Crop Consultant Bases Recommendations on Crop Needs, Not Costs
Based in Cochran, Georgia, independent crop consultant Jason Little has been consulting for cotton, corn, soybeans and peanuts for 17 years.
Jason Little’s priority is not to save farmers money in the middle of the growing season, because his sights are on a bigger end-of-season return on investment potential.
Georgia independent crop consultant Jason Little consults for 24 farming entities encompassing nearly 25,000 row-crop acres of cotton, soybeans, peanuts and corn. In the heat of the growing season, he and his two full-time employees and two part-timers can be seen traversing the back roads of Bleckley County from daylight until dusk.
“My year always begins with variety recommendations based on soil types,” Little says. “It all starts in those first few inches below the soil, so we make sure to match the best varieties to soil types to maximize agronomic opportunities for good yields no matter the crop.”
Part of the philosophy at Jason Little Consulting is making recommendations based on what the crop needs. From nutrients to crop protection, recognizing what the crop needs usually takes priority over necessarily trying to limit inputs or saving the farmer money in the middle of the season.
“We don’t always save a client money, but many of the decisions we make will make them money at the end,” Little says. “Sometimes it might cost them a little more money up front, but I’m looking at the net return, or ROI potential.”
Pests: Weeds & Insects
Little and his staff keep their feet in the dirt and their eyes on the crops. They know good scouting is a precursor to more-informed grower recommendations. Herbicide programs for corn, soybeans and cotton are typically first. They review weather forecasts and adjust fungicide programs they created before planting, if needed.
“We make sure to give emerging plants the best chance for nutrient uptake, and that means preventing weeds from gaining an early foothold,” Little says. “There’s a much better chance for a healthier ROI if a crop doesn’t have to compete with weeds for nutrients.”
Scouting also plays a crucial role in Little’s insect control recommendations. He knows plant bugs will demand his attention in cotton as pinhead squares develop and the piercing and sucking insects make their way from weed host plants into young stands of cotton.
“I’m not saying we’ve got resistance to imidacloprid, but I do believe it’s gotten more difficult to get good control of plant bugs with it,” Little says. “You can bet we’ll be leaning on Transform WG insecticide when plant bug threshold levels are reached. Those young bolls will have to be protected to preserve that developing yield potential.”
When their attention turns to peanuts and soybeans, Little knows flights of foliage feeders like tobacco budworms could increase. Scouting will help determine moth counts and help him create a better control plan.
“Tobacco budworms have become resistant to pyrethroids,” Little says. “Early in 2024, we had to make an application of Intrepid Edge insecticide because counts were topping six to seven tobacco budworms per row foot, with a few beet armyworms as well. Those counts dropped to one per row foot the next week and nothing the following week.”
Jason Little’s fingers have checked a lot of developing cotton bolls through the years.
The Importance of Insect Control
Little understands that many factors may influence the success of a crop protection application. He and his team always recommend following product label rates and hold off spraying if weather conditions are not suitable for on-target applications.
“Most of the farmers I consult with are heritage farmers. Like many farmers across the U.S., their farms were handed down from previous family farming generations. They work to preserve their land’s natural resources and make production decisions to leave it in better shape for the next generation,” says Little. “They want recommendations that protect their crops and the land on which they produce them.”
Jason Little Consulting often recommends Intrepid Edge® insecticide The product controls the toughest pests in a broad range of crops. It delivers fast knockdown, has two modes of action and is one of the few Insecticide Resistance Action Committee Group 5 insecticides.
“I really like Intrepid Edge insecticide, because you get immediate control activity from spinetoram and extended residual … from the other active ingredient, methoxyfenozide,” Little says. “I’ve gotten a high success rate many times using it in peanuts to get late-season looper control.”
Little has 17 years of consulting experience under his belt. He has seen crop protection products come and go, but he has confidence in Transform® WG insecticide with Isoclast™ active and Intrepid Edge insecticide.
“The performance in the field is above reproach,” Little concludes.
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