Cotton: There are now a few mentions of bollworms being found in some cotton fields, although there have been no reports of high infestation levels. The suggested treatment threshold is 4 “surviving” larvae per 100 plants on Bt cotton fields. Typically, we do not Continue reading
Fruit shedding can be caused by bugs, disease, nutrient deficiencies, or the environment (as affected by weather or management). Even in the absence of pests and on fields with good fertility, it is common for a cotton plant to shed 60% of its squares and young bolls under typical growing conditions. Although fruit shed normally increases dramatically as the crop approaches cut-out, it can occur anytime and even with relatively small changes in the weather. What causes fruit shed and is there anything we can do to prevent it? Continue reading
As reported by NASS on August 12, 2013
WET CONDITIONS PERSIST, HIGHER THAN AVERAGE YIELDS EXPECTED
Rain continued this past week, with only 3 days suitable for field work across the state. The down side of the persistent rainfall is the farmers’ inability to stay ahead of weed and insect problems. On a positive note, there are excellent chances of harvesting an exceptional crop this fall. Continue reading
Prices and yields have been updated after the August 12th USDA Supply & Demand report. This August USDA report estimates yields based on producer surveys. For Tennessee, the estimated yields are above average with corn at 146 bushels/acre, cotton 979 lbs./acre, soybeans 42 bushels/acre and wheat at 68 bushels/acre. Continue reading
Crop Maturity Based Insecticide Termination Rules. For a normally maturing crop, the standard suggestion is to terminate insecticide applications for plant bugs, stink bugs and bollworm at NAWF5 + 350 DD60s. The reality is Continue reading
As one would guess DD60 accumulation is trending behind the long term average. What was somewhat surprising to me is that we are not as far behind the long term average as I would have guessed (See Table Below). Continue reading
As reported by NASS on August 5, 2013
ROW CROP CONDITIONS REMAIN OUTSTANDING
Going into August, row crops are rated in mostly good-to-excellent condition. Tennessee’s first snapshot that translates these condition ratings into yield and production prospects for these crops will be released at 11:00 A.M on Monday August 12. Continue reading
Reminder
Make plans to attend the August 7, 2013 Mid South Ag Finance Conference at The University Center on the campus of The University of Tennessee at Martin. The conference runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registration information can be found at http://www.utm.edu/staff/banking/agconference/. Continue reading