Co-authored with Jeff Via, UT Extension Fayette County
Last week, on March 28, 2011, Extension agents in Fayette and Shelby County along with help from BASF put out a research plot targeting perennial foxtail. The plot is located on a field that was treated with varying rates of pedimethalin (Prowl H2O) and conducted where 1.5 quarts of Prowl H20 was applied along with glyphosate as a dormant spray. Continue reading
Much of the Palmer amaranth that is now 3 to 5” tall is flowering. Quite a few folks have asked what the reason is for this early flower. The Palmer amaranth has been triggered to flower by the short day length of March and now early April. Quite literally the Palmer amaranth that has emerged thinks it is late August or September. Palmer amaranth that we are most familiar with emerges from late-April through June. Continue reading
Crop Progress as reported by NASS on April 2, 2012
WARM SPRING “JUMP STARTS” FARM ACTIVITIES
The 2012 farming season is well underway after a mild winter allowing farmers to progress rapidly with field activities, especially planting corn. Corn farmers across the Volunteer State took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to push corn planting progress up by one week. Also, winter wheat is developing at rate about 10 days ahead of the normal pace and was rated in mostly good condition. Wheat growers were able to make their top dressing applications on time and there have been some reports of fungicide and insecticide applications being made. Pastures are greening-up and hay supplies remain adequate. Continue reading
I’ve had a number of questions about including insecticide with fungicide applications. In almost all cases, there are not significant insect infestations in the field. It is purely a convenience application. In fact, most reports are of light aphid and cereal leaf beetle infestations, and little or no armyworm activity. Some have used the logic that insect populations are ahead of schedule, but so is the wheat. At this time of year, insecticides should be applied as needed based on Continue reading
Cotton, soybean, and wheat prices are up while corn prices are down for the week. The June U.S. Dollar Index before the close is at 79.17, down .41 for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average before the close is up 131 points for the week at 13,212. Crude Oil was trading before the close at 103.08 a barrel, down 2.89 a barrel for the week. 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 March 30, 2012 for 2012 and can give a glimpse of what crop profitability is in Tennessee as of this date. Continue reading
The USDA Prospective Plantings and Quarterly Grain Stocks Report were released today, March 30 and are based on information as of March 1, 2012. The prospective plantings report fell within pre-report ranges for cotton and wheat and above the high end of expectations for corn and below the low end of expectations for soybeans. On the average, corn acres were 1.16 million acres higher than the average pre report guess; cotton 410,000 acres more than the average guess; soybeans 1.6 million acres less than the average pre report guess; and wheat 1.69 million acres less than the average pre report guess. The quarterly grain stocks were reported to be Continue reading
Visiting with consultants and a few growers it is apparent that a good deal of our cotton acres will see three herbicide application passes before the cotton is up. The early application was typically glyphosate + dicamba or glyphosate + dicamba + Leadoff. With Palmer amaranth emerging now many are considering using Continue reading