West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center

West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center Stay up-to-date on the latest news and information from WTREC, including events and on-site research.

More than 60 attendees joined us for our annual Cotton Scout School today. We want to thank everyone who attended, and w...
05/20/2026

More than 60 attendees joined us for our annual Cotton Scout School today. We want to thank everyone who attended, and we hope you took home some useful information for the current growing season!

Mark your calendar for our next big event: the 2026 W**d Tour Field Day scheduled for June 17 at 8:30 a.m.

Read more below, including some of this year's topics:

https://utianews.tennessee.edu/2026-w**d-tour-field-day-scheduled-for-june-17

Reminder that Cotton Scout School is THIS WEDNESDAY, May 20, at 8:30 a.m.It's not been an easy couple of years for cotto...
05/18/2026

Reminder that Cotton Scout School is THIS WEDNESDAY, May 20, at 8:30 a.m.

It's not been an easy couple of years for cotton producers in Tennessee, and this is a great opportunity to receive updates from our researchers and Extension specialists.

Topics will include market predictions, cotton development and identification, management of w**ds, insects, and diseases, and more.

A free BBQ lunch will be provided, and pesticide points in categories 1, 4, 10, and 12 will be offered as well. As always, there is no cost to attend and preregistration is NOT required.

We hope to see you Wednesday, but feel free to contact our experts year-round for crop production assistance:

https://utcrops.com/field-crops-team

Reminder that Cotton Scout School is THIS WEDNESDAY, May 20, at 8:30 a.m.It's not been an easy couple of years for cotto...
05/18/2026

Reminder that Cotton Scout School is THIS WEDNESDAY, May 20, at 8:30 a.m.

It's not been an easy couple of years for cotton production in Tennessee, and this is a great opportunity to receive updates from our researchers and Extension specialists.

Topics will include market predictions, cotton development and identification, management of w**ds, insects, and diseases, and more.

A free BBQ lunch will be provided, and pesticide points in categories 1, 4, 10, and 12 will be offered as well. As always, there is no cost to attend and preregistration is NOT required.

We hope to see you Wednesday, but feel free to contact our experts year-round for crop production assistance:

https://utcrops.com/field-crops-team

🌿 PIGWEED UPDATES 🌿It wouldn’t be spring without pigw**d management challenges, and we are once again seeing infestation...
05/15/2026

🌿 PIGWEED UPDATES 🌿

It wouldn’t be spring without pigw**d management challenges, and we are once again seeing infestations get out of hand.

Oftentimes, this turns into a “kitchen sink” approach where multiple products are added to the tank at hopes of control. Dr. Larry Steckel and his team have evaluated a number of options to find the best recommendations for West Tennessee, as control across counties can vary.

Overall, atrazine remains an effective option, and tankmixing with products like topramezone is common. However, while adding more products can sometimes improve consistency, it does not always substantially increase percent control. It is important to take this into consideration when evaluating cost and return on investment.

See the chart below for performance results of several products.

As always, please contact your local county Extension office for additional information including on-site assistance. You can read more in Sally Reed’s article below, a graduate student with Dr. Steckel:

https://news.utcrops.com/2026/05/postemergence-pigw**d

05/14/2026

Dr. Shekoofa spoke with WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News this morning about recent drought conditions and how it might impact crop production.

Check out her interview below!

🗓️ COTTON SCOUT SCHOOL DATE 🗓️We have set the date for our annual Cotton Scout School: May 20 at 8:30 a.m.Explore the la...
05/05/2026

🗓️ COTTON SCOUT SCHOOL DATE 🗓️

We have set the date for our annual Cotton Scout School: May 20 at 8:30 a.m.

Explore the latest cotton production and field scouting techniques, led by our researchers and Extension specialists. Topics will include cotton development, identification, w**d control, disease and insect management, market predictions, and more. An optional go-to-the field session will be held after a complimentary lunch.

Pesticide points in categories 1, 4, 10, and 12 will be offered. There is no cost to attend, and preregistration is not required.

05/04/2026

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of our faculty looks like?

Dr. Heather Kelly takes us through the seasons as she conducts nationally recognized research and Extension efforts here in West Tennessee.

Check it out below!

We hosted two international scientists this week, both from the Universidade Federal De Lavras in Brazil!Flavio Medeiros...
05/01/2026

We hosted two international scientists this week, both from the Universidade Federal De Lavras in Brazil!

Flavio Medeiros is a plant pathologist and International Director at UFLA, while Fernanda Carvalho de Lopes Medeiros is a plant protection expert specializing in w**d management.

They met with WTREC faculty to network and learn more about agricultural practices in Tennessee, including changes within agronomics, w**d resistance, disease management, and more. They also toured our research cotton gin, one of the only ones in the United States.

In total, there were 10 Brazilian scientists who visited UT AgResearch Centers across Tennessee, hosted by UTIA's Smith International Center.

We hope everyone stayed safe during last night's storms, especially with another round returning tonight! In total, we r...
04/28/2026

We hope everyone stayed safe during last night's storms, especially with another round returning tonight! In total, we received .72 inches of rain here in Jackson, a good start to recovering from the recent drought.

Weather data at the Center is collected daily thanks to our onsite NOAA reference weather station. This station has been updated throughout the years, but data has been collected consistently since 1891!

Many of you may remember our "Master Forecaster" Lanny Davis, who worked with the weather station for many years. Lanny passed away in 2018 after an impressive 51 years with UTIA. His skills with predicting the weather were widely known thanks to his call-ins to 101.5 Talk'n West Tennessee!

You can find a video about the station and Lanny's work below, a throwback to 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPmgLKMGfFQ

We wrapped up the week with two outstanding graduate research proposal presentations! Lucas Marques, a master’s student ...
04/25/2026

We wrapped up the week with two outstanding graduate research proposal presentations!

Lucas Marques, a master’s student with Dr. Heather Kelly, is exploring how drone-based imaging can improve disease monitoring in row crops. His work will evaluate relationships between crop canopy structure, disease severity, and yield to deliver earlier, more accurate detection tools for producers.

Gabriella Marrotta, a PhD student advised by Dr. Tyson R***r and Dr. Sebe Brown, is tackling a phenomenon often known as “crazy cotton." This causes plants to develop abnormal physiological growth patterns, including multiple side stems instead of a single main stem. With causes and yield impacts still unclear, Gabriella is leading a multi-state effort to better understand the problem and identify potential management strategies.

We look forward to sharing their progress and impact in the seasons ahead!

If you are planning to attend the Spring Plant Sale next Friday, May 1, be sure to check out the plant list below!
04/24/2026

If you are planning to attend the Spring Plant Sale next Friday, May 1, be sure to check out the plant list below!

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Jackson, TN
38301

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