The corn crop that was planted in May is up and growing in most fields, but there have been numerous reports of fields with uneven plant sizes and colors, including purple and yellow plants. Many are wondering if this will decrease potential yields.
Based on past experience many people expect to see purple corn when soils are cool and dry during early plant growth stages, or in that rare field with low soil test phosphorus levels.…
The latest report from NASS indicates that 96 percent of the corn and 62 percent of the soybean crop in Illinois had been planted as of June 9. Some of the corn is struggling, however, with 13 percent of the crop rated as poor or very poor. Much of this is due to heavy rainfall, which has caused problems with stands, including areas in fields where the crop has drowned out from standing water. In other cases,…
The dates and locations for the 2014 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics are set for next January. Our next series of meetings marks the 17th year of the Classics and will continue the program’s tradition of providing our clientele with the most current and timely information related to crop production, marketing and pest management.
The dates and meeting locations for the 2014 Corn & Soybean Classics are:
▸ January 6 (Monday): Champaign I Hotel and Conference Center
▸ January 7 (Tuesday): Mt.…
Head scab of wheat (a.k.a. Fusarium head blight) is showing up in Illinois wheat fields. Incidence is ranging from low (less than 10% of the heads affected) to moderately high (over 25% of the heads affected). Affected wheat heads will appear “bleached” in color. Heads often are partially affected, with both healthy green and affected bleached areas being present in the same head. Although I have not been in all wheat production areas in the state,…
Deciding on whether or not to replant can be a difficult decision. Cutworm, compaction and seedling blight are some of the problems that can lead to reduced plant populations. The sight of an uneven reduced stand is often more than many farmers can take, but the desire to “fix-it” may not make sense agronomically or economically.
For fields where the stand has been relatively evenly thinned out the following advice is most relevant.…
The NASS report indicated that corn planting in Illinois was 89% complete by May 26. This leaves more left to plant than we’d like, and it’s still wet in some areas, so we expect a long “tail” to corn planting this year, unless some of the acres intended to corn get switched to soybeans.
The rainfall that delayed planting across Illinois this year is also affecting nitrogen fertilizer management. For many, the rush to get the crop planted meant abandoning or modifying plans to apply N before or after planting or before tillage.…
The 2013 AGMasters Conference will be held at the i Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, IL on December 2 and 3. The conference will begin with a morning general program followed with 1 1/2 days of specialized sessions. Participants will be able to pick and choose the sessions of most interest to them. These sessions are designed to encourage interaction between instructors and students and cover a broad range of topics including crop production challenges,…
Stripe rust of wheat was observed in Champaign County, IL on May 10, 2013 (Fig. 1). The incidence of the disease was very low. The observation of this disease in Champaign County indicates that stripe rust likely is present in southern Illinois counties too.
Wheat producers will need to continue to scout their crop for stripe rust, and apply an effective fungicide if necessary (see this previous post for additional information about stripe rust and fungicides: http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/?p=456).…
Wheat plants are now beginning to head out and flower in parts of southern Illinois. During this critical time of wheat development, wheat becomes susceptible to infection by Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB; also known as scab) (Fig. 1). This disease can cause reduced grain yield, test weight, and quality. In addition, the fungus can produce toxins that will contaminate grain such as deoxynivalenol (DON; also known as vomitoxin). …
Symptoms of some foliar diseases of wheat are apparent in Illinois wheat fields, and the threat of other diseases is on the horizon. Current wheat diseases that have been observed in the state are Septoria and Stagonospora leaf blotch, Barley yellow dwarf, and other virus diseases.
Of these diseases, only the fungal leaf blotches (Septoria/Stagonospora) can be managed with foliar fungicides. Although a flag leaf emergence timing for a foliar fungicide application may be recommended sometimes,…