Temperatures are heading up and even west TN is finally experiencing a break in rainfall. It is time to take stock of crop growth stages, make any last minute repairs to irrigation equipment and irrigate our corn. We also need to decide how early to begin watering soybeans and any sorghum under a pivot. Continue reading
Judging by questions we all are getting this spring, clearly we are having some growing pains managing cover crops across Tennessee. Indeed the 2nd most common question I have gotten over the past month is how and when to burndown a cover crop “X“ before a cash crop “Y”. Continue reading
MILAN, Tenn. – UT AgResearch will host the Milan No-Till Crop Production Field Day on Thursday, July 28, 2016 at the AgResearch and Education Center at Milan. The event will offer 40 research-based presentations. Sessions will cover best management strategies for no-till crop production, including nutrient enhancement, water use, new technologies in pest control and advancements in plant breeding.
The event is free and open to the public. Gates open at 6 a.m. Presentations and an agricultural industry trade show begin at 7 a.m. The field day will conclude at 2 p.m.
A schedule, a list of presentation topics, and information on pesticide recertification points as well as Certified Crop Advisor CEUs are available at http://milan.tennessee.edu/MNTFD. Individuals are also encouraged to follow the event on social media platforms using the hashtag #MilanNoTill.
A reminder that moth trapping data for corn earworm, tobacco budworm, and southwestern corn borer are posted weekly on this website. Look for “Moth Trapping Data” on the quick links menu to open an Excel file with the trapping data. Moth catches were low for all species last week.
Corn planting is winding down. A good bit of the early April planted corn will need to be sprayed POST shortly. However, the wet weather in the forecast for the next week will likely make for a narrow window to get these fields sprayed timely. Continue reading
All the cover crops planted last year has led to many calls on management this year. One of the most common calls is do herbicides applied to heavy and, on occasion, sometimes still very green cover get to the soil so they can provide residual Palmer amaranth control? Continue reading
There have been a lot of questions this spring about planting into green cover crops. We have conducted a fair amount of research on this at Jackson and through trial and error we have found that planting into a green cover crop can be done effectively. Controlling and properly managing the cover crop are the most important things to consider when planting in a green cover (termination 0-7 days prior to planting). Less than complete control of your cover can cause stunting or stand loss of cash crop. Continue reading
In tough economic times, producers review their cost structure to determine what crops are profitable. In a year like 2016, some farmers are going a step further and looking at each individual field to decide what is the best option for that particular farm. On land that is deemed to be more marginal, what is the best option? Should that ground even be farmed? Could it be enrolled in CRP for a greater return? Read the following article for more considerations on this topic: Will We Farm Every Acre in 2016