I’ve received several calls this week requesting information on whether or not to keep injured cotton and management after the injury. In this brief article, I will cover the ‘keep or discard’ decision and briefly cover best management practices after the decision to keep the crop has been made. Depending on your situation, you may need to document the injury and/or keep a portion of the field to determine the yield penalty. That information is beyond the scope of this article but should be available from your insurance agent or attorney. Continue reading
Category Archives: Soybean
TOO MUCH TOO SOON
Soybeans lose gallons of water daily during hot, dry conditions through transpiration. Plants transpire, or lose more than 98% of water taken up by the roots, through leaf tissue. Evapotranspiration (ET) describes the movement of water through evaporation from the soil and transpiration through plant surfaces, which is the movement of water from the soil into plant roots, through plant stems and leaves, and back out into the atmosphere. The rate of ET depends upon the soybean growth stage and the time of the year (Fig 1.) Both transpiration and evaporation need to be Continue reading
Moth Trapping Results and Other Reminders
A reminder that weekly moth tap catches for corn earworm (bollworm), tobacco budworm, and southwestern corn borer can be found under the quick links menu under Moth Trapping Data.
With the exception of southwestern corn borers (SWCB) in some locations , we’ve not been catching many moths. Now would be a good time to scout the whorls of any non-Bt corn for the presence of corn borers. Remember that the treatment threshold during the whorl stage is when 5% of plants are infested with SWCB.
Also remember that UT Pest Guides are available at http://guide.utcrops.com/. They provide the latest information of pest identification, sampling, and management in a mobile-friendly, app-like format.
Corn and Soybean Irrigation Reminders
Although most of Tennessee was blessed with an overabundance of rain this spring, warmer than average temperatures have increased water use by the corn crop and fields should be monitored now if irrigation is an option. Continue reading
When Sensitive Vegetation is Downwind from DT Soybeans
Watch as Dr. Steckel advises on best dicamba alternatives for DT soybeans when wind and weather are not cooperating.
Mid May Weather has Hampered Liberty, Engenia and XtendiMax Weed Control
I have gotten a number of reports and pictures from consultants on disappointing Palmer amaranth control from POST applications last week of Engenia, Liberty and XtendiMax. This is not surprising. Spraying those herbicides on Palmer amaranth that is 6 to 10” tall with frequent overcast skies and showers most every afternoon is a recipe for poor control. Continue reading
Palmer Amaranth Management: Frequent Rain Making it very Difficult
This weather pattern has Palmer amaranth management in a terrible fix for many fields in West Tennessee. The rain that has occurred on an almost daily basis for over a week in many areas has delayed early POST herbicide applications. The forecast for rain into June looks to be a similar pattern. There will likely be a very small window to spray until the first week of June for numerous fields. Palmer amaranth is growing quickly and now is often in the 1 to 3” range where a PRE was used and 10 to 14” range in fields where no PRE was used. Continue reading
Confusing Cutworm with Armyworms?
We’ve had a pretty good run of cutworms in some fields, but we’ve also had some mistaken identity where armyworms have actually been the problem. This has been in situations where wheat cover crop was infested with armyworms. If the cover crop is killed close to or after planting, there is potential for armyworms to feed on emerging seedlings and cause injury similar to cutworms. I’d recommend using a pyrethroid Continue reading