As was the case a year ago, there have been limited opportunities to apply nitrogen fertilizer since last fall. Rainfall in Illinois through the first three weeks of March has been at or above average, and temperatures have been a few degrees above normal. Soils remain wet, and there is little in the current weather pattern to indicate that a drying period is on its way soon. Potential drying rates will increase as temperatures rise, though,…
There are many diseases that can impact Illinois #corn production, and several are caused by pathogens that impact the foliage. When foliage is damaged by pathogens, carbon and nutrient delivery to developing/filling grain can be reduced, limiting yields. Examples of foliar diseases include grey leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, southern and common rust, Diplodia leaf streak, bacterial leaf streak, Goss’s wilt, and tar spot. Which foliar disease is the biggest issue for you?
To participate in a brief poll,…
The 2020 fungicide efficacy tables for corn and soybean are now available on the Illinois Field Crop disease hub. Click this link for more information.…
No sooner have many unpleasant memories of the 2019 growing season begun to fade than we find ourselves looking ahead to contemplating potential residual weed management challenges in 2020.
Winter Annual Weed Species
Delays in planting the 2019 crop often accompanied delays in controlling existing stands of winter annual weeds prior to planting. The obvious and unwelcome result was that seed production by winter annual species likely was a high in 2019 as any spring in recent memory. …
The 2020 Weed Control Guide for Ohio, Indiana and Illinois contains 223 pages of weed management information, including weed response ratings for corn and soybean herbicides. Information and recommendations for managing weeds in small grains and forages is included, along with specific information about and control recommendations for several problem weed species. Printed and pdf versions of the 2020 weed control guide are available at: https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/2020-weed-control-guide-for-ohio-indiana-and-illinois/
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We have posted some new materials (along with cool visual aids) on basics of integrated disease management. Hopefully this information will be useful to you during this busy meeting season. Click here to view this post.
Remember you can sign up for updates to the Illinois Field Crop Disease Hub
Dr. Nathan Kleczewski Extension Field Crop Pathologist UIUC…
With meeting season going full blast, you will be seeing a slew of data pertaining to disease management and the efficacy of various disease management products. We posted some general tips to keep in mind at the Illinois Field Crop Disease Hub that can be viewed HERE.
Remember that you can sign up for Hub updates (Hubdates?) by entering your email information on the main page.
Nathan Kleczewski- Field Crop Plant Pathologist and Extension Specialist-UIUC…
The 2019 edition of our annual report on applied research in field crop disease and insect management can be downloaded at the following link: https://uofi.box.com/v/2019PestPathogenARB
Each year, University of Illinois plant pathologists and entomologists produce a summary of the applied research we have conducted to inform disease and insect management practices in Illinois. This information provides a non-biased, third-party evaluation of control tactics such as pesticides and resistant varieties for use in corn,…
What do you need to know for the 2020 growing season? The University of Illinois will address several key topics at four regional conferences around the state in January and February. The meetings will provide a forum for discussion and interaction between participants, University of Illinois researchers, and Extension educators.
Conference dates and locations are:
Jan. 22 DoubleTree by Hilton, Mount Vernon
Jan. 29 Brookens Auditorium at University of Illinois, Springfield
Feb.…
Snow has now fallen throughout much of Illinois, and temperatures have dropped going into the last weeks in 2019. With the recent Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy biennial report highlighting P and N levels in Illinois waterways, this is a good time to review the application of nutrients on frozen and/or snow-covered soils.
Last spring, after a short and often-muddy fall fertilizer season, a considerable amount of fertilizer—mostly P in the form of DAP or MAP and K as KCl—was applied during the first week of March when the soil surface was frozen.…