Cotton is blooming in Tennessee and I’ve gotten some calls asking about fungicides – there are options but none is warranted at this time, but as the rain, heat, and humidity continue we may start to see target spot develop which could justify a fungicide application.
UT’s Soybean Scout Schools will be held in July (see below). These field-side programs cover the basics of soybean growth, scouting, pest identification, and general management. Pesticide recertification and CCA CEU points will be available. Scout Schools are offered free of charge with sponsorship from the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board. Registration is not required. Participants will receive a scouting notebook and a sweep net while supplies last. Continue reading
With no reports of southern rust in Tennessee (only some in GA and LA reported at this time), it is a relatively quiet disease season in corn, with the exception of grey leaf spot and physioderm brown spot in Tennessee.
The UT Cotton Scout School is scheduled for the last Friday of the month, May 31st, at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (605 Airways Blvd, Jackson). There is no fee, and preregistration is not required. Registration begins at 8:00 AM with the program starting at 8:30. Content will include classroom and hands-on training with an optional ‘go-to-the-field session’ after a box lunch. Topics covered will include cotton development and identification and symptoms of insect pests, plant diseases, and weeds.
I’ve spent the past several days walking replants and fielding last minute variety placement/selection questions. This post covers a few thoughts I’d like to share concerning replants, variety maturity, and determining when to stop planting cotton. Continue reading
Federal crop insurance programs have a prevented planting provision that can protect producers from the financial losses and risks associated with not being able to plant the intended crop within the desired planting period. Revenue Protection, Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion, Yield Protection, and Area Risk Protection insurance policies pay indemnities if producers were unable to plant the insured crop by a designated final planting date or within any applicable late planting period due to natural causes, typically drought or excess moisture. This post highlights several components of those provisions and provides a few examples.
Kevin Adkins, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee
**Christopher N. Boyer, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee 302-I Morgan Hall Knoxville, TN 37996 Phone: 865-974-7468 Email: cboyer3@utk.edu **Corresponding author Continue reading
Adverse conditions experienced during or after cotton planting can negatively impact cotton seedlings and result in seedling death. If severe, stresses can reduce stands to unprofitable yield potentials. Unfortunately, cool nights, excessive rainfall and marginal seed quality from some seed lots have increased reports of failed stands. Determining whether to accept or replant a marginal stand of cotton is a particularly challenging decision since many factors must be considered. The purpose of this post is to highlight a few factors to consider while making the replant decision. Continue reading
Wheat is in bloom and when considering a fungicide application one needs to assess their risk for fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab infection. Continue reading