Research Update (October 7, 2024)
Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee
EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:
Harvest season is in progress with a lot still left to go. Much of our early corn has been harvested and reports are going out. Our earliest planted cotton is almost ready for picking and soybeans should not be far behind. Some of our later planted trials still have a ways to go so it looks like harvest season will stretch out for a while this year.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
We have a few events that we are looking forward to later this year. Let us know if you are planning to attend.
Tennessee Entomology Society, Oct. 14-15, Memphis, TN
North Central Weed Science Society, Dec. 9-12, Kansas City, MO
CROPPING SEASONS:
When the rain turned off this summer, it really turned off. We were dry for about a month and a half before the remnants of a hurricane broke the dry streak on September 12. Some of our earliest planted crops proceeded to finish off ahead of schedule prior to rain while some of the later plantings may have benefited from the moisture. In any case, it was good to see things green back up for a while.
As noted above, the only thing left for most of our trials is harvest. With a wide planting (and re-planting) window this spring, it may take a while to get our later trials wrapped up.
Winter wheat planting normally occurs here beginning in mid-October and runs into early November. Let us know if you are looking for some wheat work this season and we will get it going soon.
GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:
As we begin to wrap up most of our field activities, we look forward to getting the greenhouse open and going. We normally begin starting greenhouse in October, so now is great time let us know if you are considering any projects this winter.
WEATHER INFO:
As already noted, the later part of the summer was very dry and we are hopeful that the rain will cooperate a bit better for wheat planting season. In conjunction with the dry weather, our relative humidity numbers have been lower than normal. This dry period impacted our overall disease pressure. Frogeye leaf spot in soybean and gray leaf spot in corn did not reach the levels we normally see.
PEST INFO:
We had plenty of rain early in the season and the majority of our weed control trials had excellent pressure. We did have a few late trials where getting weeds established was a challenge. Soybean looper populations ranged from adequate to good depending on the timing of the trial. Cotton insect pressure was generally light (particularly in trials targeting worm pests). As noted above, we got our typical foliar corn and soybean diseases, but pressure was lower than what we normally expect.
Many thanks to those who sent us research trials this past season. We are very grateful that you trusted us to be part of your research program. Trial reports should be headed your way soon (if you have not already received them).
Please let us know if we can help you with winter wheat or greenhouse trials.
Tim, Jake, Will, Jim, & JT
Proverbs 12:27
… the substance of the diligent man is precious.
