Corn producers in parts of the state are nearing the point in time where they are thinking about fungicide applications to their fields. In a recent post on my blog I discussed tar spot and also mentioned a recent publication that shows that a single fungicide application at the VT/R1 growth stage has the greatest chance of providing the producer with a return on their investment. Click here for access to this article.…
Recently I posted information on Twitter about tar spot forecasts that I will be making on my website throughout the season. It is important to know how to interpret these forecasts. For more information, see the article by clicking here…
As many of you are aware, our tar spot coalition is working to refine a tar spot model developed by colleagues at the University of Wisconsin Madison this season. This model, currently named Tarspotter, uses weather data to predict risk of tar spot disease on corn. For more information on the model and fungicide applications click here
Much of the corn in Illinois is just emerging, but some is past the V6-V8 stage. …
When you are out at the club, dropping the bass is a good thing. When you are planting soybeans and have soil pathogen issues, dropping the base can be a bad thing. Why? See the new article posted on the Field Crop Disease Blog found by clicking here.…
This season we will be using a new system to monitor and track southern rust in Illinois #corn. We will be operating and managing a site that clientele can access and view in real time. I will provide information pertaining to the site once it is operational in a few days.
Why do we need to monitor rusts? Because rusts are obligate fungal pathogens. This means they need a living, green host to grow and reproduce. …
Each year our team of plant pathologists collaborate to develop efficacy tables for fungicides that can be used to help manage fungal diseases in field crops. Our most recent sheets can be found by clicking the following links:
CDWG Fungicide efficacy table_2019_final
Soybean Fungicide efficacy table_2019_final
These sheets will eventually be housed for download on the Illinois field Crop Disease Page along with factsheets, applied research data and guides, scouting videos,…
This week I have had several calls and emails regarding the appearance of a minor disease of corn called Holcus spot. Click here to view my article on Holcus spot and tips to differentiate it from herbicide drift.
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A few weeks ago we wrote an article on how to assess severity of Fusarium head blight (FHB) in small grains as well as some practices to consider that can help improve potential profitability in cases where outbreaks are severe. Now that symptoms of FHB are starting to develop in the earliest flowering wheat, it is a great time to assess your fields and determine if any considerations for harvest need to be made. To access the article click here.…
Most Illinois producers are behind in getting corn and soybeans into the ground this year as a result of persistent rains and cool temperatures. Some people are wondering what this might mean for some of the diseases we encounter in our field crops.
Keep in mind, disease occurs when you have the correct host, plant pathogen, and environment together. The longer those three factors are together, the more disease will occur. Although we cannot speculate much on the long term environmental conditions we will face this year and how that will impact diseases,…
Fusarium head blight risk remains elevated in much of Illinois and may have impacted wheat flowering over the last 7-10 days. A new article on the next steps you can take can be found in the Illinois Field Crop Disease Blog by clicking here.…