UT is implementing a new method of sending information to agricultural professionals. Remind is texted based communication system that facilitates information delivery via text or push notification. Messages are limited in length and recipients can directly message senders with questions. Enrolling is free and easy and takes less than a minute. Follow the instructions below to enroll in a crop specific class (cotton, corn, soybean, wheat or tobacco).
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The 2022 University of Tennessee Cotton Focus is coming up on February 10th from 8AM to 1PM in Jackson, TN at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (605 Airways Blvd Jackson, TN 38301). Lunch will be provided and CCA, Commercial Applicator and Master Row Crop Points will be available. S&J’s Roadside will be catering lunch.
This is an event you will not want to miss! We have several excellent guest speakers that will provide very valuable insight into several important decisions that we will have to make during 2022. We look forward to seeing you there.
The 2022 University of Tennessee Cotton Focus is coming up on February 10th from 8AM to 1PM in Jackson, TN at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (605 Airways Blvd Jackson, TN 38301). Lunch will be provided and CCA, Commercial Applicator and Master Row Crop Points will be available.
I will be posting the final agenda next week, but I can promise you will not want to miss this year’s content! We have several speakers that will be addressing extremely impactful information that will help tackling the challenges of 2022. Hope to see you there!
The 2021 Tennessee Cotton Variety Trial Results Publication (PB 1742) is now available online. Included within these results are ten large strip trials (CSTs) testing 15 XtendFlex commercial varieties, three large strip trials (CSTs) testing 5 Enlist commercial varieties, and six small plot trials (OVTs) testing 41 experimental and commercial varieties. 
Special thanks to all of the agents and producers who helped generate this data. Additionally, thanks to the USDA Classing Office in Memphis for assisting with this effort. If you have any questions on location response or variety placement, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to your county agent.
The 2021 Tennessee Official Variety Trial (OVT) Results are now available online. By clicking the image above or the pdf below, you will be directed to trial information, an overall OVT average table, and individual average tables for five of the 2021 OVTs. Continue reading
Preliminary data from the 2021 TN Cotton CSTs is now available. We are releasing an average table for the XtendFlex trials and the Enlist trials today and hope to release the quality and individual location results in the near future. Keep in mind the XtendFlex and Enlist trials are conducted separately, so direct comparisons between tables cannot be made from this dataset. Also, stay tuned for the OVT small plot trial data average table which includes 41 commercial and pre-commercial varieties. Continue reading
At the start of December, harvest futures prices for the next production year (2022) are at the highest levels since 2013. On December 1, July wheat futures closed at $7.86 ½, December corn at $5.48 ½, and November soybeans at $12.14. December cotton prices are the highest since 2012, closing December 1 at 86.4 cents. Using a simple linear trend (1990 to 2021), Tennessee average yields are projected, for 2022, at 169 bu/acre for corn, 1,116 lb/acre for cotton, 48 bu/acre for soybeans, and 72 bu/acre for wheat. Without adjusting for basis, this would project average revenue per acre at $924 for corn, $965 for cotton, $579 for soybeans, and $568 for wheat (producers with higher yields will have anticipated revenues of over $1,000 per acre, for corn and cotton). Continue reading at Tennessee Market Highlights.
Cover crops can supply nitrogen (N) to the soil for the subsequent cash crops and this nitrogen credit may be successfully integrated into N management. The challenging question is how much of the N supplied by cover crops is available for the next cash crop. Unfortunately, there is not a simple answer to this question since several factors influence the N availability from cover crops. There are two primary considerations if the goal of planting cover crops is to contribute N to the soil: the proportion of species in cover stand and the timing of cover crop termination.
The proportion of species in the established cover stand is important because different species have different effects on N. Depending on the species of cover crop planted, soil N may be removed or supplied to the soil. Grass cover crops (e.g. cereal rye, annual rye, wheat, oats), which are referred to as “scavengers” take up nitrates from either residual N fertilizers or organic matter decomposition. So, grasses do not contribute a whole lot to the soil N since not all of the scavenged N is available for the next growing season. An established cover stand comprised of all or mostly grasses will not provide any significant N benefit. Hence, the recommended N rate for the cash crop should not be reduced. In contrast, legumes (e.g. clover, winter pea, hairy vetch) supply additional soil N through biological N fixation. A well-established legume cover crop stand would supply sufficient N to warrant reducing the recommended N rate. UT currently recommends a 60 to 80 lb N credit for a well established legume cover crop that has reached early bloom.
Generally, most growers plant multispecies of cover crops with less than 50% of biomass being a legume. Since legumes supply N, a good percentage of legume in cover stands is required to maximize plant available N for the next cash crop. A study in TN has shown that 30% legume biomass in cover stands can supply up to 43 pounds of N per acre when terminated late. It is critical to evaluate a stand of mixed species cover crops to determine actual legume proportion if some N credit is desired.
The second consideration is the timing of cover crop termination. There is a thin line between growing cover for extended periods to maximize plant available nitrogen (PAN) and yield loss of the cash crop. Generally, if the goal is to maximize PAN from a well-established legume stand, late termination may be a preferred choice. It is worth pointing out that late termination would result in delayed planting and increase the potential for yield loss of cash crops such as corn. If the legume is terminated early, those plants are smaller and have less time to fix N which can be released back into the soil. In contrast, well-established grass stands must be terminated early, especially if growing a cash crop with high N demand (e.g. corn). This strategy will not necessarily supply N but, rather prevent N from being tied up in the soil.
In summary, unique challenges presented by rising N fertilizer costs may present opportunities to rely on cover crops to meet some N need for the next cash crop. However, to integrate cover crops in N management, the cover crop should consist of at least 30% of established legume in the cover crop stand and should be terminated at early bloom. Currently, UT only recommends a N credit of 60-80 pounds per acre of plant available N following a single species well-established legume cover crop that has reached early bloom.