Caterpillar infestations, including corn earworm, continue to be light in soybean. However, scouting late planted fields for corn earworm is a must. Concentrate your efforts on fields at R1 or R2. This will include many wheat beans. For the most part, other pest action continues to be light. But exceptions prove the rule. Continue reading
Along with the rains in many areas has come a rise in insect pest pressure in cotton. The bollworm flight, although not especially large, has begun across the state. Plant bugs, both tarnished and clouded, and stink bugs are also being reported in many areas and especially in the “greener” cotton. These next two weeks will be crunch time Continue reading
As reported by NASS on July 16, 2012
DROUGHT NOT OVER BUT WIDESPREAD, PLENTIFUL PRECIPATATION RECEIVED! Soaking rainfall and lower temperatures characterized the conditions which greeted farmers last week. The drought is not broken as some areas of the state experienced only light-to-moderate precipitation. Overall, state crop condition ratings improved, especially for soybeans. However, the corn condition rating, although improved, continued to point to a season with over half the acreage in a heavy or extreme loss of yield situation. Some renewed optimism now exists for soybeans, cotton and tobacco which are rated in mostly fair or good condition. Continue reading
Corn, cotton, soybean, and wheat prices are all up for the week. The September U.S. Dollar Index traded before the close at 83.47, down 0.09 for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average at mid-day traded at 12,745, up 171 points today but down 27 points since last Friday. Crude Oil traded at 87.30 a barrel mid-day, up 2.85 a barrel for the week. USDA released their supply & demand report on July 11 and made several adjustments to the monthly numbers. Continue reading
This table should be used as a guide as yields, prices, and expenses will vary among producers and locations. This table looks at crop prices as of July 11, 2012 for 2012 and can give a glimpse of what crop profitability is in Tennessee as of this date. Adjustments downward have been made to yields and I would expect quite a bit of variation among producers in Tennessee. These adjustments represent a guess and are not based on surveys. Those will come in August. Continue reading
Corn
Corn market trading has been volatile as September futures have traded in a 64 cent range from top to bottom today as the market soared higher on the release of the monthly USDA data but then closed lower. Continue reading
Soybean – There have been few calls on soybean. Stink bug populations are low with a few exceptions. However, I’ve definitely seen an upturn of green stink bug adults in early maturing soybean. No significant infestations of corn earworm or other caterpillar pests have been reported. With some of the recent rains, insect pressure may pick up. I’ve had a few calls on blister beetles, primarily the striped blister beetle. Seeing a few small spots of blister beetles Continue reading
The Mid-South Agricultural Finance Conference is set for August 1 at the UT Martin Boling University Center in Martin, Tennessee. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. with the program to kick off shortly thereafter. This informative program will wrap up at 3:00 p.m. with door prizes and does include break refreshments and lunch. Registration is $75 for farmers and producers and $150 for lenders and ag service providers. A special session on Strategic Planning for Farm Operations will be July 31 at 5:30 p.m. Continue reading