Category Archives: Sorghum

Palmer amaranth started emerging last week.  Some of it is ½ to a 1” tall today April 22. Of course this is just the vanguard of the Palmer that will be coming.  Despite this early Palmer flush typically being less numbers per foot than later emergence events, it is the most important emergence event to control. Continue reading →

I thought I would put a plug in for a good article written by my counterpart at Mississippi State University (Dr. Angus Catchot).  See this link for everything you wanted to know about calibration and more:  Calibration Tips for Insecticides.

The 4 to 5” of rain much of West Tennessee saw last Thursday 4/11/13 was not good on the wheat, particularly in poorly drained fields. Winter wheat that went under water may have to be planted back to another crop. Knowing when and what herbicides were applied to flood damaged wheat is a major consideration on a potential recrop decision. Continue reading →

Prices have been updated after today’s USDA Grain Stocks and Prospective Plantings reports. Please note that I added a row on the bottom with breakeven prices at average yields and the specified costs including variable, land and fixed cost. Prices will vary depending on location and buyers. Overall, after today’s reports cotton’s profitability improved slightly while grains dropped some from after the March 8 USDA report. Continue reading →

The 2013 Insect Control Recommendations for Field Crops (PB1768) is now available on the web.

Printed copies will soon be available at your County Extension Office and at many upcoming educational events.

This table should be used as a guide as yields, prices, and expenses will vary among producers and locations. This table is a look at the start of the 2013 planning process as wheat is currently being planted. Yields are average yields for Tennessee with prices adjusted for the 2013 production year. Expenses will vary among producers and production systems. Continue reading →

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Another bug identification quiz for you. These are the eggs of a predator which is sometimes mistaken for a pest. This species lays its eggs in a cluster.  A crown of spines around the top of each egg is a good hint. Both the nymphs and adults will attack may different kinds of prey, but they are commonly seen feeding on caterpillars.  They are often found in soybean and cotton.  The scientific name for this species is Podisus maculiventris (Order Hemiptera; Family Pentatomidae).  Still don’t know? Continue reading →

We don’t give sorghum too much attention in our news updates, but insect pests can be a major problem with this crop.  If you have sorghum that is starting to head or has so in the last couple of weeks, you need to be very aware Continue reading →

As corn harvest gets rolling it is apparent there was a heavy flush of Palmer that emerged several weeks ago.  After the rain today on August 3 there will likely be even more emerge. Though no one wants to spend more money on drought stressed corn post harvest it well could pay off next spring in soybean or cotton.  Continue reading →

Scouring Rush

Over the past several years many have had concerns about scouring rush creeping into crop production areas.  Scouring rush is not a typical agronomic weed. It normally grows along fence rows, ditch banks, and low lying areas.  However, in long term no-tillage production systems scouring rush is increasingly encroaching into crop production areas. 

Continue reading →

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Judging by recent phone calls the tillage turnips did not freeze kill.  Some are 18” tall and as big around as your wrist.  The question is how to control them this spring with so much growth. Continue reading →