Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Research Update (October 28, 2015)


Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Greenhouse

As we bring much of the field work for the year to a close, we are again setting up to do greenhouse research trials this winter.  Please let us know if we can help you keep your research program going through the colder months.

Crop Reports

Harvest season is bring much of our field work to an end at this time.  We still have a few scattered late trials to harvest and several of the post-harvest jobs to complete (cotton ginning, grain moistures and test weights, etc.).  That said, those still looking for yield data should be seeing it soon.  A very dry October (until the past weekend) has harvest progressing well and we hope to finish on the early side this year (closer to Halloween than Thanksgiving).

The rain this past weekend did have the benefit of helping get our wheat trials out of the ground.  However, we still have some time left in our wheat planting window if there are any trials that still do not have a home.  We have also planted some wheat designated for fungicide trials next spring.  Keep us in mind as you plan for those over the winter.

We are also working on fall burndown trials.  The recent rain should help promote the emergence of henbit and other winter annuals.  We have at least another month to establish fall burndown trials if you have the need.

Pest Information

In our soybean fungicide trials this year, we noted a substantial increase in frogeye leaf spot infestations resistant to the strobilurin fungicides.  Partial resistance was confirmed last season, however, the strobilurin fungicides were still providing a significant level of disease control.  This season appears to be the first year where the resistant strain of frogeye leaf spot was our primary foliar disease.  Resistance has been confirmed in Tennessee for quite a while, but it is just now becoming dominant in our part of the state.

In our insecticide trials this season, we noted a marked increase in the kudzu bug populations.  Kudzu bugs were first seen in our plots about two years ago, but this is the first season where we have observed them at significantly damaging population levels.

As always, thanks to those who have dropped by to visit over the past summer.  We look forward to having you back next season.

Proverbs 10:4
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.