Poor performance of dicamba on Palmer amaranth was again the theme of the last ten days. There have been numerous reports typically with attached pictures of large patches of Palmer amaranth recovering from dicamba application/s (Picture 1). Continue reading
UT’s Soybean Scout Schools will be held in July (see details 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.
West TN – Madison County, July 17th, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM. This school will be at the West TN Research and Education Center, 605 Airways Blvd. Jackson TN, 38301. Signs will be up at the station to direct you to the field.
Middle TN – Coffee County, July 18th, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM. This school will be at Graham Farms,8141 Woodbury Hwy., Manchester, TN. Please contact Amy Willis Prince of the UT Coffee County Extension Office at 931-723-5141 or awillis2@utk.edu if you plan to attend.
East TN – Monroe County, July 19th, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM. This school will be held in Madisonville, TN (the exact location is being finalized). Lunch will be provided. A head count is required for the meal, please contact Jonathan Rhea of the UT Monroe County Extension Office at 423-442-2433 or jrhea@utk.edu if you plan to attend.
Just when it appears that ryegrass has become our most problematic weed, Palmer amaranth goes into “hold my beer and watch this” mode. In the last 10 days we have fielded numerous reports on dicamba failures to control Palmer amaranth. Just this past week we were able to visit a number of these fields. Continue reading
Photo credit: University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), Shekoofa’s lab
Irrigation timing: Corn & soybean
As we head into the second week of June, many growers are understandably concerned about potential yield loss due to drought stress. In this blog post our Extension Corn and Soybean Specialist, Dr. Jake McNeal and I have discussed irrigation strategies for both corn and soybean.
Understanding the relationship between crops and their environment is critical for effective irrigation management. Crop water use and demand varies as a function of growth stage and weather conditions. Furthermore, the capacity of a soil to hold and deliver water to plant roots (soil water–holding capacity) varies widely across different soil textures.
Also, we want to emphasis that there is a distinct physiological difference between heat stress and drought stress, especially in corn. Even in the presence of adequate soil water, corn leaves will often curl inward from the leaf margins during extended periods of high temperatures. Many refer to this as “pineapple leaves” or a “pineapple crop”. Furthermore, it is very difficult to discern between the two without utilizing a soil water sensor in your crop.
Corn-The Mid-South region of the U.S. receives sufficient annual rainfall to grow corn without irrigation in most years. However, irrigation is common in corn production because rainfall is not always distributed adequately throughout the growing season for the crop, especially during critical reproductive periods. Therefore, not all rainfall can be considered effective. Continue reading
As the calendar turns to June weed management concerns change from ryegrass and horseweed to the summer annuals goosegrass, junglerice and Palmer amaranth.
Tennessee growers are in a real crunch time to control these three summer annual weeds. Big percentages of the corn, soybean and cotton crops all need some kind of POST application right now. The planter technology that can plant three different crops across large acreages very quickly has one drawback. The sprayers often cannot keep up to most every acre needing to be sprayed just as quickly. Continue reading
It is crunch time for weed control in our row crops. When every minute counts to get herbicide applied it is tempting to cut corners on herbicide stewardship. The forecast would suggest that Tennessee will be entering a bit of a dry spell. Herbicide drift is even harder for crops to recover from when drought stressed so please take time to use best management practices applying all herbicides but particularly products that contain dicamba and 2,4-D. Continue reading
| Week 2: Phosphorus |
| In the second installment in our series on nutrient deficiencies in corn and soybean, this week we take quick look at phosphorus: symptomology, sources, and common causes. |
Excessive rainfall over the weekend (5/12 and 5/13) in the North Western river counties has resulted in several calls this week concerning flooding and standing water in corn and to a lesser extent in soybean. Crop response will depend on the length of time the crop remains submerged and varies between corn and soybean. With rain still in the forecast for the next few days, here are a few agronomic considerations to be aware of. Continue reading