Research Update (December 12, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

One more season is almost in the books.  With a few exceptions (such as the wheat, follow-crop, and weed control trials we have scheduled to run through the winter), all the trials are out of the field and the reports have been sent to their rightful owners.

In general, 2013 was wet, cool, and late.  Planting was delayed in many cases (we almost seem to have lost the month of May) due to frequent rains.  Much of the cotton that we did manage to plant had to be replanted (sometimes more than once).  The summer was generally mild (which was good for the corn, soybeans, and researchers), but the cotton could have used a few more heat units to push it along (particularly the later planted cotton).  Corn, soybeans, and early-planted cotton (that lived) all yielded very well.  Our biggest issues at the end of the season were getting the beans to dry down and getting the late-planted cotton open and defoliated before frost.  Quite a change from 2012 when the finished the season about a month and a half earlier.

We have put our wheat to bed for the winter and don't anticipate much activity there until early spring.  As usual, we have planted extra wheat for those fungicide trials we don't know about yet.  Let us know if you have some of those in hand.  We have also started marking out areas for early burndown trials next spring so let us know if we need to save you a nice, weedy spot.

Weed pressure this past season was dominated by resistant pigweeds (no big surprise there).  While we had plenty of moisture to activate herbicides, the frequent rains shortened the residual of our soil products substantially.  Insect pressure from some of our more consistent pests (stink bugs, plant bugs, soybean loopers) was pretty light this season.  The pests were there, but the populations did not build as I have seen them in some years.  The one big exception was thrip pressure in cotton.  We had more early thrips this past season than I can ever remember.  One new arrival this year was kudzu bug.  We had the "honor" of making the first "official" find of kudzu bugs in Shelby county this past season.  While the kudzu bug populations were pretty light this year, I am told by other researchers that we should have plenty to test on next year.  Disease pressure was fairly typical.  Both corn and soybean diseases were a bit late this year (you would think they would have come sooner with all the rain), but we had plenty of pressure in the end to get some good ratings.

Meeting season is just around the corner.  Our January calendar looks like this:

Beltwide Cotton Conference (Jan. 6-8, New Orleans, LA)
Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference (Jan. 15-16, Tunica, MS)
Southern Weed Science Society (Jan. 27-29, Birmingham, AL)
National Association of Independent Crop Consultants (Jan. 29-Feb.1, New Orleans, LA)

Please let us know if you plan to make any of these meetings.  I would love to have the chance to catch up with our old friends.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank those of you that let us be a part of your research program this past season.  We were truly blessed.

Proverbs 10:4

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

Research Update (November 9, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Frequent, small showers have made harvest season operate in spurts.  However, we have made a little progress between the rains.  Our latest corn trials are finally out and with a bit more paperwork, we can put those to rest.  We also have the cotton trials out of the field, but we are really just getting started good on the ginning.  Cotton yields have been quite variable ranging from one bale cotton on some very late planted trials up to almost 3 bales in some of the more highly managed trials.  For the most part, we were just happy to get the bolls open and the leaves off before we were hit with a hard frost.

Soybean harvest is underway at present.  We made some good progress this past week, but we are still a bit short of half way on the beans.  Yields appear to be above average based on the raw weights, but we need to do the serious math to know where we really stand.

We have established a few winter wheat trials and are in the process of putting them to bed for the winter.  Fertilizer is out and with a few more maintenance sprays, they should be good till February.  We also have some extra wheat planted for those trials that normally show up in the spring.  Let me know anyone needs me save them a spot.

Good to have our friends from Nichino and Winfield Solutions in recently to look over some late trials.  Hope they enjoyed the visit.

As we try to bring another research season to a close, we just want to say thanks to those that have entrusted us with their research projects over the past season.  We have been truly blessed.  For those waiting on final yield numbers, they should be to you pretty soon.

 

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 (October 19, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Compared to the last few seasons, harvest is proceeding slowly in west Tennessee.  Recent cool and damp weather is keeping soybeans from drying down as rapidly as they should.  If fact, we saw soybean moistures rise in some cases this week as the beans absorbed moisture during an extended period of damp weather.  A little sun would go a long way towards getting our soybeans out of the field.

Speaking of sun, we could use a little on our cotton also.  We made our second defoliation applications late this week, and are hoping that will be enough (although I'm not quite sure yet).  Last season we had cotton that required three defoliation applications before harvest and we're hoping that does not become a trend.

We are finishing up our corn research now.  With the exception of a few "specialty" trials still in the field, corn harvest is complete.  We are in the process of crunching the numbers and getting out the reports on corn trials.

We planted our first wheat of the season last week and hope to plant more soon as the fields dry down from the recent showers.  We still have time to start wheat trials if you have any fall work to get done.

We are also preparing for winter weed controls trials.  We normally start spraying those in November.

Like many others in the area have discovered this season, we now have kudzu bugs.  While this is not exactly great news for soybean growers, we should be able to include this pest in our insecticide trials next season.

Thanks to those that have dropped by for a visit recently.  Always good to see our friends from Winfield Solutions, Helena, Adjuvants Unlimited, and Helm Agro.

As always, let us know if there is anything we do to help out.

Proverbs 22:29

Seest thou a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings…

Research Update (August 10, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Overall, the weather continues to be wet and cool for early August.  While that sure makes life easier for those doing research, we could probably use a bit more heat to move our cotton crop along.  Considering that we were late in getting the cotton crop planted and the slow progress we have seen since then, this would not be the year for an early frost.  On the positive side, the corn and soybean plots are in great shape with plenty of moisture since planting.

Grey leaf spot pressure in corn continues to intensify and we should be able to get some excellent ratings in the coming weeks.  While we have had some "low level" frogeye leaf spot pressure for a while, the disease has really taken off over the past week and we appear to be in good shape for soybean fungicide evaluations.

Since the frequent rains this spring and summer have significantly reduced the residual of our soil-applied herbicides, hoeing pigweeds has become a frequent pastime this season.  I can assure you the crew will be happy to get that part of the season behind them.

We have had a lot of visitors over the last couple of weeks including MANA, Valent, Brandt, the University of Tennessee, SePro, FMC, Americot, and Syngenta.  Some days we feel like we are running a guide service, but I will admit that it gives me the chance to catch up with a lot of friends that I don't get see often enough.

This past week was the last one for Zac Carpenter.  Zac is an agronomy student at Mississippi State University and has helped us out over the past three summers.  While we are sad to see him done for the summer, we wish him the best in his studies.  I guess Jeff, Jesse, and Kevin will have to pick up the slack.

Cotton defoliation season is closer than it seems, so let us know if you have defoliation protocols that need a home.

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (July 20, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

There has been plenty going on in our part of the world over the past week or so.  Peter Eure, a graduate student from the University of Georgia, spent the past week with us as part of the SWSS program which provides the opportunity for students to spend time visiting researchers to see how things are done in other places.  Now that Pete knows all our secrets, we are fairly sure that research efficiency in south Georgia will drop by at least 50%.  However, we really enjoyed his visit and welcome him back any time.

This past Thursday (July 18) was the date for the Agricenter International Field Day.  As always, Bruce Kirksey and his crew did an excellent job.  Thanks to FMC, Americot, and Valent for allowing Diligence Technologies to assist in setting up their tour stops.

We also enjoyed visits from MANA and Cotton Incorporated this week.  Always good to catch up with old friends.

With everything going on, it might be surprising that we have actually done a little plot work over the past couple of weeks.  All the VT/R1 corn fungicide applications have been made at the Jackson location.  Grey leaf spot is already present on the lower leaves and working its way up the stalk.  We expect to start getting some decent ear leaf ratings in the next week or two.

Also, the R1/R2 fungicide applications in soybeans have been made.  Frogeye leaf spot is still pretty light at this point, but in most years things start to pick up in late July and early August.

We continue to be blessed with the occasional rain shower.  We got 1.8 inches in Memphis late last Thursday which means we probably will not have to stretch poly-pipe next week.  The Jackson location missed that one, but has had enough showers through the summer that the crops are still in good shape.

Hope your summer is going well and drop by to see us when you get the chance.

Proverbs 10:4

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

Research Update (June 22, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

We are nearing the end of the beginning (meaning we are in the home stretch of the big spring push to get new trials established).  We have a few late soybean trials to plant next week and a few more weed trials to get underway, but we are starting to transition from trial establishment to maintenance and data collection.

Wheat harvest is underway and, like most others are reporting from this area, yields seem to be holding up well.  Now to determine how much bump we got from all those experimental herbicides and fungicides we put out last fall and this spring.

We got rain this week on Monday across the entire region and again locally around Memphis on Wednesday.  These were welcome as the ground was starting to dry out a bit.  In the heat of the summer, we are always about two weeks away from being too dry in Memphis.  The soils are a little heavier at the Jackson location, so it often takes a bit long to see the stress on the crops.

The frequent rain this spring has been great for weed trials.  It has provided flush after flush of pigweeds as well as most any other weed you can think of.  Of course, if it is not a weed control trial that's a different story.  Let's just say the sprayers have not sit idle much this spring.

Thanks to our friends at Arysta, SePro, and MWI Consulting for dropping by over the past couple of weeks to visit.  Hope to see them back soon.

Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be put to forced labor.

Research Update (June 8, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

It was basically a week of grinding out trials.  We missed the rains on Thursday (which may be the first ones we have missed this year), and spent the week playing catch-up.  Considering the slow start to the season, we may be playing catch-up for quite some time.

Yielded cotton trials are largely off and running.  Now we are switching our attention to soybeans as well as weed and bug trials.  We have a long line of those to get started.  Efforts are slowed to some extent because we are having to go back in and clean up fields again in order to initiate trials.  Some of the fields are pretty wooly since it has been a while since we did our initial field preparations.

The pest problem of choice right now is extreme thrip pressure in cotton.  Judging for the counts obtained in our thrip trials, this could very well be the heaviest thrip population I can recall.  Almost every cotton trial I have that is out of the ground received a postemergence application for thrips this past week.  Would not be surprising if we get to do it again next week.

Thanks to our friends from Syngenta Seeds and Brandt that stopped by for visits this past week.

Also, thanks to all our customers for their patience as we have slowly limped into this season.  Most things have been behind schedule but we will keep working to get your data rolling in as soon as we can.

Proverbs 10:4

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

Research Update (June 1, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Another week with a rain delay in a year where all the weeks have had rain delays.  As of yet, we have not had a single week this season where the we could do the field work we planned for the entire week.

We still have some yielded cotton trials left to plant and some cotton in lower areas left to replant (for the fourth time!).  The cotton we have up is in need of some more warm, sunny weather to get it moving.  We will finish up cotton planting as soon as the ground dries out and switch our attention to soybeans and weed screens.

Thanks to our friends from FMC and AgroFresh for dropping by to visit this week.  Always good to have them stop by.

We'll be back at it as soon as the rain lets up!

Proverbs 22:29
Seest thou a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings…

Research Update (May 18, 2013)

 

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Rain continues hamper cotton planting as another shower hit west Tennessee on Friday.  This one was a bit smaller than many we have received this spring (about 0.5 inches), so we hope to be back on the planter soon.  Some of the cotton trials that we did manage to get out in early May will need to be re-planted.  Cold temperatures and wet fields made for some pretty thin stands in some trials.

Corn is still about 3-4 leaf and yellow in many cases due to a lack of sun, too much water, and too little nitrogen.  We did manage to get nitrogen on some trials last week and hope to get at least some nitrogen on the rest in the coming week.

Thanks to our friends from FMC and AgroFresh for coming by to visit last week.  We enjoy getting to see old friends and discuss what is going on in the research plots.

We have high hopes for next week with high temperatures and low rain chances as an opportunity to make some progress in plot establishment.  We wish the best to you on your week also.

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (May 11, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Same song, different verse as weather continues to dominate the field research news in west Tennessee (and a lot of other places).  It dried up enough on Thursday to get in one day of planting before rain brought things to halt again on Friday morning.

Most of our corn is about the V3 stage and could use a little sunshine.  It has not helped that the rains have delayed nitrogen applications.  At least we have been blessed enough to have our corn in the ground.  I know there are many folks still waiting to start.

Cotton planting slow.  The few plots that are in the ground have not emerged yet due to a lack of heat units.  For the first time in a while, the prediction for next week is warm and sunny.  When things dry out, look for everyone with a tractor in west Tennessee to be on it.

One bright spot is that we finished spraying wheat fungicide trials last week.  Disease has been surprising light around Jackson so far this year, but I expect that to change pretty soon.

Please let me know if you have any protocols that have not found a home yet.

Proverbs 21:5

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.

Research Update (May 4, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Weather continues to dominate the news from west Tennessee.  Even though we have yet to have a solid week of planting, we were blessed with enough windows to get the corn trials in the ground that needed to be out there.  The corn that's up just needs a little sunshine and heat.

Now comes the big switch to cotton.  We were able to plant a few cotton trials last week, but it remains to be seen if that is a good thing.  Several inches of rain and cool temperatures this weekend will probably mean a rough start for anything in the ground right now.  However, the bulk of the cotton seed is still in the bag, and I can see a whorl-wind of planting when it finally dries up.

It looks like pigweed (Palmer amaranth) season has officially arrived in west Tennessee.  I saw areas this week with the first really strong flush of pigweeds I have seen this year.  That's about month (maybe more) later than what we saw last year.

Please give me a call if you have questions or are looking to set up a little research this season.

Tim

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.

Reseach Update (April 27, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

We have corn (at least in places)!  Cool, wet weather has slowed corn emergence in our plots, but our earliest planted corn is out of the ground.  It is showing a little frost damage in places, but I don't think it will have a long-term negative impact.  While we are happy to see some plants above-ground, most of our corn is still slowly working its way to the surface.  Our only remaining corn trials are those that are delayed for reasons other than weather.

Wheat fungicide applications should wrap up next week if the weather permits.

With all the rain and cool temperatures, it is hard to believe that cotton planting time has arrived in west Tennessee.  The calendar says its time to plant, but it remains to be seen when we will actually be able to get in the field.

Thanks to Brandon Law of Actagro for stopping by for a tour of some wheat work this week.

Please give me a call with your projects and protocol ideas.  We have plenty of time to talk (at least until the rain lets up).

Research Update (April 18, 2013)

 

 

 

This week was the race to plant corn trials.  With heavy rain late last week and more predicted today, we had to short window to get as many trials going as possible.  We did manage to get most of the corn trials in the ground.  The few currently remaining are largely on hold by choice (to be intentionally planted later in the season).

 

Burndown work continues to progress.  Several trials are underway while others are to be initiated soon (mostly those focusing on larger horseweed).

 

Like late last week, field work has come to a stop as rain moved into the area tonight (about an inch already with more expected before morning).  Additional planting will be on hold until at least early next week.

 

There is still time to work in any late burndown trials that might be out there.  Cotton and soybeans trials will be starting soon, with some work beginning as early as next week.

 

Proverbs 12:27 ... the substance of the diligent man is precious.



Progress Update

This post might better be titled "Lack of Progress Update".  We received an additional 3.4 inches of rain with cooling temperatures bringing planting and field work to a halt.  It will be early next week before we can consider corn planting again.

We are in the middle of burndown trial season at this point.  Several trials have been established with more to go (mostly depending on the size of the horseweed being targeted).

Planning to wade into the wheat tomorrow for scheduled aphid counts.

Still time to get put out burndown, wheat fungicide, and corn trials if anyone has any protocols that have not found a home yet.

Season Progress:

Corn planting is off to slow start.  Cool temperatures along with frequent rains  have delayed land preparation and planting.  Hope to have a few good days early this week for field work, but rain is expected again by Wednesday night.

Research Opportunities:

Wheat growth has been slow this spring, meaning that we still have time for anyone needing wheat fungicide trials.  We generally expect sceptoria leaf spot and fusarium head scab.  If we start planning now, we can still make applications by the flag leaf stage.

We have horseweed (glyphosate resistant) as well as other burndown weeds that can be evaluated in burndown trials.  We need to get these going pretty quickly before the horseweed gets too large.

With the delayed corn planting for west Tennessee this season, we still have time to set up corn trials and be pretty much on the same schedule as everyone else.  Let me know if you have any last-moment corn needs.

Research Season

Research season is officially underway with the establishment of the first new research trial of 2013. We sprayed a wheat herbicide trial in Jackson today. Expect things to heat up pretty quickly with burndown trials and wheat fungicide and insecticide trials set to begin soon. And of course, Tennessee corn planting should be underway in late March and early April.

Burndown Time

It’s burndown time in Tennessee (well almost)! Henbit and chickweed are already up to a good stand and horseweed continues to emerge. March should be “prime time” for spraying burndown trials.