Research Update (October 7, 2019)

Research Update (October 7, 2019)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

CROPPING SEASONS:

For the first time this season, we have had a real dry spell.  The past few weeks have been unusually warm for September and rainfall has been hard to come by.  Corn was pretty much done before the dry weather hit, so I do not believe we will see much impact there.  However, it has made cotton move along a bit faster than anticipated and we are well into defoliation at this point.  Our biggest concern has been our soybean disease plots.  Due to replanting, our soybeans are later than normal and the dry weather has not helped the development of frogeye leaf spot.  We did get some relief from the dry weather in Jackson, but let’s hope it was not too late.

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

With all the warm weather, it is hard to convince ourselves that we need to be getting the greenhouse ready for winter.  However, we have braved the heat and have things in pretty good shape for another season.  We will be running trials in October, so let us know if you have any projects in the works.

 

WEATHER INFO:

A hot, dry September has been the latest weather challenge this season.  Frequent rains slowed trial establishment early in the year, but those same rains have produced some nice trials so we really do not have much to grip about.  If the fall continues to be warm and dry, I would anticipate an earlier harvest season than last year (when it started raining and would not stop).

 PEST INFO:

Weed pressure has been excellent for the most part this season as the rain showers have resulted in constant flushes of new weeds.  We, of course, are probably the only ones happy about that.

Insect pressure has been variable depending on the species.  We had some excellent fall armyworm pressure in our late-planted corn. Plant bug pressure in cotton has been moderate but steady.  Not the outstanding populations that are seen at times, but enough to get some work done.  Soybeans have had plenty of insects except stinkbugs.  However, the stinkbug populations have picked up in our latest soybeans and I think those trials will be fine.

Gray leaf spot in corn was very good this year.  It did start a bit later in the season, but the pressure was more than adequate for fungicide evaluations.  The jury is still out on frogeye leaf spot in soybeans.  Pressure has been lighter than normal and slow to develop.  The degree of separation we will see in yields is still up in the air.

 

Hope all is well with our friends as they finish off the 2019 cropping season.  Let us know what you need in the way of wheat trials and greenhouse work as those are next on our list.

 

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.