Cotton Planting Progress
Cotton planting has progressed at a rapid pace and we are well ahead of the five year average for percent planted acres for the first week of May. Nearly 40% of intended cotton plantings were complete at the beginning of
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1. By Crop
When should I start Irrigating Corn?
Dry early season conditions have prompted much conversation about the proper time to initiate irrigation for corn. This scenario usually generates a lot more anxiety than necessary because early season wilting is certainly not something we are very accustomed to.
Thrips in Peanuts and Their Impact on Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV)
There have been a lot of questions recently about thrips control in peanuts. In general, thrips will not hurt peanut yields except in EXTREME situations. Peanut seedlings are relatively vigorous compared to most of the crops grown in Mississippi. Foliar insecticide applications, though rarely needed, should be based on plant injury rather than thrips numbers.
Timing Critical for Postemergence Herbicide Applications
A good rule of thumb is that the crop should be weed-free for the first four to six weeks following emergence to avoid yield loss.
Soybean Seedling Disease Identification: Pythium Damping-off and Root Rot
Environment is the key component in the expression of every plant disease. Especially when considering the occurrence of seedling diseases we typically have a situation in place where inoculum is present in the soil, more than likely in high quantities,
MSU hires Jason Krutz as Irrigation Specialist for DREC
Mississippi State University has named Dr. Jason Krutz as Extension/Research Irrigation Specialist at the Delta Research and Extension Center
Southwestern Corn Borers Showing up Early in Non-Bt Corn
Yesterday (4/30), I had a call from a consultant who found about 20% infestation of 3-4 day old SWCB in Non-Bt, V6 stage corn in the Minter City area. There were places in the field that averaged 40-50% infestation, but overall was about 20%.
Zinc Deficient Corn Observed in MS Delta
Over the last several weeks corn has either passed or approached the V2-V5 stage of corn growth. During this time we have received numerous calls about corn having a yellow, streaky appearance. Many of the fields we received calls on
Corn Holcus Leaf Spot Occurring in the Central Delta
Holcus leaf spot, a leaf spot of corn caused by a bacterium, has been confirmed across a wide geographic area in the Mississippi Delta over the past two weeks. The disease is typically characterized by numerous cream to white lesions on the corn leaf that can oftentimes be confused with herbicide (paraquat) drift.
Rice Season Races Along With Some Hurdles to Jump
Rice Acreage: On March 30th USDA estimated that Mississippi will plant 135,000 acres of rice. That is down 16% from 2011 and the lowest acreage since the mid 1970’s. Talking with producers and seed retailers, I would estimate that Mississippi acres will be closer 100,000 acres. There are a lot of farmers across the delta that will not be planting any rice and it has been over 40 years since they have done that. Stagnant rice prices and high urea prices have not encouraged any additional plantings. The recent upswing in urea prices will not have a significant impact on rice acres.
Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Agricultural Industry Council
The 2012 Mississippi Agricultural Industry Council and Mississippi Seedsmen’s Association convention will be held again at beautiful Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama, on July 24-July 28, 2012. This will be our 19th year at Perdido Beach Resort.
Septoria Leaf Blotch, Stagonospora Leaf and Glume Blotch, and Bacterial Leaf Streak of Wheat
In addition to the wheat rusts we’ve been observing over the past few months throughout our wheat production area, numerous additional foliar disease have been observed. The abnormally warm temperature and heavy dews we’ve experienced over the past several weeks have allowed several other wheat diseases to occur.
2012 Mississippi Soybean Sentinel Plot Program
Sentinel plots will continue to be used to monitor for yield-limiting diseases throughout MS during the 2012 season. Even though in the past sentinel plots have more typically been used to monitor for the presence of soybean rust, the plots will be used to monitor for all economically important soybean diseases.
Current Wheat Rust Situation: April 12, 2012
Heavy leaf and stripe rust sporulation continues to be a concern throughout much of the wheat production area in MS.
Herbicide Carryover
A problem that has become increasingly common in Mississippi and across the Midsouth over the last two years is corn injury from fomesafen (Flexstar, Flexstar GT, Prefix, Reflex) carryover.
April Supply and Demand Report Recap
USDA released their April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report this morning and inside was one unforeseen surprise. Corn carry-over (the amount we keep in bins and elevators from one year to the next) was unchanged from the March estimate
Can UAN 32% be used as an N Source in Rice?
Encouraging farmers to plant rice this year has been a hard sell. The rice industry is facing multiple issues that have put downward pressure on acres resulting in what will be one of the smallest rice acres since the early
Palmer Amaranth Control in Corn with HPPD Herbicides
Using herbicides with different modes of action is an excellent resistance management tool for glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth.
Prospective Plantings Recap
USDA released their annual Prospective Plantings report Friday morning (Mar 30). The report reveled that corn is the big gainer in terms of acres planted this year versus last year. Corn acres across the U.S. are expected to jump by
Wheat Disease Update: March 29
Wheat diseases continue to be identified throughout the MS production area. Barley yellow dwarf virus, leaf rust, powdery mildew, and stripe rust are all present in limited situations in several counties.
Control Palmer Amaranth at Planting
Paraquat is a critical component of an at-planting herbicide application.
Glyphosate-resistant Italian Ryegrass Spreading across Mississippi
The severity of the glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass problem in Mississippi has varied from year to year. This year has been the worst year since the initial confirmation in 2005, and GR Italian ryegrass is spreading.
True Armyworms Showing Up In MS Wheat Ahead of Schedule
In the last couple of days there have been calls coming in about armyworms in wheat. It is not unusual for us to get armyworms in wheat in MS but this at least 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule compared to years past.
