Recent Updates

Plant Bug Considerations in Blooming Cotton

Tarnished plant bug numbers appear to be low thus far in 2025 and clouded plant bugs are non-existent. Crop age and what’s neighboring your cotton play a large part of how intense plant bug pressure is over time. That being said, keeping an eye on square retention is the best gauge to determine how well your insecticides are performing. Most I’ve talked to have applied Diamond at least once since first bloom. Diamond shines when you catch early plant bug hatches often after large adult migrations during late squaring and we see a good ROI with Diamond around that 1st week of bloom timing.

Going into bloom, I don’t think neonics have a fit in any scenario. Every time we test a neonic sprayed after bloom its often one of, if not, the worst treatments in the test. Once you see a flower migrate to the Transform, Acephate, Bidrin treatments. Pyrethroids can be added in with OP’s to help increase control and acephate + pyrethroid can catch a few bollworms in the top of the canopy if you’re close to cut out (although our 3 gene cottons are doing a great job of controlling bollworms). Diamond should rotated around in the bloom mix also. Overlapping Diamond residual, usually spaced out every other shot, can help reinforce control of nymphs. I don’t like Diamond fb Diamond in succession.

Clouded plant bug adult

Diamond’s effects may take 7 to even 10 days to notice and sequential shots may not take full advantage of the residual it provides, but that’s situation dependent.

Thryvon bloom performance is on par with what we’re accustomed to seeing. Square retention is often better in Thryvon and plant bug numbers, especially nymphs, are lower. Insecticides seem to perform better in Thryvon for a couple of reasons. Less insects are typically easier to control, plant bug population growth is slower and we think the nymphs don’t settle in bracts/blooms like they do in non-Thryvon. Nymphs are constantly moving in Thryvon and the more they move, the higher likelihood they’ll encounter an insecticide. Final note, my Phd student has data that shows Thryvon efficacy on clouded plant bugs are very similar to tarnished. We see increased square retention and slower population growth from clouds like we do tarnished.

 

 


Herbicide-Resistant Palmer Amaranth Control in Enlist Crops

(Picture 1) Palmer amaranth Escaping Liberty followed by Enlist One + Liberty

Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth observations and calls have started. Most recent calls have been from some who have switched from Xtend to Enlist crops.  They are finding that the sketchy pigweed control in Xtend crops they experienced in previous years is also problematic in an Enlist crop.  This would be consistent with our research that has often shown that Palmer amaranth that is resistant to dicamba is cross resistant to 2,4-D. Continue reading


Large Palmer Amaranth Management in Soybean

Large Palmer Amaranth in Soybean

Most soybeans in Tennessee are now planted in 15 to 7.5” rows.  This can help on weed control as the soil is shaded more quickly.  Shaded soil will reduce weed seed germination rates. A good PRE-applied herbicide coupled with narrow rows and effective POST applied options is a very sound weed management strategy.

However, in fields where Palmer amaranth is resistant to POST over-the-top herbicides, planting in wide rows and using a cultivator or hooded herbicide application can be an effective weed management option. Continue reading


Large Palmer Amaranth Management in Cotton

Large Palmer amaranth in cotton

All the frequent rain through June has made it nearly impossible to spray fields even close to timely. This has left many cotton fields with large goosegrass and Palmer amaranth.  The typical post application to control both those weeds is a tankmix of Liberty and clethodim.  This tankmix can often provide fair control of large goosegrass.  However, Palmer amaranth too often will recover. In those cases, hooded or post-direct applications should be Continue reading


County Standardized Trials-Wheat Harvest

2025 CST Wheat Results

Last fall, we planted 10 locations and had 6 of those make it into the table.  We lost the others to this wet weather that seems to stick around.  Overall,  better yields around W. TN than I was expecting.  We had several acres planted a little later than hoped for and then a wet sparing had quality and yield goals questionable.

80 bu. average across our 18 varieties in 6 locations.   A tight group with a 10 bushel range keeps the mean separation close at a 95% confidence interval.

2025 CST Wheat Table 

Yields have been adjusted to 13.5% moisture.  Each variety is evaluated in large strip-plots at each location, thus each county test is considered as one replication of the test in calculating the average yield.

Statistical analysis is conducted at 95% confidence interval.  Varieties with the same MS letter are not significantly different.

Official test weight of No. 2 wheat= 58 lbs/bu. TWT was averaged from 5 locations.

(‘) indicates a missing plot, SAS calculated yield.

Thank you to all those producers, agents, and industry for your support with our CST programs.

Please contact your local County Extension office for more information.

 


Estimating the yield penalty from 2,4-D injury and managing injured cotton

Several in the Midsouth are dealing with cotton injured by exposure to 2,4-D.  Dr. Gaylon Morgan (Agronomist with Cotton Incorporated), Dr. Bradley Wilson (Cotton Specialist for the University of Missouri), Dr. Zachary Treadway (Cotton Specialist for the University of Arkansas), and I have walked a considerable number of acres in the Midsouth over the past week.  In this blog, we tackle many of the questions we’ve been asked concerning yield potential and management after injury.  We also provide some resources for those interested in reading more about what to expect. Continue reading