Research Update (December 12, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

One more season is almost in the books.  With a few exceptions (such as the wheat, follow-crop, and weed control trials we have scheduled to run through the winter), all the trials are out of the field and the reports have been sent to their rightful owners.

In general, 2013 was wet, cool, and late.  Planting was delayed in many cases (we almost seem to have lost the month of May) due to frequent rains.  Much of the cotton that we did manage to plant had to be replanted (sometimes more than once).  The summer was generally mild (which was good for the corn, soybeans, and researchers), but the cotton could have used a few more heat units to push it along (particularly the later planted cotton).  Corn, soybeans, and early-planted cotton (that lived) all yielded very well.  Our biggest issues at the end of the season were getting the beans to dry down and getting the late-planted cotton open and defoliated before frost.  Quite a change from 2012 when the finished the season about a month and a half earlier.

We have put our wheat to bed for the winter and don't anticipate much activity there until early spring.  As usual, we have planted extra wheat for those fungicide trials we don't know about yet.  Let us know if you have some of those in hand.  We have also started marking out areas for early burndown trials next spring so let us know if we need to save you a nice, weedy spot.

Weed pressure this past season was dominated by resistant pigweeds (no big surprise there).  While we had plenty of moisture to activate herbicides, the frequent rains shortened the residual of our soil products substantially.  Insect pressure from some of our more consistent pests (stink bugs, plant bugs, soybean loopers) was pretty light this season.  The pests were there, but the populations did not build as I have seen them in some years.  The one big exception was thrip pressure in cotton.  We had more early thrips this past season than I can ever remember.  One new arrival this year was kudzu bug.  We had the "honor" of making the first "official" find of kudzu bugs in Shelby county this past season.  While the kudzu bug populations were pretty light this year, I am told by other researchers that we should have plenty to test on next year.  Disease pressure was fairly typical.  Both corn and soybean diseases were a bit late this year (you would think they would have come sooner with all the rain), but we had plenty of pressure in the end to get some good ratings.

Meeting season is just around the corner.  Our January calendar looks like this:

Beltwide Cotton Conference (Jan. 6-8, New Orleans, LA)
Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference (Jan. 15-16, Tunica, MS)
Southern Weed Science Society (Jan. 27-29, Birmingham, AL)
National Association of Independent Crop Consultants (Jan. 29-Feb.1, New Orleans, LA)

Please let us know if you plan to make any of these meetings.  I would love to have the chance to catch up with our old friends.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank those of you that let us be a part of your research program this past season.  We were truly blessed.

Proverbs 10:4

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

Research Update (November 9, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Frequent, small showers have made harvest season operate in spurts.  However, we have made a little progress between the rains.  Our latest corn trials are finally out and with a bit more paperwork, we can put those to rest.  We also have the cotton trials out of the field, but we are really just getting started good on the ginning.  Cotton yields have been quite variable ranging from one bale cotton on some very late planted trials up to almost 3 bales in some of the more highly managed trials.  For the most part, we were just happy to get the bolls open and the leaves off before we were hit with a hard frost.

Soybean harvest is underway at present.  We made some good progress this past week, but we are still a bit short of half way on the beans.  Yields appear to be above average based on the raw weights, but we need to do the serious math to know where we really stand.

We have established a few winter wheat trials and are in the process of putting them to bed for the winter.  Fertilizer is out and with a few more maintenance sprays, they should be good till February.  We also have some extra wheat planted for those trials that normally show up in the spring.  Let me know anyone needs me save them a spot.

Good to have our friends from Nichino and Winfield Solutions in recently to look over some late trials.  Hope they enjoyed the visit.

As we try to bring another research season to a close, we just want to say thanks to those that have entrusted us with their research projects over the past season.  We have been truly blessed.  For those waiting on final yield numbers, they should be to you pretty soon.

 

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.

Research Update (October 19, 2013)

Diligence Technologies, Inc., West Tennessee

Compared to the last few seasons, harvest is proceeding slowly in west Tennessee.  Recent cool and damp weather is keeping soybeans from drying down as rapidly as they should.  If fact, we saw soybean moistures rise in some cases this week as the beans absorbed moisture during an extended period of damp weather.  A little sun would go a long way towards getting our soybeans out of the field.

Speaking of sun, we could use a little on our cotton also.  We made our second defoliation applications late this week, and are hoping that will be enough (although I'm not quite sure yet).  Last season we had cotton that required three defoliation applications before harvest and we're hoping that does not become a trend.

We are finishing up our corn research now.  With the exception of a few "specialty" trials still in the field, corn harvest is complete.  We are in the process of crunching the numbers and getting out the reports on corn trials.

We planted our first wheat of the season last week and hope to plant more soon as the fields dry down from the recent showers.  We still have time to start wheat trials if you have any fall work to get done.

We are also preparing for winter weed controls trials.  We normally start spraying those in November.

Like many others in the area have discovered this season, we now have kudzu bugs.  While this is not exactly great news for soybean growers, we should be able to include this pest in our insecticide trials next season.

Thanks to those that have dropped by for a visit recently.  Always good to see our friends from Winfield Solutions, Helena, Adjuvants Unlimited, and Helm Agro.

As always, let us know if there is anything we do to help out.

Proverbs 22:29

Seest thou a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings…

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.