We have gotten several reports of wheat showing metribuzin injury this week. In some cases it clearly was caused by metribuzin (Picture 1). In other cases, the visual injury would suggest frost damage (Picture 2). Continue reading
Every fall we travel around the state and observe the overall success or failure of weed control in our row crops. From the Palmer amaranth standpoint a few too many fields look like a failure. Particularly, from Gibson county across to Lauderdale county cotton and soybean fields ranged from clean fields to fields with more weeds than one would like (Picture 1) to completely grown up pigweed messes (Picture 2). Continue reading
For the past several weeks we are getting reports of waterhemp escaping dicamba application/s from retailers and consultants scouting fields in Montgomery and Macon counties. As one retailer so aptly described it today “combines have spread it and we are fighting it all over the county now”. Continue reading
What are some options to control volunteer XtendFlex soybeans in XtendFlex cotton fields? As mentioned in an earlier blog both Envoke and Staple look to be potential answers to this new issue but without data it was difficult to say. It was brought to my attention that Dr. Alan York, emeritus Professor at North Carolina State University, actually has some data on this problem. A study was conducted in North Carolina and Georgia in 2000 and 2001 with the objective of examining if Envoke, Staple or MSMA could control Roundup Ready volunteer soybean in Roundup Ready cotton. Continue reading
The long hot and mostly dry June and July have driven a good bit of our corn crop to premature maturity. Similar to the drought of 2012 when the corn crop burned up, I would expect a good bit of the prematurely matured corn will be harvested in August and early September. In 2012 a good bit of that early harvested corn was planted to wheat well before the fly free date. I expect many will manage this disappointing corn crop similarly this fall. Continue reading
This long, hot and mostly dry spell has made this growing season a real challenge. Hopefully, we will catch a break this week and can get some much-needed general rain across the state. Herbicide drift is even harder for crops to recover from when drought stressed so please remember to use best management practices applying all herbicides but particularly products that contain dicamba and 2,4-D. 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 11th, 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.
West TN – Henry County, July 12th, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM. This school will be at Norwood Farms, 645 Norwood Rd, Mansfield, TN.
Middle TN – Lincoln County, July 13th, 9:30 AM – Noon. This school will be at H&R Agri-Power, 11 Highland Rim Road, Fayetteville, TN 37334. Lunch will be provided courtesy of H&R Agri-Power. A head count is required for the meal, please contact Bruce Steelman of the UT Lincoln County Extension Office at (office) 931-433-1582 or (cell) 615-542-1364 if you plan to attend.
The forecast, unfortunately, would suggest we are in store for another hot and dry week. That persistent weather pattern makes the challenging aspect of weed control more difficult which leads to questions. One common one is how long a residual herbicide will persist on the soil surface before a rain activates it? Another common question during long stress periods is the poor weed control from a POST application due to resistance or dry weather. Continue reading