We haven’t had enough consecutive dry days to get much corn planted early this spring and it looks like producers who want to stay with their intended corn acres will likely be wrapping up in May. Most areas in Tennessee have not received the heavy rains that soaked other states but wet is still wet regardless of the total rainfall amounts. I have talked with some growers who are about 50% planted and waiting for 3 or 4 good dry days to show significant progress. Continue reading
The warm weather bursts we are having in between rains have helped get what corn that is planted out of the ground much quicker than usual for April and that has reduced our replant situations. And our corn is much too small to be a target for damaging wind and hail. I know that folks are checking corn stands in fields that have gone through several rains between planting and emergence. The following table lists the row lengths to count plants for a population estimate in 1/1000th of an acre. Continue reading
There have been a number of folks enquiring how to control fescue, bermuda grass, broomsedge, switchgrass and other warm season grasses in corn. Continue reading
As reported by NASS on April 18, 2011
Multiple storm systems passed through the state last week, keeping farmers out of fields and delaying spring planting. By week’s end, 20 percent of Tennessee’s corn acreage had been planted, about half of what is typical for this time of year. Continue reading
I’ve had several reports of an unusual number of stink bugs in wheat. Most people are indicating that brown stink bug is what they are seeing, but rice stink bugs and green stink bugs will also often be present. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I will refer you to the comments by my colleague in Mississippi who beat me to the punch (see below). Continue reading
As reported by NASS on April 11, 2011
Corn planting was underway last week in several areas of the state despite wetter than average weather overall. Many corn producers that had not yet begun planting were able to fertilize and prepare fields. Continue reading
Another title for this article might be “It’s hard to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” This doesn’t affect everyone, but I have had enough calls this spring from folks who are looking at commodity prices and have already started the process or are thinking about taking an old pasture or sod field and converting it into either corn or soybeans. Well maintained ‘new ground’ can yield very well and often has less disease and nematode pressure. However, it may be impossible to make poor ground into a productive field if compaction or low soil pH cannot be corrected in time for the cropping season or at all. Input costs must be weighed against realistic yield potential– particularly in fields that have not been limed or fertilized regularly for years. Continue reading
Although a sporadic pest, sugarcane beetle caused significant losses in some corn fields last year. In the worst cases, fields had to be replanted. Thus, I’ve had a number of growers ask about how to prevent this problem again. One problem is that it is very difficult to predict when and where infestations will occur. Sugarcane beetles are in the same family as June beetles. However, they are fairly easy to identify by the jet black color and fossorial (digging-type) front legs. Overwintering beetles become active during the Continue reading