While the earliest planted and maturity soybeans are drying down and being harvested many later planted and maturity soybeans are exhibiting multiple diseases and some pre-mature defoliation may be occurring due to diseases. Continue reading
The University of Tennessee Soybean Disease Field Day will be held Tuesday, Sept. 13th, at the Milan Research and Education Center. Continue reading
Corn: Since the market’s open on Monday, December corn futures have increased by $0.18. Corn prices have rallied on the expectation that the USDA will be forced to cut back their national yield projections. USDA is scheduled to release their monthly report and the trade is anticipating that report will include news of a lower corn production forecast. USDA currently has the corn harvest at 15.15 billion bushels. However, Reuters took a survey of analysts that indicated that the average trade estimate for the corn crop is 15.027 billion bushels. Corn harvest is underway in Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of Illinois. Continue reading
A sample from the soybean sentinel plot in Coffee County collected August 29th contained very low levels of soybean rust. Late planted soybeans in the area are at risk and would benefit from a fungicide application. Continue reading
Corn: Corn futures have traded $0.29 lower since the market’s open on Monday morning. Farm Journal has just released the results of the Pro Farmer 2016 Crop Tour. Their estimated national yield for corn is 170.2 bushels per acres. That is less than the USDA August 12th estimate of a national yield of 175.1 bushels per acre. Illinois was projected to have an average yield of 194 bushels per acre for the corn crop planted there. Currently, the USDA estimates the average yield for Illinois to be 200 bushels per acre. Continue reading
I had a client call suggesting I make the following changes to our insect treatment thresholds to make things a little easier. I added the last one myself. Continue reading
Corn: Corn futures have traded $0.13 higher since the market’s open on Monday morning. Corn futures have closed higher for six days straight. The USDA report from last week left room for the market to become more bearish with a projected national yield of 175.1 bushels per acre. However, after sifting through the report, it appeared that the trade was already trading the expectations of a high national yield. Some analysts are beginning to question the methods that USDA used to come up with their yield figures. Many are pointing to the fact that the estimate is based on a record ear size that excludes a kernel count.
I’ve had a few calls from the Mississippi River Bottom about armyworms in soybean and even in some Bt cotton. I’ve also had a few people complaining about a lack of control with insecticides and the fact that larvae were eating pigweed and then moving into the crops. This is a pretty good sign you are dealing with beet armyworm (as opposed to fall armyworm). Continue reading