All posts by Tyson Raper, Cotton & Small Grains Specialist

12 Jul 2018

Regulating growth under ideal growing conditions

12 Jul 2018
Author:  Comments Off on Regulating growth under ideal growing conditions

At the moment, cotton appears to be growing almost as fast as palmer amaranth; rains and abnormally warm temperatures have promoted rapid growth and the second (or third) application of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) are currently being applied.  With our current growing conditions, forecast, and planted cultivars, I’m applying and recommending aggressive rates; now that the root zone has expanded and N uptake has begun to increase exponentially, expect rapid plant growth to continue in areas which have adequate moisture.  This blog highlights points to be considered when attempting to regulate growth in 2018. Continue reading →


15 Jun 2018

Herbicide injured cotton: Deciding to keep it and management after

15 Jun 2018
Author:  1 Comment

I’ve received several calls this week requesting information on whether or not to keep injured cotton and management after the injury.  In this brief article, I will cover the ‘keep or discard’ decision and briefly cover best management practices after the decision to keep the crop has been made. Depending on your situation, you may need to document the injury and/or keep a portion of the field to determine the yield penalty. That information is beyond the scope of this article but should be available from your insurance agent or attorney.  Continue reading →


01 May 2018

Easing off the clutch: 2018 cotton planting

01 May 2018
Author:  Comments Off on Easing off the clutch: 2018 cotton planting

I’ve visited with several over the past few days who either started planting yesterday (4/30), who plan to begin today (5/1), or who will be planting by tomorrow (5/2).  While we have a few very early planting-date trials established here in Jackson, none of our large-plot trials have been planted and none of our small-plot work requiring normal planting dates have been planted either.  That will change for my program today (5/1). Continue reading →


05 Apr 2018

Freeze damage to winter wheat, forecast April 8th

05 Apr 2018
Author:  Comments Off on Freeze damage to winter wheat, forecast April 8th

Our wheat crop has matured rapidly in the relatively warm weather.  Several of the fields I walk are past Feekes 8 and are quickly approaching Feekes 9. This puts us several weeks past jointing.  With the head roughly 12 or more inches above the ground at those growth stages, concerns about the temperatures forecast for the weekend have been raised.    Continue reading →


06 Feb 2018

REMINDER: Cotton Focus THIS THURSDAY, Feb 8th @ First United Methodist Church in Downtown Jackson

06 Feb 2018
Author:  Comments Off on REMINDER: Cotton Focus THIS THURSDAY, Feb 8th @ First United Methodist Church in Downtown Jackson

The 2018 Cotton Focus will be held at the First United Methodist Church (200 S. Church St, Jackson, TN 38301) this Thursday, Feb. 8th beginning at 8 AM and concluding with lunch. Pesticide recertification points and CCA/CEUs will be offered.  A dicamba training will be offered after lunch.  Parking information and detailed agenda information is included below: Continue reading →


23 Jan 2018

Cotton Focus February 8th at First United Methodist Church in Downtown Jackson

23 Jan 2018
Author:  Comments Off on Cotton Focus February 8th at First United Methodist Church in Downtown Jackson

The 2018 UT Cotton Focus is only a few weeks away. Please note we will host this year’s event Thursday, February 8th at the First United Methodist Church in Downtown Jackson (200 S. Church St Jackson, TN 38301) due to renovation of the WTREC facility.  

Registration starts at 8AM and the event will end with a provided lunch.  After lunch, Dr. Larry Steckel will be conducting UT Extension’s Dicamba Stewardship Training. Continue reading →


15 Jan 2018

2017 TN Cotton Variety Trial Results now available (PB1742)

15 Jan 2018
Author:  Comments Off on 2017 TN Cotton Variety Trial Results now available (PB1742)
The 2017 TN Cotton Variety Trial Results Publication is now available online. This document contains detailed results from all harvested trails in the 2017 University of Tennessee Cotton Variety Testing Program.  This expanded publication follows the recently published summary publication, 2017 TN Cotton Variety Guide (W285), which was released a few weeks ago.

Continue reading →


15 Jan 2018

UT Extension County Meeting Schedule, January/February

15 Jan 2018
Author:  Comments Off on UT Extension County Meeting Schedule, January/February

In addition to the East, Middle and West TN Grain Conferences and the Cotton Focus event, UT Extension is hosting a series of meetings to be held throughout the state to prepare growers for the upcoming season. These meetings will focus on variety selection, insect and plant disease management, weed management, and other current crop production topics.

Below is a list of the production meetings to be held in January and February. Please contact your local UT Extension office for more details on time and location. Continue reading →