Research Update (August 10, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Overall, the weather continues to be wet and cool for early August.  While that sure makes life easier for those doing research, we could probably use a bit more heat to move our cotton crop along.  Considering that we were late in getting the cotton crop planted and the slow progress we have seen since then, this would not be the year for an early frost.  On the positive side, the corn and soybean plots are in great shape with plenty of moisture since planting.

Grey leaf spot pressure in corn continues to intensify and we should be able to get some excellent ratings in the coming weeks.  While we have had some "low level" frogeye leaf spot pressure for a while, the disease has really taken off over the past week and we appear to be in good shape for soybean fungicide evaluations.

Since the frequent rains this spring and summer have significantly reduced the residual of our soil-applied herbicides, hoeing pigweeds has become a frequent pastime this season.  I can assure you the crew will be happy to get that part of the season behind them.

We have had a lot of visitors over the last couple of weeks including MANA, Valent, Brandt, the University of Tennessee, SePro, FMC, Americot, and Syngenta.  Some days we feel like we are running a guide service, but I will admit that it gives me the chance to catch up with a lot of friends that I don't get see often enough.

This past week was the last one for Zac Carpenter.  Zac is an agronomy student at Mississippi State University and has helped us out over the past three summers.  While we are sad to see him done for the summer, we wish him the best in his studies.  I guess Jeff, Jesse, and Kevin will have to pick up the slack.

Cotton defoliation season is closer than it seems, so let us know if you have defoliation protocols that need a home.

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (July 20, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

There has been plenty going on in our part of the world over the past week or so.  Peter Eure, a graduate student from the University of Georgia, spent the past week with us as part of the SWSS program which provides the opportunity for students to spend time visiting researchers to see how things are done in other places.  Now that Pete knows all our secrets, we are fairly sure that research efficiency in south Georgia will drop by at least 50%.  However, we really enjoyed his visit and welcome him back any time.

This past Thursday (July 18) was the date for the Agricenter International Field Day.  As always, Bruce Kirksey and his crew did an excellent job.  Thanks to FMC, Americot, and Valent for allowing Diligence Technologies to assist in setting up their tour stops.

We also enjoyed visits from MANA and Cotton Incorporated this week.  Always good to catch up with old friends.

With everything going on, it might be surprising that we have actually done a little plot work over the past couple of weeks.  All the VT/R1 corn fungicide applications have been made at the Jackson location.  Grey leaf spot is already present on the lower leaves and working its way up the stalk.  We expect to start getting some decent ear leaf ratings in the next week or two.

Also, the R1/R2 fungicide applications in soybeans have been made.  Frogeye leaf spot is still pretty light at this point, but in most years things start to pick up in late July and early August.

We continue to be blessed with the occasional rain shower.  We got 1.8 inches in Memphis late last Thursday which means we probably will not have to stretch poly-pipe next week.  The Jackson location missed that one, but has had enough showers through the summer that the crops are still in good shape.

Hope your summer is going well and drop by to see us when you get the chance.

Proverbs 10:4

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

Research Update (June 22, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

We are nearing the end of the beginning (meaning we are in the home stretch of the big spring push to get new trials established).  We have a few late soybean trials to plant next week and a few more weed trials to get underway, but we are starting to transition from trial establishment to maintenance and data collection.

Wheat harvest is underway and, like most others are reporting from this area, yields seem to be holding up well.  Now to determine how much bump we got from all those experimental herbicides and fungicides we put out last fall and this spring.

We got rain this week on Monday across the entire region and again locally around Memphis on Wednesday.  These were welcome as the ground was starting to dry out a bit.  In the heat of the summer, we are always about two weeks away from being too dry in Memphis.  The soils are a little heavier at the Jackson location, so it often takes a bit long to see the stress on the crops.

The frequent rain this spring has been great for weed trials.  It has provided flush after flush of pigweeds as well as most any other weed you can think of.  Of course, if it is not a weed control trial that's a different story.  Let's just say the sprayers have not sit idle much this spring.

Thanks to our friends at Arysta, SePro, and MWI Consulting for dropping by over the past couple of weeks to visit.  Hope to see them back soon.

Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be put to forced labor.

Research Update (June 8, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

It was basically a week of grinding out trials.  We missed the rains on Thursday (which may be the first ones we have missed this year), and spent the week playing catch-up.  Considering the slow start to the season, we may be playing catch-up for quite some time.

Yielded cotton trials are largely off and running.  Now we are switching our attention to soybeans as well as weed and bug trials.  We have a long line of those to get started.  Efforts are slowed to some extent because we are having to go back in and clean up fields again in order to initiate trials.  Some of the fields are pretty wooly since it has been a while since we did our initial field preparations.

The pest problem of choice right now is extreme thrip pressure in cotton.  Judging for the counts obtained in our thrip trials, this could very well be the heaviest thrip population I can recall.  Almost every cotton trial I have that is out of the ground received a postemergence application for thrips this past week.  Would not be surprising if we get to do it again next week.

Thanks to our friends from Syngenta Seeds and Brandt that stopped by for visits this past week.

Also, thanks to all our customers for their patience as we have slowly limped into this season.  Most things have been behind schedule but we will keep working to get your data rolling in as soon as we can.

Proverbs 10:4

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

Research Update (June 1, 2013)

Diligence Technologies Inc., West Tennessee

Another week with a rain delay in a year where all the weeks have had rain delays.  As of yet, we have not had a single week this season where the we could do the field work we planned for the entire week.

We still have some yielded cotton trials left to plant and some cotton in lower areas left to replant (for the fourth time!).  The cotton we have up is in need of some more warm, sunny weather to get it moving.  We will finish up cotton planting as soon as the ground dries out and switch our attention to soybeans and weed screens.

Thanks to our friends from FMC and AgroFresh for dropping by to visit this week.  Always good to have them stop by.

We'll be back at it as soon as the rain lets up!

Proverbs 22:29
Seest thou a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings…

Research Update (May 18, 2013)

 

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Rain continues hamper cotton planting as another shower hit west Tennessee on Friday.  This one was a bit smaller than many we have received this spring (about 0.5 inches), so we hope to be back on the planter soon.  Some of the cotton trials that we did manage to get out in early May will need to be re-planted.  Cold temperatures and wet fields made for some pretty thin stands in some trials.

Corn is still about 3-4 leaf and yellow in many cases due to a lack of sun, too much water, and too little nitrogen.  We did manage to get nitrogen on some trials last week and hope to get at least some nitrogen on the rest in the coming week.

Thanks to our friends from FMC and AgroFresh for coming by to visit last week.  We enjoy getting to see old friends and discuss what is going on in the research plots.

We have high hopes for next week with high temperatures and low rain chances as an opportunity to make some progress in plot establishment.  We wish the best to you on your week also.

Proverbs 12:27

… the substance of the diligent man is precious.

Research Update (May 11, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Same song, different verse as weather continues to dominate the field research news in west Tennessee (and a lot of other places).  It dried up enough on Thursday to get in one day of planting before rain brought things to halt again on Friday morning.

Most of our corn is about the V3 stage and could use a little sunshine.  It has not helped that the rains have delayed nitrogen applications.  At least we have been blessed enough to have our corn in the ground.  I know there are many folks still waiting to start.

Cotton planting slow.  The few plots that are in the ground have not emerged yet due to a lack of heat units.  For the first time in a while, the prediction for next week is warm and sunny.  When things dry out, look for everyone with a tractor in west Tennessee to be on it.

One bright spot is that we finished spraying wheat fungicide trials last week.  Disease has been surprising light around Jackson so far this year, but I expect that to change pretty soon.

Please let me know if you have any protocols that have not found a home yet.

Proverbs 21:5

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness.