Soybean – There have been few calls on soybean. Stink bug populations are low with a few exceptions. However, I’ve definitely seen an upturn of green stink bug adults in early maturing soybean. No significant infestations of corn earworm or other caterpillar pests have been reported. With some of the recent rains, insect pressure may pick up. I’ve had a few calls on blister beetles, primarily the striped blister beetle. Seeing a few small spots of blister beetles Continue reading
Still haven’t had a rain? I can’t spin this. If you are not irrigating or had a good rain, drought is seriously hurting yield potential. So what does this mean in terms of insect control? There is talk about abandoning the crop or discontinuing insect management. In some cases, it makes sense to relax treatment thresholds, but we need to maintain Continue reading
As reported by NASS on July 9, 2012
SCATTERED SHOWERS PROVIDE A LITTLE RELIEF. A slight break from record setting temperatures came at weeks’ end and was due to several rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Soil moisture levels are still extremely short and more rain will be needed for crops and pastures to rebound from the prolonged drought conditions. Crop conditions continued to decline last week. Pastures have been the hardest hit by the high temps and short moisture supplies with three quarters of the acreage rated in very poor-to-poor condition. Continue reading
The continued dry weather has affected pasture quality and increased the calls from producers feeding livestock who are trying to determine whether it would be more profitable to feed their corn as silage rather than harvest stressed fields for grain. Drought stressed corn is Continue reading
With the current heat wave and continuing lack of rain, non-irrigated corn is declining in quality daily. Where corn must be harvested for grain, getting some idea of yield potential can help us make decisions about the crop- whether to revisit the amounts contracted or call the crop insurance adjustor. Continue reading
As reported by NASS on July 2, 2012
OPPRESSIVE HEAT AND BRUTALLY DRY CONDITIONS
CONTINUE TO STRIKE TENNESSEE FARMLAND
The hottest temperatures on record coupled with no precipitation last week led to a deterioration of crop conditions throughout the state. Topsoil moisture supplies are rated short or very short on 94 percent of Tennessee farmland. The corn and pasture acreages are especially affected, as almost half the corn is rated in very poor or poor condition with two-thirds of the pastures in this same category. Soybean, tobacco, and cotton acreage remained in mostly fair-to-good condition but declined substantially in one week. Pastures are parched and livestock producers are feeding hay, an event that normally begins in the fall. Continue reading
The following is copied from an email sent to extension agents from Debbie Joines, Plant and Soil Testing lab in Nashville concerning nitrate testing in forages including drought stressed corn that may end up being used for forage. Continue reading
Of course, the answer to this question depends on several things ….. Continue reading