The 2015 TN Cotton Variety Trial Results Publication (PB1742) is now available online. This document contains detailed results from all harvested trails in the 2014 University of Tennessee Cotton Variety Testing program. This expanded publication follows the recently published summary publication, 2016 TN Cotton Variety Guide (W285), which was released a few weeks ago. Continue reading
Now available online, the 2015 Tennessee Wheat Quick Facts Publication (W 321) is designed to be a single page (printed front/back) summary of the most pertinent Continue reading
September has been warmer and drier than normal but rain is in the forecast over the next few days. The first report of picking in TN came in late last week and we should be in full-picking-mode after this rain moves through. Still, there is more to getting back into the field than just waiting for the bolls to dry and ground to ‘hold up’. With the adoption of the new module-building pickers, the weight of our equipment has increased to record levels. Continue reading
The West Tennessee Research and Education Center (WTREC) would like to cordially invite you to the 2015 University of Tennessee Cotton Tour. This event is scheduled Continue reading
By definition, the last effective bloom date is the day in which the probability of a new flower developing into a boll and making its way into the basket declines to below 50%. Since it is unlikely (probability less than 50%) that fruiting positions which develop after this date will contribute to yield, end-of-season insecticide termination and defoliation recommendations for our area are based upon protecting/managing those positions which will be flowering Continue reading
Tyson Raper (Cotton and Small Grains Specialist) and Frank Yin (Systems Agronomist)
Sulfur (S) deficiencies have been becoming more common in cotton fields in recent years. This is in part due to a reduction in sulfur emissions from manufacturing plants and diesel fuels. Nitrogen (N) and S deficiencies are commonly confused- particularly late in the season. Although both cause chlorosis of leaf tissue, the mobile nature of N within the plant results in deficiency symptoms first appearing low in the canopy. In contrast, S is very immobile in the plant and, as a result, S deficiency symptoms first appear in new growth near the top of the plant. Continue reading
A rough start for many of TN’s cotton acres has turned into a decent summer for the majority of our acreage. This is very evident when looking at accumulated heat units noted at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, TN. As you can see in the below graph, we are quite a bit ahead of the last two years on accumulated heat units. Warm temperatures in mid/late June and timely rains have Continue reading
Tennessee cotton is finally ‘growing off’. Still, here on the 3rd day of July, it appears few farms will reach the coveted ‘bloom by the 4th’. Although the environment has played a dominate role in maturity up to this point, management decisions emphasizing earliness have been particularly useful in 2015. This marks the third consecutive year in which managing for earliness has a marked effect on crop maturity by early July. 
On the heels of last year’s delayed crop, Dr. Owen Gwathmey and I began discussing potential benefits of managing a cotton crop for earliness and the management practices which encourage timely maturity and harvest with colleagues both within and beyond the University of Tennessee. We have summarized these thoughts in the attached Guide to Earliness Management in Short-season Cotton Production (PB1830). Continue reading
