All posts by Tyson Raper, Cotton & Small Grains Specialist

28 Jun 2017

Managing cotton plant growth during 2017

28 Jun 2017
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Over the past 10-14 days, our cotton crop has really taken-off.  Rains and warmer temperatures have promoted rapid growth over the past week and Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) applications will begin within the week on much of our crop.  Now that the root zone has expanded and N uptake has begun to increase exponentially, expect very rapid plant growth in areas which have adequate moisture.  Several points should be considered when attempting to regulate growth in 2017. Continue reading →


20 Jun 2017

Cotton Nitrogen Management, 2017 comments

20 Jun 2017
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For much of West Tennessee, the time frame in which to apply Nitrogen (N) is quickly closing.  After accumulating an impressive number of DD60s last week and catching a nice rainfall over the weekend, the crop is beginning to grow rapidly.  This post intends to highlight a few key points in proper N management with recent research results while touching on some exciting in-field experiments. Continue reading →


01 May 2017

2017 Cotton Planting Forecast, 5/1-5/5

01 May 2017
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Rumors of a few hundred planted cotton acres within the state have spread over the past three weeks. Assuming the rumors are true, the state is still less than .5% planted.

As I write this, I’m waiting for the third (and hopefully last) band of rain to sweep through the area to wrap up a very wet and destructive weekend storm system. Soils are again saturated through the heart of Tennessee’s cotton belt. Continue reading →


28 Mar 2017

Wheat Freeze Damage Update, Management and Haylage

28 Mar 2017
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Dr. Tyson Raper and Dr. Gary Bates

Reports of no freeze damage received early last week (3/20) were replaced with reports of slight to severe freeze damage by the end of the week (3/24).  This article describes how to determine damage, what types of damage have been noted, and management of freeze damage wheat. Continue reading →


13 Mar 2017

Freeze damage to jointing wheat

13 Mar 2017
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For much of Tennessee’s wheat, the cold front which moved through Saturday (March 11th) dropped temperatures near the danger zone. Jointing typically does not occur until late March but our mild winter has allowed much of the timely planted wheat to mature faster than normal.  Much of our wheat is between Feekes stages 7 and 8.  In the below image, the growing point was located near the knife blade.  Wheat becomes considerably less tolerant to cold temperatures after the growing point leaves the base of the plant. Continue reading →


09 Mar 2017

Picking Capacities in the MidSouth

09 Mar 2017
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There is considerable excitement surrounding cotton on the heels of the Farm and Gin Show.  From visiting with those in the industry across the Mid-South, I believe TN and nearby states may see larger increases than those initially estimated by the National Cotton Council for the 2017 season.  Given the increases in acreage, picker capacity has been a topic of conversation over the past few weeks.  Many sold basket equipment several years ago with plans to purchase a module building picker if cotton made its way back on the farm.  Now that cotton is coming back, how much cotton can you typically feed through one picker in Tennessee? Mississippi?  Missouri? What about capacities in states outside the Mid-South?  Continue reading →