Research
Update (June 1, 2020)
Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee
EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:
May is traditionally a busy month and this one was no
exception. The bulk of our yielded
trials were established, and we got many of our other trials underway
also. Weed control trials continue to go
in the ground now along with some of our other later studies. We still have quite a way to go before the
“establishment” phase of the season slows down.
CROPPING SEASONS:
Trials on winter wheat should be finished in the coming
month. Spring burndown trials are
complete or are getting close. Almost
all our yielded corn trials were established in April and continue to
grow. Corn growth was slowed by cool
temperatures in early May but increased rapidly with the warmer weather in late
May. Our corn fungicide trials were
planted in mid-May. We traditionally
plant those a little later to encourage disease development.
Our yielded cotton trials have been planted, but crop
progress has been slow during the cool, wet period we had through mid-May. Much of the Tennessee cotton crop did not get
planted until late May, so we are all counting on a long fall this year. Yielded soybean trials were planted in late
May and are just now beginning to take off.
WEATHER INFO:
We have continued to get plenty of rainfall to this point
in the season. So far this spring, I
cannot recall a single week that has not been impacted by rainfall. The week either started off wet or we have
received a shower at some point during the week. It is never good to complain about the rain,
but I wish we could save a few of these showers for July and August. Temperatures for most of May were on the cool
side. However, we did see a warming
trend at the end of May and things are feeling more seasonably warm at this
point.
In early May, we did see a rare May frost that damaged some
of the wheat in the area. However, we
are thankful that our plots do not appear to have been injured.
PEST INFO:
If you needed a trial on rhizoctonia, this was the year for
you. With the cool temperatures and wet
soils, rhizoctonia pressure was heavy this spring. In fact, many of the plots where we used
inoculum saw plant populations dramatically reduced. Even plots without inoculum were under
substantial pressure. This was the kind
of year that reminds you why you use fungicides at planting.
The season continues to heat up as we add more trials each
week. We look forward to seeing you
around the farm as your trials get ready to view. Also, we still have room for those additional
trials that come up during the season.
Just let us know what you need and we will make a plan.
Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful
shall be put to forced labor.
