Recent Updates

15 Jun 2018

Herbicide injured cotton: Deciding to keep it and management after

15 Jun 2018
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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 →

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14 Jun 2018

Supply and Demand Estimates and Profitability Outlook

14 Jun 2018
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The Supply & Demand Estimates and Profitability Outlook is a summary of the USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. Domestic balance sheets for corn, soybeans, cotton, and wheat are displayed along with price reaction in futures markets for each commodity on the day of the report release. Additionally, supply and demand estimates for key importing and exporting countries are provided for the current month along with change in estimates from the previous report. The Profitability Outlook section contains estimated returns per acre for each commodity based  on 2017 Tennessee state average/trend yields and current price offerings (note: cotton prices include a seed and hauling rebate). Variable expenses are based on the University of Tennessee Extension 2018 Row Crop Budgets. Prices are updated monthly; expenses are updated as warranted during the year and may be different than the expenses contained in the 2018 Row Crop Budgets. This section provides an estimation of the current relative profitability among major row crops in Tennessee.
The report is prepared monthly by Dr. Aaron Smith and Chuck Danehower.
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14 Jun 2018

Managing the moving parts of a breakeven price

14 Jun 2018
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What do you consider the breakeven price to be for a bushel of soybeans?

This was a question posed to candidates at a Tennessee gubernatorial forum in early May in the heart of soybean country in Northwest Tennessee.

Realistically, there is no correct answer but a range of acceptable answers depending on a farmer’s individual situation. Considering there are farmers in Tennessee and the U.S. that may struggle with answering the question, expecting gubernatorial candidates to be on top of such an answer may be a stretch. Regardless, most acquitted themselves well with their answers and did show they realize the importance of soybeans and agriculture in Tennessee. Continue reading at Southeast Free Press.

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13 Jun 2018

Section 18 Approved for Sivanto in Sweet Sorghum

13 Jun 2018
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The EPA has approved Tennessee’s Section 18 request for Sivanto (a.k.a. Sivanto prime) in sweet sorghum for control of sugarcane aphid. This product is already fully labeled on grain sorghum, but requires an emergency use exemption is sweet sorghum. Sivanto is the only insecticide labeled in sweet sorghum for control of the sugarcane aphid. Specific use requirements are listed below. Continue reading →

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12 Jun 2018

Tennessee Wheat Growers Expect a Record High Yield

12 Jun 2018
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USDA, NASS, Tennessee Field Office
Debra Kenerson, State Statistician

Released: June 12, 2018

Tennessee Wheat Growers Expect a Record High Yield

 Tennessee farmers expect to harvest 22.5 million bushels of winter wheat during 2018 according to the Tennessee field office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The expected crop for 2018 would be up 17 percent from the previous year. The forecast was based on crop conditions as of June 1 and increased 4 percent from the May forecast. Growers expect a yield of 75.0 bushels per acre, up 5.0 bushels from 2017 and up 3.0  bushels from May. Continue reading →

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12 Jun 2018

Tennessee Weekly Crop & Weather Report

12 Jun 2018
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FARMERS RETURN TO THEIR FIELDS

Dry weather prevailed over the state last week, allowing farmers to get back into the field. Corn planting wrapped up, while significant progress was made on cotton and soybean planting. Hay producers put up a lot of hay last week, but some were reporting their hay was of poorer quality than usual due to the lateness of the first cutting. A few livestock producers reported that the higher temperatures and humidity were putting stress on their animals. There were 6.5 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture was 2 percent very short, 14 percent short, 78 percent adequate, and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was 2 percent very short, 10 percent short, 79 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Continue reading at  TN_06_11_18.  The U.S. Crop Progress report can be read at  CropProg-06-11-2018.

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