Proper soil fertility management ensures sufficient nutrients for maximum cotton production. Obtaining and maintaining appropriate soil nutrient concentrations is imperative, as fertilizer inputs are the largest component of production budgets for Virginia cotton farmers. At the same time, excessive nutrient application wastes money, wastes natural resources, and can negatively impact yields and environmental quality.

The 2014 grain sorghum OVT tests contained 52 hybrids; 41 hybrids were planted as a full season crop and 21 as double crop. Full season and double cropping tests were conducted at three locations, at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (TAREC) in Suffolk, VA, in a farmer field near Windsor, VA, in Isle of Wight County, and at the Virginia State University’s Randolph Farm near Petersburg, VA.

Recommendations for the use of agricultural chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by Virginia Tech nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use agricultural chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain information about usage regulations and examine a current product label before applying any chemical.

The primary considerations when selecting peanut varieties are yield, grade factors, disease, pests, and drought and heat response. A good practice is recording for each field the variety, yield, rainfall, and disease and insect incidence every year. This will allow producers to identify the most productive and less problematic fields, also the most productive varieties for each field.

The primary considerations when selecting peanut varieties are yield, grade factors, disease, pests, and drought and heat response. A good practice is recording for each field the variety, yield, rainfall, and disease and insect incidence every year. This will allow producers to identify the most productive and less problematic fields, also the most productive varieties for each field.

No-till cropping avoids the use of tillage for seedbed preparation or weed control, and crop residues left on the soil surface reduce soil erosion, minimize runoff, and increase soil moisture. No-till cropping has several advantages in terms of reduced crop production costs (fuel, labor, machinery) and soil conservation, but alterations to the biotic and abiotic environment in no-till compared to conventionally tilled fields provide unique challenges in terms of insect, weed, and disease management. The following provides recommendations for disease management in no-till corn but can be applied to other no-till cropping systems. Disease incidence and severity is not necessarily greater in no-till compared to conventional tillage, and in some cases disease may be reduced. Effects of no-till on diseases are variable and dependent on the specific pathogen, crop, and environment.

The 2013 grain sorghum OVT tests contained 45 hybrids planted as a full season crop and 22 as double crop. Full season tests were conducted at three locations, at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (TAREC) in Suffolk, VA, in a farmer field near Homeville, VA, in Sussex County, and at the Virginia State University’s Randolph Farm near Petersburg, VA. The double crop sorghum trials were conducted at two locations, at the TAREC and in a farmer field near Windsor, VA, in the Isle of Weight County.

The 2015 grain sorghum OVT tests contained 21 hybrids planted as a full season crop and 22 as double crop. Full season tests were conducted at three locations, the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (TAREC) in Suffolk, VA, the Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center (EVAREC) in Warsaw, VA, and in a farmer field near Windsor, VA, in Isle of Wight County. The double crop sorghum trials were conducted at three locations, the TAREC, in a farmer field near Windsor, VA, in Isle of Wight County, and in a farmer field near Locust Grove, VA, in Orange County.