Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Research Update (March 7, 2017)



Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

 TURF:

We are pleased to announce that we now have an expanded variety of turf research offerings.  Through agreements with local sod farms and golf courses, we can now provide testing on more turf varieties and a greater number of turf pests.

We will begin work at our new sites this season, so please let us know if we can help with you turf testing needs.  
 
MEETINGS:

Meeting season is nearing the end for this winter.  Over the past month, we were happy to catch up with some of our old friends at the Tennessee Ag Production Association, Cotton Focus, and Midsouth Farm and Gin Show meetings in the area.

The last meeting on the calendar for a while will be the Southeastern Branch ESA meeting in Memphis on March 12-15.  Let us know if you plan to be around.

CROPPING SEASONS:

Wheat continues to progress with the continued mild winter not slowing things down as much as normal.  Wheat stages vary greatly with early planted wheat already showing erect growth (up to first node) while late planted wheat is green but substantially smaller.  Many have taken advantage of the nice weather to spray and fertilize some of the smaller wheat.  The remaining late-winter applications will be made shortly if the weather holds.

We are currently cutting out trial areas for wheat fungicide and weed control trials this spring.  We still have wheat available if you need a spot.

As you might expect with the mild winter, we have a good collection of healthy burndown weeds (henbit, chickweed, Carolina geranium, cutleaf eveningprimrose, horseweed).  Let us know if you have additional burndown trials for this season.

Corn planting season is still a few weeks away for Diligence Technologies.  However, the warm weather has tempted at least a few of the more adventurous corn growers in west Tennessee to start early.  While February corn may be the norm for our neighbors to south, this is the first time I can recall seeing it in Tennessee.  The calendar says there may be some cold weather left this season, so we’ll see how it works out.

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

Greenhouse trials are in full swing with a wide variety of crops and pests currently being tested.  Thanks to all those who helped keep us busy through the winter.  We have about two more months of testing left before we shut things down for the summer and concentrate on field trials.

TOURS FROM PAST MONTH:

We were glad to welcome Jo Gillilan (Winfield United) and Cletus Youmans (BASF) to the warm confines of the greenhouse this month.  Visitors are always welcome to step out of cold and join us (although this winter it has felt pretty good outside on many occasions).

PEST INFO:

This might be the biggest winter for henbit that I can recall.  While henbit is always a common winter annual in this area, it seems to have been particularly prolific this season.  It might be difficult to run a burndown or wheat weed control trial that does not include the weed.  However, our other winter annuals seem to have done just fine also.  We may just have to look a little harder to find them under the mat of henbit.

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