Research Update (September 7, 2026)

 

Research Update (September 7, 2026)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Many thanks to those who have visited over the past month.  It is always good to have our friends out in the field looking at plots.  You are welcome any time.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

          UT Cotton Tour, September 9, Jackson, TN

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

The rain in May, June, and July finally gave way to a hot and dry August.  Fortunately, most of our crops were far enough along that they are still in good condition.  Corn is drying down rapidly and harvest is coming soon.  Soybeans and cotton still have a way to go but harvest is on the horizon for these crops also.

Cotton defoliation is coming up soon.  Let us know soon if you need a defoliation trial.  We can cut those out of an existing cotton field, but we do need to know to save you a spot.

Also, September is the last good opportunity to run a quick weed control or crop tolerance trial in the field.  Let us know quickly if you need to get something out before it gets too late.

 

UPCOMING TRIAL REMINDERS:

GREENHOUSE TRIALS

The greenhouse is generally available for about seven months each winter beginning in October and ending in April.  By the end of April, we are busy with field work and trying to have greenhouse activities wrapped up.

We can do a wide variety of testing in the greenhouse.  We have worked on most major field crops grown in the US as well as a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and turf.

Fertility testing is very common in the greenhouse.  We can test seed treatments, soil amendments, and foliar sprays on most any crop we can get seed for.

We also do quite a bit of screening for crop tolerance with any product that can be applied to the foliage of a crop.

We do efficacy testing on many weed species and any insects and diseases that we can obtain in the winter.

About the only types of trials we cannot do in the greenhouse are those where we cannot obtain the target pest in the winter.  We have conducted trials related to hydroponics, lysimeter trials, and evaluations on citrus trees to name a few.  If you have an idea, give us a call and we will formulate a plan.

 

WEATHER INFO:

August was hot and dry.  While not unusual, we had gotten a bit spoiled by the rains of spring and early summer.  However, the crops still seem to be in good shape and I would expect yields to be average or better.  Yield reports from early-planted crops in the area have been positive.

 

PEST INFO:

This year has certainly been the year of the weed (for both good and bad).  It was great for herbicide trials.  We had lots of rain to active preemergence products (occasionally too much) and lots of weed germination.  The biggest issues involved trying to keep the weeds down in all the other trials.  We have been chasing the weeds from behind all season.

Plant bugs in cotton have developed quite nicely this season.  They came in a bit later than we normally see, but at least they showed up in good numbers with time.

Frogeye leaf spot in soybeans is showing good pressure in the plots right now.  Gray leaf spot pressure in corn is not better than average.  While we have had plenty of gray leaf spot for ratings, the disease progress has slowed with recent hot, dry weather.

 

Let us know what we can do help with your research needs.

Tim, Jackson, Jake, Will, Jim, & JT

 

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (August 3, 2026)

 

Research Update (August 3, 2026)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

UPCOMING EVENTS:

SWSS Weed Contest, Knoxville, TN (August 5-6, 2026) 

UT Cotton Tour, Jackson, TN (September, TBD)

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Foliar fungicide applications in corn and soybeans are largely done with a few exceptions for later-planted trials or those with later application timings.  Disease pressure is off to a good start, but the weather going forward will likely have a greater influence on disease development than the rains we have received so far.

Our weed trials are in many different stages ranging from completed to just initiated.  All our crops for insect trials are established and we are monitoring some of these to determine the proper application timing.

 

UPCOMING TRIAL REMINDERS:

WINTER WHEAT

Wheat planting in west Tennessee normally runs from about October 15 to November 10.  We need to start working on any trials that focus on the fall (i.e. any trials that have treatments at planting or before winter dormancy).  We can wait a bit later on trials that have treatments targeted at next spring.  We typically have extra wheat to work with and spring trials can be established at that time.

Please let us know soon about any wheat fertility trials you might be considering so that we can match the location and maintenance program to your needs.

 

WEATHER INFO:

We finally managed to get all our current field trials underway.  June and the first half of July presented a challenge with frequent showers that often made planting and spraying difficult.  However, I continue to hold to the belief that too much rain is better than too little.  With too much rain, progress is slow.  With too little rain, progress is stopped.  And if most every August is any indication, we will be asking for rain again soon.

 

PEST INFO:

We have had no shortage of weeds this season.  In fact, one of our biggest challenges has been cleaning up fields in order to get other types of trials established.  The frequent rains made the weeds grow fast and made it difficult for us to get in the fields and clean them up.

Our major diseases (gray leaf spot in corn, frogeye leaf spot in soybean) have progressed well to date.  However, it is generally August before these diseases really come and on and we start to see which treatments are working.

We may be spraying cotton plant bugs before long.  At present, we are just waiting for “research grade” populations to build.  Insecticide applications to corn and soybean will be made later in the season.  It is generally beneficial to plant those trials late which tends to result in higher pest populations.

 

If you need a late trial this summer, let us know.  We can usually find a spot to run another trial or two.

Tim, Jackson, Jake, Will, Jim, & JT

 

Proverbs 12:24

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

Research Update (November 6, 2017)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

The summer tour season is about over as we have less and less to look at in the field.  Thanks so much to all our friends that dropped by for a visit this summer.  We enjoy the chance to see everyone and show you through the plots.  Come back anytime.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

I look forward to catching up with many of you at the North Central Weed Science Society meeting in St. Louis on December 4-7.  Let me know if you are planning to attend.  I would enjoy the opportunity to visit.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

This field season is winding down rapidly.  All the corn data has been sent.  Cotton ginning has started and soybean trials are being harvested between rain showers.

All the winter wheat trials are in the ground (and most are up and growing).  We have had enough moisture and warm weather to get wheat off to a good start.  In addition to the wheat plots we currently have going, we have planted some large blocks of wheat that can be turned into postemergence trials next spring.

Winter annual weeds seem to be off to an early start, and we have late fall applications going out in the near future.  We should have some good populations for testing this winter and next spring if you have the need.

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

The greenhouse is back and better than ever.  Some of you may have been aware that a hail storm last winter left the greenhouse in need of repair.  However, our highly skilled group of greenhouse technicians (Jesse, Kevin, and Jackson) replaced the back wall and the roof.  We are looking forward to another season of having a warm place to hide when it gets cold outside.

If you are looking for a place to generate some data over the winter, our heated and lighted greenhouse may be just what you are looking for.  Let us know if we can be of service.

 

WEATHER INFO:

Fall temperatures have finally came our way over the past few weeks.  We have had several cool days mixed in with some very pleasant ones.

We have been getting just enough rainfall to slow down our harvesting a bit.  While few of the showers have produced large amounts of rain, the frequent, small showers have kept things just wet enough to keep us out of the field.  A few more dry days and we should be able to wrap up soybean harvest.

PEST INFO:

As mentioned above, our winter annual weeds (henbit, chickweed, cutleaf eveningprimrose) seem to be off to a good start.  We also seem to be getting some horseweed in the mix.  It should be a good season for winter and spring burndown trials.

On a less pleasant note, this past season gave us some soybeans plots with lowest frogeye leaf spot pressure we have seen in disease trials.  While we had a few trials that worked out well, we had several trials that did not get nearly the pressure we have observed over the years.  I am sure the farmers in the area were pleased, but it makes it tough when you are trying to evaluate fungicides.  We trust that this was an unpleasant anomaly and we will be back to normal in the coming year.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Research Update (July 15, 2017)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

We have spent a good portion of the past couple of months trying to catch up on trial establishment.  Frequent showers meant that we had few full weeks to get things done, so we have been working where and when we can.  As a result, trial establishment was farther behind than in any year in recent memory.  Several trials had to replanted due to excessive moisture with a few even requiring three or four attempts before we finally got a good stand.  As always, the crew (Jesse, Kevin, and Jackson) did a heroic job of making sure everything got done.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Wheat is almost over for this season.  We are finishing up post-harvest data collection (seed weights, etc.) at present.  Disease pressure was pretty good in the fungicide trials and you could see the benefits of a well-timed foliar application.

We have corn trials at almost every imaginable growth stage.  Planting dates on yielded trials range anywhere from mid-April to mid-May.  Our later trials (generally fungicide trials planted intentionally late to increase disease pressure) are just beginning to enter the reproductive phase and corn fungicide applications will begin in mass next week.

Applications will also begin soon in soybean fungicide trials.  Applications at R1 will likely be next week with R3 applications a couple of weeks later.

Cotton trials began the year very slowly.  With excessive moisture and reduced amounts of heat and sunshine, the cotton struggled to get a good start.  Stands were sometimes thin and the crop in general was less than impressive.  The good news is that growth has improved substantially with the increased heat and sunshine over the past month.  It is finally time to break out the growth regulator and try to slow things down just a bit.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

The greenhouse is officially closed for the summer which is a good thing.  The greenhouse is heated which makes it a great place to work during the winter.  However, the cooling fans can only do so much in summer and it is difficult to find volunteers to go in there in July.

Keep us in mind for your greenhouse needs later this fall.  We should have it back in operation in October.

TOURS:

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by for a visit so far this spring.  However, with trial establishment slower than normal, much of the prime viewing time for plots is still to come.  Several tours have been rescheduled for a little later in the season.  As always, just let us know when you will be in the area.  We always enjoy getting to spend time with friends.

PEST INFO:

Preemergence weed control has been generally good this spring as frequent showers allowed for herbicide activation in the soil.  Postemergence herbicide injury has been above normal as crops had little opportunity to “harden off” during the early spring.  Even our normal maintenance applications tended to show burn on the foliage.  Probably not a significant issue, but it does not help make the plots look good.

Disease activity is still pretty low right now in the fungicide trials.  It usually takes a while for grey leaf spot in corn and frogeye leaf spot in soybeans to build and the crops are still relatively young.  For those wanting to look at fungicide trials, late August has traditionally been a good time for viewing.

Insect pressure has been fairly light this year with the exception of thrips on cotton.  However, we generally have some excellent opportunities to test insecticides on late-planted soybeans.  Let us know if you need a late bug trial and we will work something out.

 

We are very thankful to those who have sent trials our way so far this season.  We still have some ground available for an evaluation late this summer or early fall.  I tell folks all the time that it is a rare September that we do not plant a few corn or soybean trials.  Just let us know how we can be of service.

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.