As we move into the third week of squaring on many fields, with some earlier field having 12+ nodes, I’ve had some calls about plant bugs and aphids. Below are some points to consider for each of these pests. Continue reading
TROPICAL STORM BRINGS RAIN
Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Cindy made their way through West and Middle Tennessee this week. Many producers experienced less time in the field than they would have liked, causing some to bustle earlier in the week. These rains and mild temperatures are producing favorable yield conditions for most crops. There were 4.0 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture was 3 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 27 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was 3 percent short, 78 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus. Continue reading at TN_06_26_17. The U.S. Crop Progress report can be read at CropProg-06-26-2017.
We clearly have to get a better handle on the dicamba drift issue in this state. In cotton there is no reason to use anything but Liberty now. In soybeans, particularly seed fields, there maybe no choice but to have to use a dicamba product. The following are some best management practices to reduce the potential of off-target wandering of dicamba. Continue reading
Corn, soybeans, and wheat were down; cotton was mixed for the week.
The average cash price for a bushel of soybeans, in Tennessee, fell to $8.94
on Thursday, June 22. This is the lowest average price since March 15, 2016.
Similarly, harvest cash forward contracts (October/November delivery)
dipped to an average of $9.01/bu, the lowest since March 18, 2016. For soybean prices to improve, it is likely that one (or both of the following will need to happen: 1) export sales will need to rebound – export sales for this marketing year have been strong, however recent weeks export sales commitments have been underwhelming (4.2 million bushels this past (reported) week for the 2016/17 and 2017/18 marketing years combined) and sales commitments for the 2017/18 marketing year are substantially lower than past years (3.4 MMT compared to 6.2, 6.0, and 10.3 MMT for the previous 3 years at the same time in the marketing year); Continue reading at Tennessee Market Highlights.
Trying to decide whether or not to spray fungicide on your corn? First, you should scout for diseases and consider your disease risk. Southern rust has been reported in TX, MS, AL, AR, GA, and FL and with the tropical storm there is a good chance spores have been blown in to TN and the wet, overcast weather provides the perfect environment for disease development. Continue reading
I’ve been watching kudzu bug populations on kudzu, and I am now seeing late-instar immature stages and next-generation adults. This means we will start seeing adults migrating into some soybean fields. With the mild winter and early spring, this migration will be sooner than we’ve seen in the past. We might have expected it to be larger also, but populations on kudzu do not seem especially high. A fungus (Beauveria bassiana) has helped considerably at reducing populations of kudzu bug , and I’m hoping we again see the benefits this year. You will notice a fuzzy white fungus growing on dead nymphs and adults when they are filled by Beauveria. Continue reading
WHEAT HARVEST, CORN, SOYBEANS, COTTON CROPS PROGRESSING WELL
Wheat harvest was ahead of schedule, with soybeans, corn, and cotton progressing well. Some eastern counties had excessively wet soil that slowed hay harvesting and field work. Winter wheat yield was above average in most of the central and western regions. Pasture conditions were fair to excellent except in some eastern counties. Hay quality may have been affected by recent rains. There were 5.2 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture was 1 percent very short, 7 percent short, 74 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Continue reading at TN_06_19_17. The U.S. Crop Progress report can be read at CropProg-06-19-2017.
The 2017 Soybean Scout Schools have been scheduled for three locations. Scout schools are sponsored by the Tennessee Promotion Board. They typically last 2-2.5 hours and provide hands-on training on the basics of soybean growth and the scouting and management of weeds, insects, and diseases. Participants will receive a scouting notebook and complimentary sweep net while supplies last. Pesticide recertification points and CCA CEU points are offered. See below for details, and updates and reminders will be posted in future articles. Continue reading