Palmer amaranth remains one of the most difficult weeds to manage, and when pigweed escapes preemergence control, postemergence decisions can quickly turn into a kitchen sink approach where multiple products are added to the tank. Because postemergence options depend on the crop system and trait technology, we evaluated a wide range of postemergence programs in 2025 to better understand overall control trends. Continue reading
We are 4 weeks early for the typical POST herbicide application window. These applications need to be effective and steward well. In fact stewardship of the herbicides used in those applications is critical. Crops injured by off-target herbicides were numerous last year. While many think about either dicamba or 2,4-D for off-target concerns, last year clethodim drift on corn was the most widely reported issue across the state. Continue reading
Ryegrass continues to persist in too many fields. Often the ryegrass in these fields has escaped both glyphosate and clethodim (Picture 1). In fields like this we typically will just have to live with ryegrass over the next 4 weeks as it completes maturity and goes to seed. Some have asked what can they spray? Liberty is really the last best option applied on a hot day to help speed up the ryegrass maturity process. Continue reading
I never thought by mid-April that corn in some fields would have grown to the point it is not safe to apply a pint of dicamba (>5”) yet here we are. The forecast suggests next week will not be a good spray week so time will be short that other herbicides can be applied safely to corn over the top. Continue reading
No-till without paraquat? That may be a possibility. Syngenta announced they will stop producing Gramoxone in June. This will leave only the companies that sell the generic paraquats to fill the demand. Will those companies be willing to take on the lawsuits to continue to sell a low margin herbicide? Maybe. Beyond that, the probability one of those companies in a few years will take the lead on re-registration with the EPA is low. All that would suggest that the time span paraquat is available could be as short as just a few years. If so, we need to have a Plan B to replace this herbicide in Tennessee over the next couple years. This will be the emphasis of some of our research this year. Continue reading
There was a significant emergence of ryegrass during the middle of March in many fields (Picture 1). This coupled with all the early planting has led to fields infested with ryegrass along with emerged corn or soybean. Continue reading
This has been an interesting burndown season so far for a couple of reasons. First, the dry weather in late 2025 and early 2026 allowed many acres to be sprayed in January and early February. The number of acres treated during that period is truly impressive. Even better, most of those applications were very successful! Most weeds, including ryegrass, were controlled. Continue reading
Fertilizer continues to be one of the largest expenses in row crop production, according to University of Tennessee Field Crop Production Budgets. In season with high-than-normal input cost, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) management offer some of the greatest opportunities for reducing expenses if these fertilizers are managed efficiently. As we head into a new growing season, this blog post outlines key considerations for improving P fertilizer efficiency and maximizing return on investment (ROI). Continue reading