Monday, May 4, 2020

Research Update (May 4, 2020)




Research Update (May 4, 2020)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee


EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

The season is underway for real.  While we have spent a lot of time dodging rain showers so far this spring, we have managed to spray burndown plots and plant yielded corn trials.  The year is beginning to take shape.  Virus concerns are still impacting a lot of things, but if you can get us a protocol and some product, we can still run you a trial.


CROPPING SEASONS:

While yielded corn trials are in the ground, we still have several corn weed control trials to establish and yielded cotton trials to plant.  Later this month, we plan to plant our corn and soybean fungicide plots.  We intentionally plant those a little later in the season to encourage good disease pressure.  May is usually a busy month and this one appears to be no exception.


GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

As field activities increase and the temperatures begin to warm, we move out of the greenhouse.  We recently finished off our last greenhouse trials and have closed up shop until fall.  Thanks so much to all those who sent trials our way this winter.  We are very appreciative of the opportunity to serve you during the “off season”.


WEATHER INFO:

The song remains the same on the weather front this spring.  We are searching hard to find times when it is dry enough to plant crops and do field work.  It seems that every short period of dry weather is quickly followed by another rain shower.  So far, we have not had any sustained periods of dry weather where we can make significant progress.  We have just been working between the rain storms when and where we can.  Temperatures have been relatively cool which just means it takes that much longer to get dry.


PEST INFO:

Nothing too far out of ordinary so far this season in the pest front.  We have noted that there are significantly fewer horseweed in our burndown areas this season.  Some folks attribute this to the increased use of dicamba while others point out that horseweed are known for being unpredictable and that emergence is often dictated by the weather.  Whichever theory you subscribe to, horseweed populations are much less dense than in recent years in our area.


We are very thankful for those that have sent us protocols this season and look forward to receiving several more before the year is out.  Please contact us with your research needs and we will be glad to help.


Proverbs 10:4

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