West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center

📌 CEU POINTS AT W**D TOUR📌

Don't forget about our annual W**d Tour Field Day scheduled for THIS WEDNESDAY, June 17 at 8:30 a.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the event concludes just before lunch.

Also, remember that the current pesticide certification cycle ends June 30, so now is the time to make sure you have the CEUs needed for recertification.

We are offering additional CEU opportunities at the W**d Tour:
• Category 1 (4 credits)
• Category 2 (1 credit)
• Category 3 (2 credits)
• Category 4 (2 credits)
• Category 6 (1 credit)
• Category 10 (4 credits)
• Category 12 (4 credits)

If you’re interested in agricultural w**d science and still need credits before the certification cycle closes, we encourage you to join us!

For information on commercial pesticide applicator certification and CEU requirements, visit:

https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/pesticides/pesticide-applicators---commercial--including-ceus-.html

Photo of the storm front over UT Gardens Jackson this morning.

📷 Scott Stewart

🫛 SOYBEAN SCOUT SCHOOL UPDATE 🫛

We have made a change to this year's Soybean Scout School: rather than hosting one event here at the Center, we are having TWO events at locations across West Tennessee:

📍Lake County - June 24 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at 300 Headden Drive, Ridgely, TN 38080
📍McNairy County - July 15 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 707 West Main Street, Adamsville, TN 38310 (turn down the side road at this address, signs will direct you to the field)

Topics will include w**d, insect, and disease management, agronomics, soil health and fertility, and more. Drs. Sebe Brown, Larry Steckel, Heather Kelly, Jake McNeal, and Nutifafa Adotey will lead the presentations.

For more information, check out the UT Crops article below:

https://news.utcrops.com/2026/05/ut-soybean-scout-school-dates/

We are excited to announce that we are hiring an Administrative Assistant here at WTREC!

This position provides clerical support to our many talented faculty and staff who conduct nationally recognized research. This is a full time position here in Jackson, Tennessee.

Position details:
🎓 Highschool diploma or GED required
🏢 Three years of admin support experience or CAP certificate
🖇️ General knowledge of office functions/equipment
📞 Excellent communication skills
👍 Ability to work well as a team

To apply, fill out the application below, which requires a cover letter and resume:

Administrative Assistant - West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center Provides administrative and clerical support to faculty and staff located at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center and UT Garden Jackson.

🌱 W**D TOUR REMINDER 🌱

If you haven't already, mark your calendars for our annual W**d Tour on June 17 at 8:30 a.m.!

We will once again have more than 40 research trials in cotton, corn, and soybeans on display, showcasing real-world herbicide application scenarios.

Farmers will gain cost-effective control solutions, including how to manage herbicide-resistant goose grass, ryegrass, and Palmer amaranth. Dr. Steckel and his team will be available to answer questions throughout the event, offering individualized recommendations as well.

There is no cost to attend, and pesticide recertification points will be available!

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 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 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

🌿 PIGW**D 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

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!