|Matching the appropriate qualities to the environment is essential for variety selection|
The choice of seeds can take time and effort. The optimum cotton, corn, or soybean variety for even one portion of a farm over another depends on new technology, climate, soil, and the overall environment. Crop consultants also advise growers to research their options before investing in the seed.
According to Brian Pieralisi, a cotton agronomic at Mississippi State University, while choosing seeds for cotton production in 2023, yield potential precedes all other considerations. Disease, nematode, and other environmental conditions can all impact yield potential.
The decision-making process is aided by having a basic understanding of the presence of infections or nematodes in the field. Pieralisi noted that newer kinds are now available with specific disease tolerance that can increase production. Monitoring variety performance in various contexts and using different agronomic techniques will aid in expanding our understanding of variety performance.
When choosing any crop variety, one should also consider advanced Bt technologies. New Bt and herbicide-tolerant cotton genotypes present a wide range of opportunities. Pieralisi stated that although three-gene Bt cotton is not new, it does provide control of bollworms and other lepidopteran pests.
Less than 2-gene Bt cotton is planted in Mississippi and other Delta locations. Many of the well-liked two-gene Bt cotton cultivars are being phased out.
Thrip preventionOnce regulatory clearances are granted for the much-awaited ThryvOn technology, better thrips and plant-insect management might be available. On test plots at MSU and other universities, ThryvOn cotton has offered excellent thrips control. According to Pieralisi, the potential for thrips pesticide resistance could make ThryvOn cultivars appealing to many growers.
When planting them in a cover-crop system, ensure the cotton and other crops have good seed-to-soil contact. I would choose a 3-gene Bt variety to sow into cover crops, but the way the seed is placed should be more significant, Pieralisi emphasized. Early in the growing season, "good source to soil contact can be crucial to emergence and vigor. A steady, unwavering stance is a significant advantage in preventing maturity delays.
Cotton planted in fields with a history of insects or disease should naturally benefit from a consistent crop rotation. If reniform nematodes are present in the area, corn makes a fantastic rotation crop for cotton, according to Pieralisi. "Growers should also consider the relative maturity of varieties and the growth habits of certain kinds.
For PGR management, the habit of varietal growth is crucial. Crop rotation may also impact this, according to Pieralisi, who noted that having a solid grasp of a variety's vegetative potential can help with various management techniques used during the growing season.
Soil testing is crucial to decide which variety is required and the kind and quantity of nutrients to apply. According to Pieralisi, more producers use foliar fertilizers, particularly potassium fertilizers, during peak bloom.
He added that the ability to replace a program that distributes potassium to the soil through the leaves is still being determined. "I predict additional potassium fertilizer applications and soil-applied potash will be used in 2023."
To assist in controlling high N costs, he advised producers to focus on "nitrogen utilization efficiency." Farmers are dividing sprays, he said, to minimize N loss. Some gardeners may apply three times, including once at planting, once in a pinhead, and once in the first bloom.
Keep your choice of varieties distinct from your state.Programs for testing state varieties produce essential research. But what about settings that are comparable between states? According to Virginia Sykes, assistant professor and coordinator of the Extension variety trials at the University of Tennessee, the Mid-South Soybean Variety Trials database, for instance, contains information on soybean varieties in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia.
"A place in West Tennessee may resemble a location in East Arkansas more than it resembles a location in East Tennessee," she said. By merging variety testing data from several states, we can produce a more robust set of data that enables us to more accurately anticipate which varieties are best suited to particular geographies and growing conditions.
The Mid-South soybean variety database was in the process of moving to a new website at the time this article was being written. You may find the new website at tiny.utk.edu/MidSouthSoybeanOVT.
According to Sykes, particular states or trial sites might be chosen on the website.
In addition, options for soil texture, full or double-crop systems, and irrigation or no irrigation are available. Brand name, variety name, maturity group, and herbicide tolerance are just a few characteristics that can be filtered, according to the expert.
Through www.search.utcrops.com, Sykes coordinates Tennessee soybean, corn, and cover crop variety trial data. Other Midsouth Extension locations can access the most recent seed variety experiment data. Growers can also get more precise advice on variety selection from state and national soybean, corn, and cotton organizations.
Producers can also get pointed in the appropriate variety direction via late-season variety field days and off-season educational courses offered by Extension and seed firms. Moreover, information from various trials conducted by regional farmer collaborators may provide many answers.
All of these suggestions can assist farmers in planting the ideal seed in the perfect location for maximum yield effectiveness.