RECENT RAINS BRING VARIABLE CONDITIONS

Tennessee producers experienced multiple rain days with fluctuating amounts throughout the state. Fieldwork and other activities were halted during the 2.6 days suitable for field work. Some report concern for wheat and hay condition as lodging is present in some areas of the state. Others are finding great conditions with crops and cattle. Wet conditions are not helping the progression of hay cutting and tobacco setting. There is concern about
the maturity of the hay. Topsoil moisture was 4 percent short, 66 percent adequate, and 30 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 24 percent surplus. Continue reading at TN_06_03_18 .The U.S. Crop Progress report can be read at CropProg-06-04-2018.

The spray boom should be no more than 24″ above the target for dicamba applications…but is the target the crop or the weed? Drake Copeland explains in this video.

Corn, soybeans, and wheat were down; cotton was up for the week. Volatility continues to be prevalent in commodity markets. For row crops, the source of the volatility is primarily weather and the on-again-off-again trade posturing between the US and Canada, Mexico, and China. This week trade friction heated up again with the US announcing tariffs would be implemented on steel and aluminum exports from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. The three parties predictably responded with retaliatory tariffs on US goods. The proposed retaliatory tariffs have a limited impact on agriculture, however the series of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs likely indicates that an agreement on a new NAFTA is not forthcoming any time soon. An exit from NAFTA could have dramatic implications for the agricultural sector. Trade negotiations between the US and China also hit a bumpy patch
as the US indicated it would proceed with $50 billion in tariffs in retaliation to intellectual property theft concerns with China. These tariffs have not been imposed at this time but if they were imposed and as a result China imposed retaliatory tariffs it would likely have a strong agricultural component. Continue reading at Tennessee Market Highlights.