Research Update (May 2, 2022)

 

Research Update (May 2, 2022)

 Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Much like last year, the rains that we so desperately wish for in July and August decided to make an appearance in April.  Corn planting is off to a slow start with all our other crops waiting in line.  I expect we will get them all done.  This is not our first wet spring.  But planting delays make you feel as if you are chasing the season from behind all year.  Here’s to a nice warm May with lots of good planting windows.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Our burndown trials have been mostly sprayed and are either finished or waiting on the final ratings.  Corn planting is underway and we hope to be finishing up and switching to cotton.  Wheat fungicide trials are being sprayed as they hit the appropriate growth stages.  There is no shortage of things to do this time of year.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

Thanks to all that sent greenhouse trials our way this past winter.  We are now out of the greenhouse until the fall and devoting ourselves full time to field trials.  The reports from the very latest greenhouse trials will be sent soon and we will put greenhouse trials aside until next October.

 

WEATHER INFO:

As you can tell from the opening paragraph, April was wet and relatively cool.  Not all that unusual for this time of year, but still makes it difficult to get off to a fast start.  We have had to settle for “slow and steady” so far.

 

PEST INFO:

Winter annuals are going away (with or without our help) and the transition to summer weeds has begun.  It does not require much boldness to predict lots of pigweed, barnyardgrass, and morningglory in the fields.  Great for herbicide trials but not as much fun for anything else.  We have not had any notable insect or disease problems to date, but something tells me that might change (like it does every year).

 

Thanks for all the protocols you have sent our way so far this year.  Please keep them coming.  We will have them all going as soon as we can.

 

Tim & John Louis

 

Proverbs 22:29

Seest thou a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings…

Research Update (April 4, 2022)

Research Update (April 4, 2022)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Travel has slowed over the past month with winter meetings wrapping up and our focus now turning to the season ahead.  We were happy to welcome a few visitors to the greenhouse to observe various trails.  Otherwise, we have been concentrating on bringing our greenhouse activities to a close over the next month and transitioning into the field.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Winter wheat looks good following our late winter fertilizer applications.  We should be in good shape for our wheat fungicide trials beginning later this month.  Burndown trials are in progress with some applications already made and others targeted at larger weeds scheduled for the near future.

Corn planting for yielded trials will begin this month.  If there are any yielded corn trials still in the works, let us know very soon before we miss our optimum window for planting.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

We had a late flurry of activity in the greenhouse as several folks were trying to slip in a last-minute trial before we headed off to the field.  We appreciate the business to be sure, but it keeps us busy during that period of time when both greenhouse and field trials are active.  We plan to finish off our greenhouse trials around the end of April and concentrate exclusively on field trials until October.  Thanks to all our customers for another successful winter in the greenhouse.

 

WEATHER INFO:

Our weather for March has been “normal” meaning we had no idea what to expect from one day to the next.  We had periods of snow and ice in the early part of March with beautiful days in the 70’s scattered throughout the month.  We have continued to receive occasional showers that have our soil moisture in good shape for planting.  Now we are just hoping for good planting weather as move into the field to plant corn.

 

PEST INFO:

As has appeared to be the case over the past few seasons, horseweed emergence is delayed this spring.  It looks like we will have plenty for burndown trials this season, but much of the emergence has occurred in March.  Not many years back we seemed to get much more horseweed emerging in the fall and over the winter months.  Trying to figure out when and where horseweed would show up has never been easy and this year appears to be no exception.

 

As we move into the 2022 cropping season, we would like to thank those that have sent protocols our way and anticipate those that are still to come.  We still have space available, so do not hesitate to let us know what you need.

Tim, Kevin, & John Louis

 

Proverbs 21:5

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.

Research Update (March 7, 2022)

  

Research Update (March 7, 2022)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Winter meeting season neared the end with a series of meetings a little closer to home.  We were at the Cotton and Rice Conservation Tillage Conference in Jonesboro, AR.  We attended the Tennessee Ag Production Association and Cotton Focus meetings in Jackson and finished off the month at the Gin Show in Memphis.  We enjoyed catching up with many of our friends from the area and look forward to seeing them in the field this summer.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Preparations are now underway for wheat trials this spring as we begin to mark trials and cut alleys.  We still have room for a few wheat fungicide and herbicide trials if you have the need.

We are also getting ready for spring burndown season.  We normally have good populations of horseweed, chickweed, henbit, poa, and cutleaf eveningprimrose to work with.  Let us know and we will reserve you a spot before the weeds get removed for summer trials.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

We are ending the year with a flurry of activity in the greenhouse.  As winter is winding down, we seem to be at our busiest this year.  We have a variety of row crops in testing (corn, soybean, cotton) as well as an abundance of vegetables (tomato, squash, etc.).  To add a little more variety to the mix, we are doing turf and soil lysimeter trials this year.

We are getting late into our planned window for the greenhouse to stay open, but we might still be able to work in a quick trial if you need it.  Let us know.

 

WEATHER INFO:

Temperatures have been seasonal to mild with quite a bit of rainfall mixed in.  The frequent rains have made it difficult to get some of our early season activities (soil sampling, wheat fertilization and maintenance, etc.) done as early as we might like, but we will manage as we always do.  At least we should be starting the season with good moisture in the soil.

 

PEST INFO:

The pest active now are largely limited to winter annual weeds covering most of our fields.  We have picked up a few aphids in the greenhouse, and I bet we will find a few on the wheat as we make maintenance applications this month.  Otherwise, I expect things to be pretty quiet until we start putting crops in the ground.

 

As we near the start of another growing season, we anticipate working with each of you on your projects this year and seeing you out in the fields this summer.  Please let us know how we can work with you in the coming months.

Tim, Kevin, John Louis

 

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (February 7, 2022)

 

Research Update (February 7, 2022)

 Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

 

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Where did January go?  We seemed to go straight from the blur of the holidays to the heart of meeting season.  January included trips to the Southern Weed Science Society meeting in Austin, TX, the NAICC in Orlando, FL, and the Cotton and Rice Conservation Tillage meeting in Jonesboro, AR.  In spite of the travel, it was particularly satisfying to have something that resembled a normal, in-person meeting schedule.  It was good to see old friends and make new ones.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

We have a lot of local meetings coming up this month.  Those are nice because we can attend and still make it home to sleep in our own bed.  The February schedule includes:

Tennessee Ag Production Association, Feb. 9, Jackson, TN

Cotton Focus, Feb. 10, Jackson, TN

Farm and Gin Show, Feb. 25-26, Memphis, TN

The WSSA was scheduled to be in Canada in February but was changed to a virtual meeting.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Not much happening in the field right now.  Winter wheat will not wake up for another month or two.  Normally our first field activities of the new season will be fertilizing ongoing wheat trials, spraying postemergence wheat fungicide and herbicide trials, and burndown work.  We still have blocks of winter wheat that can be converted to plots this spring if you have the need.  Also, we have room for burndown trials in some areas that traditionally make good burndown trials.  Give us a call if you are looking to get some trials established early in the spring.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

Unlike the field, greenhouse trials are in mid-season form.  Like most years, we have corn, soybeans, and cotton trials underway.  However, by the time this year is over we plan to complete trials on several vegetables (tomato, squash, lettuce, broccoli) as well as turf (with a few others under consideration).  We are testing various fertility products in addition to fungicides and insecticides.  Please stop by if you would like to see what we have going at any given point (or just get warm).

We still have time to start a few more greenhouse trials if you need to get something done before spring.

 

WEATHER INFO:

A mild December gave way to a more normal January with colder temperatures and winter weather.  A snowfall or two has come and gone, and an ice storm last week left many stranded or without power.  I am looking forward to the few warm and sunny days that most always happen in late February just to remind us that winter will not last forever.

 

Thanks again to all those who have began to contact us about greenhouse trials this winter and field trials this spring (and those who will).  Please let us know what we can do to help.

Tim, Kevin, John Louis

 

Proverbs 12:24

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be put to forced labor.