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.

09/02/2026

Most Tennessee crop producers are familiar with the term "crazy cotton," which refers to the loss of apical dominance in a cotton plant.

Apical dominance is when a plant has one primary central stem with branches extending off of it. However, some cotton plants are losing apical dominance and growing their central stem in a "V" shape, often resulting in fewer bolls per plant.

Graduate student Gabby Marotta has made this phenomenon the focus of her PhD research, and she spent this past summer at WTREC investigating potential causes.

Learn more from her below, and be sure to visit utcrops.com for future updates on her research and findings from the 2026 growing season:

08/25/2026

One year ago, our w**d science students took us on a "W**d Walk" of common plant pests and how to identify them.

Now, as we near the end of the growing season, we invite you on ANOTHER W**d Walk featuring nine w**d species you might be seeing in your field. Check out the video below!

For the most up-to-date herbicide information, refer to the 2026 W**d Control Guide on UTCrops.com:

utcrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-251211_COLORPRINT_W**dControlManual-Final.pdf

📌 COTTON TOUR FIELD DAY 📌This year's Cotton Tour Field Day is scheduled for September 9 from 8 a.m. to noon, and we are ...
08/21/2026

📌 COTTON TOUR FIELD DAY 📌

This year's Cotton Tour Field Day is scheduled for September 9 from 8 a.m. to noon, and we are excited to share the latest research and field trial results!

Overall, 2026 is looking to be an excellent cotton year in most areas, a dramatic improvement over 2024 and 2025. Come learn the latest recommendations on:
• Defoliation timing
• ThryvOn cotton performance
• Cover crop practices
• Irrigation and nutrient management
• Disease identification and treatment
• W**d and insect control
• And more!

The full agenda will be posted on UTCrops.com closer to the event date. As always, there is no cost to attend!

UTIA hosted the annual W**d Science Contest on August 5 and 6, conducted through the Southern W**d Science Society. This...
08/11/2026

UTIA hosted the annual W**d Science Contest on August 5 and 6, conducted through the Southern W**d Science Society. This year, three WTREC graduate students took home top awards!

Hayden Love, Sally Reed, and Gavin Sparks placed first in the Sprayer Calibration event, alongside fellow UT graduate student Logan Smith. Gavin placed fifth overall, and Colton Fuller, former master's student here at WTREC, placed second.

Special thanks to the many UTIA faculty and staff who made the event possible. Together, they hosted more than 75 students across 12 land-grant universities for the competition.

We're excited to host more than 4,000 students, teachers, and parents at a cross country meet here at the Center this mo...
08/08/2026

We're excited to host more than 4,000 students, teachers, and parents at a cross country meet here at the Center this morning.

Participants from almost every county in West Tennessee are using paths and roads throughout the property for their multi-mile runs. In the coming months, we will serve as the location for other cross country events, including college-level competitions from Union University and others.

08/07/2026

2026 is shaping up to be a very good year for Tennessee cotton, a positive outlook compared to yields in 2025 and 2024.

Check out the video below for a summary of the season so far and Dr. Tyson Raper's final predictions as we near harvest. You can also learn more in his blog post on UT Crops:

news.utcrops.com/2026/08/heat-unit-accumulation-as-of-august-5th/

Today, leadership from Tennessee Soybean joined us for a tour of the Center.In addition to exploring ongoing soybean tri...
07/28/2026

Today, leadership from Tennessee Soybean joined us for a tour of the Center.

In addition to exploring ongoing soybean trials, attendees networked with faculty and staff and discussed potential research areas for future growing seasons. You can find past results and weekly findings at utcrops.com, including variety trial data, pest control guides, herbicide recommendations, and more.

We want to thank everyone who took time out of their day to get an up-close look at our on-site projects!

We were honored to host representatives from Cotton Incorporated today to discuss research projects in 2027.Many of our ...
07/25/2026

We were honored to host representatives from Cotton Incorporated today to discuss research projects in 2027.

Many of our faculty, staff, and graduate students shared updates on current and future developments, including how our findings will impact producers locally and nationwide.

We look forward to another year of research-based row crop information, made possible thanks to funding from commodity groups and others!

07/20/2026

Did you know WTREC is home to multiple bee hives? 🐝

These colonies are used for intern education as well as a fundraiser, with honey sold each year at Fall in the Gardens. In the video below, research technician John Horton spotlights these unique organisms and how their team takes care of them every week.

If you would like to buy their honey, it will be available at Fall in the Gardens on October 1 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information on this year's event will be coming soon!

Address

605 Airways Boulevard
Jackson, TN
38301

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 5pm
Tuesday 7am - 5pm
Wednesday 7am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 5pm
Friday 7am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center:

Shortcuts

Share

Category