Research Update (October 7, 2025)

 

Research Update – October 6, 2025

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

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Cropping Seasons

We’re beginning to see the finish line for this season. Corn harvest is underway, and cotton and soybeans won’t be far behind. The hot, dry late summer has pushed crops to mature rapidly, and we plan to begin defoliating cotton in the coming weeks.

There’s still plenty of work ahead, but it’s good to be wrapping up some of our yielded trials.

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Upcoming Trial Reminders

Winter Wheat

• Wheat planting in West Tennessee typically runs October 15 – November 10.
• Trials with fall treatments (at planting or before winter dormancy) should be prioritized soon.
• Trials with spring-only treatments can be delayed until later.
• We usually have extra wheat available for spring trials.

👉 If you’re considering wheat fertility trials, please let us know soon so we can match trial location and maintenance to your needs.

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Greenhouse Trials

Our greenhouse is available about seven months each year (October – April). By May, fieldwork takes over and greenhouse projects are wrapped up.

We can accommodate a wide variety of greenhouse research, including:

• Fertility testing: seed treatments, soil amendments, foliar sprays
• Crop tolerance screening: nearly any foliar-applied product
• Efficacy testing: weeds, insects, and diseases that are obtainable in winter
• Special projects: hydroponics, lysimeters, citrus evaluations, and more

💡 If you have an idea, give us a call—we’ll help design a plan.

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Greenhouse Projects

Here’s a sample of the crops, pests, and trial types we’ve worked with in recent years:

Crops	Weeds	Insects	Diseases	Application / Trial Types
Beet	Barnyardgrass	Aphid	Frogeye leafspot	In-furrow
Bell pepper	Common ragweed	Fall armyworm	Rhizoctonia	Postemergence foliar
Camelina	Johnsongrass	Fungus gnat		Preemergence soil (spray/liquid)
Carrot	Large crabgrass			Preemergence soil (dry/spread)
Citrus	Morningglory			Preplant incorporated
Corn	Palmer amaranth			Seed treatment
Cotton	Prickly sida			Adjuvant
Dry beans	Ryegrass			Compatibility
Flowers (Petunia)	Sicklepod			Defoliation
Hops	Velvetleaf			Fertility
Mint	Wild mustard			Fungicide
Mustard	Yellow nutsedge			Herbicide
Peanut				Hydroponic
Radish				Insecticide
Rice				Lint staining
Soybean				Lysimeter
Squash				Miticide
Sunflower				Moisture usage
Tomato				Plant growth regulator
Turf (Bentgrass)				Phytotoxicity
Turf (Bermudagrass)
Turf (Kentucky bluegrass)
Turf (Tall fescue)
Wheat

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Weather Update

• Spring/Summer: Frequent rainfall until mid-July.
• Since July: Hot, dry conditions with limited rain.
• Impact: Yields should be average to slightly above average overall.
• Some trials required replanting after early stand loss, which will extend our harvest season.

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Pest Update

• One of the lightest insect years in recent memory.
• Challenges: Limited availability of research-grade plant bugs and stink bugs.
• Adequate pressure: Soybean looper populations.
• Foliar disease pressure: Typical for corn and soybeans (i.e., good for testing).

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Closing

Thank you for partnering with us in research this year. We look forward to working with you on upcoming wheat and greenhouse projects.

— Tim, Jackson, Jake, Will, Jim & JT

“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.”
— Proverbs 21:5