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 (April 1, 2024)

 

Research Update (April 1, 2024)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Ready or not, the season is upon us.  We spent the past month easing back out into the field as weather allowed.  Wheat is being sprayed, burndown trials are going out, and preparations for corn planting are underway.  Things should get real busy over the next month.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

Wheat trials are marked out in preparation for fungicide trials later this month.  Some burndown trials have been sprayed with others going out in the near future.

Row crop planting season is upon us as we have the second week of April targeted to begin corn planting.  Later in April we hope to be establishing several weed trials before moving on to cotton in early May.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

The greenhouse is still surprisingly busy as we enter what is normally the last month of greenhouse season.  We have a few more soybean, cotton, and vegetable trials to wrap up before we shut the greenhouse down for the season and move back to spending all our time in the field.  Many thanks to all that brought us greenhouse trials over the winter.  We are very grateful to be able to stay busy through the cold months.

 

WEATHER INFO:

The weather has been quite nice so far this spring.  We have had several warm days scattered in among the normal cool spells.  Rain has been fairly consistent so far and we are entering planting season with good soil moisture.  Now we just hope the trend will hold as we start to put seed in the ground.

 

PEST INFO:

With the warm weather, we are beginning to see some summer annuals in the fields a bit earlier than normal.  Otherwise, we still have a collection of winter annuals until we get them all burned down.  Aphid pressure in wheat has been light this year and we have not had much to talk about on the insect front for a while.

We are looking forward to another safe and productive research season.  Let us know how we can be of service to you in the coming year.

Tim, Jake, Will, & Jim

 

Proverbs 12:24

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

 

Research Update (March 4, 2024)

 Research Update (March 4, 2024)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

We spent the last month pretty close to home.  Winter meeting season was winding down as we made our way to the West Tennessee Grain Conference, Cotton Focus, and the Gin Show.  Nice to have meetings that allow you to see your friends but still spend the night in your own bed.  Now is when we shift our focus back to the field and start making plans for the upcoming year.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

We are beginning the 2024 field season by doing a little work in wheat.  Wheat herbicide work was started during one of the warm stretches we have had recently.  We have also begun to apply fertilizer and locate spots for fungicide trials this spring.  If you have any wheat fungicide work still on the list, let us know. We still have wheat available that can be converted to plots.  Our most common wheat foliar fungicide trials deal with Septoria leaf spot and head scab.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

The greenhouse is still very active with a few more trials to start before the season ends.  Consider this to be “last call” for greenhouse work this spring as we begin to transition to the field.  However, we will be glad to slide in a late winter trial if you have the need.

 

WEATHER INFO:

We can’t tell if it is summer or winter.  We have been blessed with some excellent days where we were looking for an excuse to get outside.  In contrast, we are still getting cold, windy days where we just want to hide in the greenhouse.  Such is the joy of spring in the south.  At least we have been getting rainfall this spring which should help when it comes time to plant.

 

PEST INFO:

Things are quiet on the pest front right now (as would be expected in early March).  However, we have been scouting for good burndown spots and the normal collection of winter annuals seems to be present.  Let us know if you have a burndown protocol that needs a home.

 

As we move into the 2024 field season, we look forward to working with each of you again this year.  A little break in winter is not a bad thing, but it does not take long to start missing being outside and working in the fields.  If we can help with your research program this season, please let us know.  That’s what we’re here for.

 

Tim, John Louis, Jake, Will, & Jim

 

Proverbs 10:4

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Research Update (February 5, 2023)

 Research Update (February 5, 2023)

 

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

 

SPECIAL NOTE:

If you have not updated our email address in your contacts, please do so.  Our new email address is:

Tim.Diligence@outlook.com

As of February 7, 2023, our old email address (timadcock@charter.net) will no longer be available.

 

EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH:

Our meeting season got off to a good start with our friends at the NCWSS meeting in Minneapolis.  We hit a snag in January as bad weather forced us to miss the annual NAICC meeting.  Many thanks to those we were scheduled to visit with at this meeting for their understanding.  We still managed to pull off several phone calls and Zoom meetings to keep the work moving forward.  We did manage to make it to San Antonio the next week for the SWSS/WSSA joint meeting and had our usually great time catching up with old friends.

On a more local level, we got to visit with the “home folks” at the West TN Grain Conference in Dyersburg on February 1.  Always good to find out what our neighbors have been up to over the past year.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

We have a few more Tennessee events left on the schedule:

Cotton Focus, Jackson, TN, Feb. 7

Gin Show, Memphis, TN, Mar. 1-2

We would enjoy seeing you if you happen to be around for either of these.  Just let us know.

 

CROPPING SEASONS:

We are officially in the slowest part of our field season right now.  Wheat trials established this past fall are put to bed till things start to warm up in late February or March.  Burndown trials and wheat fungicide trials are at least a month out at this point.

Now is a great time to start making arrangements for any wheat fungicide or burndown trials that you might be considering for this spring.  We have extra wheat available, and we can normally count on an abundance of burndown weeds in the spring.

 

GREENHOUSE ACTIVITIES:

Greenhouse activity has been steady since we started operations in November.  As is normally the case, we are conducting a wide variety of trials.  There are many different crops, pests, and trial types represented.  If you are in the area, drop by for a quick tour and let us show you what we can do.

The greenhouse will be open for at least three more months this season, so there is still time to get your winter projects underway.  We would be glad to discuss any ideas you have.

 

WEATHER INFO:

Our winter was pretty mild until it wasn’t.  Like much of the country, we had about a week and a half of snow, ice, and very low temperatures (below 0 is cold for us) in mid-January.  Things have since normalized a bit and our wheat trials appear to have survived without much damage.  Several rains in late January have left things a bit messy for now.  While there is still plenty of winter left in the year, maybe the worst is behind us.

 

As we begin to plan for another season, we are looking forward to working with each of you in the coming year.  Please let us know how we can contribute to your research efforts.

Tim, John Louis, Jake, Will, & Jim

 

Proverbs 27:23-24

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds; for riches are not forever.