As reported by NASS on May 11, 2015
PLANTING PROGRESS MAKES HUGE STRIDES
Weather this past week brought producers great relief in the ability to get their crops in the ground. Corn planting surpassed the 5-year average while soybeans and cotton both made great planting progress. Producers continued to cut hay. There were 6.7 days suitable for field work last week. Continue reading at Crop Progress 5 11 15.
There are about 1000 North American species and most larvae in this family are slender, hard-bodied and shiny, which is how they got the name “wireworms”. Many are found in the soil where they feed on newly planted seeds and roots of plants, including some important crops such as corn, cereals, cotton, beans, and potatoes. Continue reading
As reported by NASS on May 4, 2015
DRIER CONDITIONS ALLOW FARMERS BACK INTO FIELDS
A mostly rain-free week allowed fields to dry out to the point that field work could resume all across the state. Corn farmers made great strides in planting and some early crop soybeans were also planted. Hay producers began the first cutting of hay. Continue reading at Crop Progress 5 4 15.
Ryegrass surviving glyphosate burndown continues to be a common call the last few days. Continue reading
Planters are rolling this week as growers race to get corn in the ground. Some producers have reported starting on soybeans or grain sorghum, as they wait for wet fields to dry up enough to get back to corn. Continue reading
As reported by NASS on April 27, 2015
CORN PLANTING FINALLY RESTARTS, SOME SOYBEANS AND COTTON PLANTED
At last, weather conditions improved slightly and allowed some fields to dry out enough that corn planting could start again. There were some fields that were still too muddy to plant but producers made as much progress as possible. Some soybeans and cotton were planted, in line with normal averages. There were 2.8 days suitable for field work last week. Topsoil moisture was 56 percent adequate and 44 percent surplus. Continue reading at Crop Progress 4 26 15.
There has been little corn planted to this point. Judging by the phone calls today some of that early planted corn will need to be replanted due to all the wet and cold weather. The question arises how to control the old corn stand and plant back to corn quickly. Continue reading
With planting hopefully right around the corner, many people are thinking about using Gramoxone (paraquat) as a last minute burndown for its effectiveness and lack of replant interval. Gramoxone is a very good broad spectrum herbicide that is “money” on many winter annual broadleaf weeds and also quite good on poa. On the main winter annual weed horseweed (marestail) though, control can range from 30 to 90%. The question is why? So we conducted research this spring to see if time of day Gramoxone is applied has an effect on horseweed control. Continue reading