cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Assessing Corn Rootworm Damage – Now is the Time

  • August 18, 2020

  • Nick Seiter

Corn rootworm activity, in general, appears higher in much of Illinois than it has been for the last several years. Along with higher activity, resistance to Bt traits in western and northern corn rootworm remains our top insect management concern in Illinois corn. We are at a bit of a disadvantage with this insect in that the damage occurs below ground – it is not always obvious that we have a rootworm problem until it is severe enough for lodging to occur.…

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Weather and the 2020 Illinois Corn and Soybean Crops

  • August 5, 2020

  • Emerson Nafziger

What a difference July rainfall makes. The U.S. Drought Map based on data through July 28 showed that only six percent of Illinois was rated as abnormally dry or with moderate drought, down from nearly 19 percent two weeks earlier. Above-normal rainfall over the past week in the southern half of Illinois will erase at least half that area, and with cooler weather this week, crop stress should be minimal during the first half of August,…

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A Statement from the Illinois Department of Agriculture regarding the mailing of unsolicited seeds

  • July 30, 2020

  • Aaron Hager

“We are currently working with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to address reports of unsolicited shipments of seeds from foreign countries. Anyone who receives unordered seeds in the mail should contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture by emailing the following information to agr.seeds@Illinois.gov: First and Last Name, Phone Number and the number of packages received. Do not open the package, plant the seeds, or throw them out. Please keep all seeds unopened and with their original packaging and labels,…

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Impact of recent rains and scouting corn and soybeans

  • July 16, 2020

  • Nathan Kleczewski

Recent fronts that have pushed through the state, giving relief to many areas that have been stressed by heat and a lack of water.  That’s great for productivity, and also can impact diseases.  A new post on the disease outlook and considerations can be found by clicking here.…

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post on fungicides for hail damaged crops

  • July 12, 2020

  • Nathan Kleczewski

That was one heck of a storm yesterday.  Many fields throughout East central Illinois were severely affected by nickel sized hail.  Although my three year old stated that we should, “use some tape” to fix the damaged tissues, some will consider fungicide applications.  A new post on the subject can be found here. …

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Hoping for rain: crops at mid-season 2020

  • July 9, 2020

  • Emerson Nafziger

While the record will show that planting progress for both corn and soybean crops in Illinois was close to normal in 2020, heavy rainfall in May and again in early June in some places this year led to some replanting, and some ponded areas don’t have a stand. Stands are mostly good otherwise, but crop condition ratings in Illinois have been mediocre so far, with percent good + excellent percentage in the low 60s for both crops in early July.…

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Spider Mites in Soybean

  • July 8, 2020

  • Nick Seiter

Spider mites often show up when it’s hot and dry outside. Given our current weather (and the promise of more heat to come), it’s a good time to review our scouting and management recommendations. Spider mites feed on a wide variety of plants, and usually enter soybean fields from grassy edges – especially right after the edges have been mowed, which causes the mites to seek out a new food source. (If you have the option,…

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Weed Control in Wheat Stubble Fields

  • July 7, 2020

  • Aaron Hager

Wheat harvest marks the end of one cropping cycle and the beginning of a second.  In parts of central and southern Illinois, farmers frequently opt to plant double-crop soybean following wheat harvest, with hopes that the first “killing” frost will be late enough to allow the soybean to reach maturity.  Wheat stubble fields not planted with a second crop often become populated with a “crop” of summer annual (and sometimes perennial) weed species.  Unlike double-crop soybean,…

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