Justin George, Merigold
8/20/2023 – Rice harvest started 10 days ago and is going well. In 10 more day, Bolivar county rice, my “early” North Delta (Tunica) rice will be in the bins! A mostly uninterrupted harvest would be a first for me and those growers. Sounds like it’s all cutting good thus far… it really “looks” good. Dyna Gro vs Hybrid on some farms… some are 100% hybrid… one is 100% Dyna Gro. Both should have a good year.
Now, there are more farms in the North Delta, that are just trying to start harvest this week and they have miles to go. Some of the last planted will be drained this week…. a really late planted 160 is still just heading.
Stinkbugs were sprayed, based on scouting, sweeping, and we probably sprayed 50% of my acres… I think all of it was Endigo ZCX, and it really knocked them down, and kept them away.
Soybeans: 50% are at the finish line and have been getting harvest aid OR will in the next 7 days. Mostly applied by ground rig, but some planes will open up this week. Pilots seem to know to be careful around houses and town now, and most would prefer to not take any chances. Early irrigated beans are doing great; dryland beans weren’t terrible (37-58 bu/a).
The other 50% are R5-R6. There’s a big difference in 4/15-4/28 planted fields and 5/9-5/25 beans! It pains me, for those that wind up planting late, when the early beans are being harvested!
Many of my 5/3+ beans, especially 4.8s, are getting, or have gotten Intrepid Edge plus acephate for loopers and beetles/stinkbugs. We will ride some this week hoping for a virus to kick in. The EXTREME heat last week, along with late July diamide may have cured some looper pressure, but not all. The north Delta got a great rain on Sunday that really helped; 1-2” was much appreciated.
Milo: full color change… every acre got midge AND head work poison; somehow sugarcane aphids didn’t take us over. Applied just Vantacor alone at the end and that may have helped to not flare aphids by leaving the beneficials. We’ve got too much corn/rice/beans to cut before they try Milo, so it’ll be a while before any harvest aid is applied and it gets sampled. I’m afraid it’ll be left in the field for too long… it looks good right now.
Corn: north of Greenville they started harvesting 12 days ago and are wrapping up quickly. At Crenshaw, the harvest has just begun. Long way to go in North Delta.
Some good surprises and some bad. Some Stellar corn, done perfectly, is getting a perfect result. Some acres got worked wet in the fall, planted wet in the spring, and fertilized by big Ground Spreaders, leaving tire tracks, and ill-timed is having Poor Results. Most corn is good, and I think it’s a good corn year where done right.
Andy Tonos, Greenville
8/31/2023 – Corn harvest is done; yields were all average to above average.
The youngest soybeans are R5.5 – R6 and the oldest are being harvested. A lot of beans in the R7 range. A good many acres have been desiccated and harvest is starting to pick up. So far, Irrigated yields and early planted dryland have been good. Later planted dryland will not be so good this year in my area, especially in the south delta, just not enough rain. Still making insecticide applications on some late beans in places.
Rice has all been drained or is being drained now. None harvested yet.
Will Price, Water Valley
8/31/2023 – Cotton: Most is bloomed/billed out the top. Excessive heat has produced some “switches” in some dryland, but overall, the fruit load is pleasing. Insecticide applications have been terminated and waiting to start to drop leaves in a few weeks. Let the cotton tell you when it’s ready, put your money in the first defoliation application, and, if you have to clean it up, so be it.
Corn yields overall, are outstanding. Some dryland is a little off, but irrigated is consistently 220-250+.
Soybeans stages are from R4 (wheat beans) to cut. Red bandeds are still being treated where needed; more of a right stage/time situation, but insects seem to be tapering off. Loopers may be an issue in the latest beans but most of the beans I consult on will outrun foliage feeders.
Will this be the best crop in my area ever ??… probably not, but it may end up as one of the most consistent.
I hope all have a safe and blessed Labor Day weekend. I’m ready to feel that “snap” in the morning air … and smell some Folex/Def!
John Bixler, Matthews, Missouri
9/1/2023 – The cotton crop in the Missouri Bootheel appears to have weathered the recent monsoon better than expected. Although some fields suffered damage and others fell due to extended time under water, most have exhibited less than expected boll rot and are beginning to open. With the return of high temperatures next week, I would expect some defoliation to begin in 14-21 days. God bless our customers with a safe harvest season!
Donny Adams, Greenville
8/29/2023 – Soybeans: pretty much done, Stink bug numbers went up around R6 but stayed well below threshold. Had a couple fields in the Arcola area that were treated, combination Green, Brown and few Red Bands.
Cotton: Majority of cotton is finished and looks like a good crop if we can get it to the barn. Have some hail damaged cotton that was replanted. It’s still going. Hopefully, The Lord willing, we can get some heat on it and make a crop. BGIII held up well for me this year.
Bruce Pittman, Coila
8/30/2023 – Things are coming to an end, not treating any cotton now; will put out first defol the first of next week. Soybeans are down to a few scattered wheat beans. Treated a few loopers and bollworms in the last two weeks in these beans, where loopers were primary, used Intrepid Edge, where bollworm were primary, used Vantacor. Corn harvest is probably about 75% complete and yields have been good.
Larry Walton, Tupelo
8/31/2023 – The crop season is slowly winding down with harvest of soybeans and corn going full bast right now. Here in NE, MS, a few MG3 soybeans will be harvesting very soon with MG4 to follow within a couple of weeks. In some of the very late planted soybeans, grasshoppers and three-cornered alfalfa hoppers can be found. Worm pressure is very low at this time even with late planted soybeans. I saw some corn being harvested today and reports are that yields are very good even on non-irrigated. Cotton is cutting out as well and no insect pressure to report at this time. Here’s hoping the next few weeks will be ideal for harvest of corn, soybeans and cotton.
Phillip McKibben, Maben
8/31/2023 – Big planters covering a lot of acres in a hurry. That’s great in the Spring when we’re trying to get crops planted, but it looks like every acre of corn and soybeans are getting ready at the same time.
Corn yields have been excellent where they’ve cut. We had one 80% dryland grower that averaged 200 bushels across the board. Irrigated corn has been some better. We have one grower that planted some 15″ corn on 4 different farms; and intends to harvest with an auger-fed soybean head. If harvest goes smoothly, this could be a really good fit for his operation. I really like the quick canopy and degree of light interception.
Bean yields have surprised to the high side of our estimates, and we certainly hope that trend continues. We’re spraying Gramoxone daily as fast as we think the combine can keep up.
Sweetpotato yield potential is outstanding over the majority of our acres, and the quality appears to be the best we’ve seen in several years. Harvest has begun, but only to train new H2A workers, and to dig foundation seed (typically dug smaller than normal). One grower has 300 H2A workers, and they have arrived, and are sitting on ‘go’; just waiting a few more days for the crop to grow. Size = Yield = $$.
Cotton is opening at the rate that it bloomed. Mostly 5-20% opened.
