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,…
Wheat is starting to approach heading. What should producers do to determine risk for Fusarium head blight and suppress this disease? Click here to access the new article on the Illinois Field Crop Pathology website on the subject!…
Currently, most small grains are approaching jointing or just past jointing in many parts of the state. Now is the time that you most likely will start to see early season viral diseases in some fields, specifically Wheat Soilborne Mosaic Virus and Wheat Spindle Streak Virus. These diseases are transmitted by soil borne microbes that thrive in cool, wet conditions. Infected plants typically are chlorotic and may be stunted. Often affected plants occur in low lying areas of the field or areas suffering from compaction.…
Now that the soils are warming, some producers are discussing planting soybeans in the ground. When considering early planting of soybeans, there are two diseases that should be considered: 1) Sudden death syndrome (SDS) and 2) Pythium root rot (PRR)
Both SDS and PRR are favored by cool, wet weather. In the case of SDS, early season infections can reduce stands, and also result in colonization of root systems. The SDS pathogen remains in the lower portion of the stem and roots until the the plant reaches the reproductive stages. …
It is that time of year again. Soon corn will be in the ground, and the 2019 field season will be taking off. It is no surprise that I spent the majority of my time on the speaker circuit discussing tar spot in corn. We have learned a fair amount since then, but there are many more things that need to be researched and learned before we have excellent tar spot IPM management programs. However, there are a few points you should keep in mind this season that can help you determine your risk for tar spot and management practices that can help your bottom line.…