update (July 6, 2026)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Once again Larry Steckle and crew put on an excellent weed tour at the experiment station in Jackson.  His is one of a few tours that continues to have good attendance in an era where tour attendance is declining overall.  As such, it is a great opportunity for us to catch up with old friends and learn what is on the horizon in the world of weed control.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Milan No-till Field Day (July 23, 2026)

Agricenter Feast on the Farm, Memphis, TN (August 1, 2026)

SWSS Weed Contest, Knoxville, TN (August 5-6, 2026) 

UT Cotton Tour, Jackson, TN (September, TBD)

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Except for possibly a few late soybean trials, all our yielded trials are finally in the ground.  Both May and June were filled with scattered and frequent rain showers that made planting progress sporadic.  We have managed to start a few weed control and insect trials along the way, but there are still several that remain to be established.  We even have a few cucumbers to plant for some late-season fungicide work.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

Most of our greenhouse work is wrapping up now and barring some unexpected requests, we may be largely out of the greenhouse until this fall.  We appreciate all the greenhouse trial work this past season, but the logistics of conducting greenhouse trials in the heat of field season are quite challenging.  Maybe we can slow down in the greenhouse for a while and pick things back up in the fall.

  

UPCOMING TRIAL REMINDERS:

COTTON DEFOLIATION

Depending on the speed of cotton maturation and our original planting dates, we generally spray defoliation trials in late September and early October.  Therefore, if you are looking to get in a cotton defoliation trial this season, please let us know as soon as possible.

Also, do not hesitate to contact us even if you were not aware of the trial when we were planting cotton.  We have access to some large blocks of cotton that can be cut into research trials.  Just let us know before defoliation season so we can save you a spot.

 

WEATHER INFO:

As mentioned earlier, frequent showers have been a major challenge this spring.  While it certainly beats the alternative, it has also made us later getting some of our trials established.  Many thanks to those who have waited patiently for their trials to get established.

 

PEST INFO:

Weeds have been a challenge this season.  Many of the sites that were tilled early in the season require additional burndown and tillage to get new trials established.  This just makes everything go that much slower.

Insect populations seem to be building in cotton much better than last season.  Last year we had difficulty finding research grade populations of plant bugs.  At least for now, things are looking much better on the insect front for this season.

 

Let us know if you have any late trials that we help with.  It seems there is always room for one more.

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.

Research Update (June 1, 2026)

 

Research Update (June 1, 2026)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

UPCOMING EVENTS:

UT Weed Tour, Jackson, TN (June 17, 2026)

Milan No-till Field Day (July 23, 2026)

Agricenter Feast on the Farm, Memphis, TN (August 1, 2026)

SWSS Weed Contest, Knoxville, TN (August 5-6, 2026) 

UT Cotton Tour, Jackson, TN (September, TBD)

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

The rain we missed in April showed up in May making continued advancement more difficult.  In several cases, the hard and frequent May showers resulted in the need to replant cotton trials.  Soybean planting has slowed due to our inability to get in the field for long stretches.  At least the corn generally looks good.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

The odd thing about this season is that going into June we are still talking about greenhouse trials.  We had several greenhouse projects that have spilled over into late spring and summer.  We may be shifting to a model with a longer greenhouse season if we can figure out how to manage it well.

 

WEATHER INFO:

As mentioned earlier, our fast start in April was slowed substantially as we had weeks of continuous rainfall in mid-May.  We are appreciative of the water, but we could use some drying days so we can head back to the field.

  

PEST INFO:

The frequent rains of late have done wonders for weed emergence.  We went from relatively clean fields to a sea of pigweeds in a hurry.  If you need a weed trial, you are in luck.

 

Thanks to all who have sent us protocols this spring.  We are working to get everything established.  If you have additional trials come up, please let us know.  We are here to help.

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

 

Proverbs 21:5

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.