cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Rain, late planting, and nitrogen

  • June 5, 2019

One of the most pressing questions as planting continues into June after a very wet May is whether or not the high rainfall amounts over the past month have affected the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed for the corn crop this year. This is a complicated question, related both to concern about how much early-applied N might be lost and to decreased yield potential from late planting that might lower the need for N. The recent price increase in corn also provides an incentive to make sure the crop gets enough N.…

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University of Illinois Weed Science Field Research Tour

  • June 5, 2019

The weed science program at the University of Illinois invites all weed management practitioners to our annual weed science field tour on Wednesday, July 10.  Please note the tour will begin at our off-campus field location (“The Lost Forty”) which is located on Cottonwood Road (County road 1700 east) approximately one-quarter mile north of County road 1850 North (see map).  Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. and refreshments (coffee, juice, and doughnuts) will be available.  Preregistration is not required,…

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Dealing with very late planting

  • May 31, 2019

Despite the fact that the “active” weather pattern gave no signs of changing over the past month, few of us thought we’d see so little planting progress by now. But here we are, with only 35% of the Illinois corn crop and 14% of the soybean crop planted by May 26. With more rain this week, we will have less than half the corn and less than a fourth of the soybeans planted before June 1 in Illinois.…

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Weed Management on Prevented Planting Acres

  • May 29, 2019

Persistent wet field conditions have increased the likelihood that many farmers will opt to take the prevented planting option through their crop insurance policy.  Even though no crop will be planted, weed control practices still should be implemented to reduce seed production from summer annual weed species.  Any weed seed produced in 2019 will add to future weed control costs.  The old weed science adage “One year’s seedling equals seven years weeding” reinforces the need to adequately manage weeds on prevented planting acres.…

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Fusarium head blight-assessing FHB in your field and late season considerations

  • May 29, 2019

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.…

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Weed Management Reminders in a Wet Spring

  • May 17, 2019

Much of the vegetation visible from the road is comprised of winter annual species, including the now obvious yellow-flowered species cressleaf groundsel (a.k.a. butterweed) and yellow rocket.  Some summer annual weed species, including common lambsquarters, smartweeds giant ragweed and waterhemp, also have begun to emerge.  When field conditions become conducive for planting, several possible scenarios exist for the management of existing weed vegetation.  One possible scenario is that planting will occur before any type of weed management program (tillage or herbicide application) is implemented to control existing vegetation. …

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What impact will late planting have on crop diseases?

  • May 15, 2019

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,…

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Insect Trapping Update: May 15

  • May 15, 2019

Cooperators around the state are monitoring black cutworm and true armyworm traps this spring.
 
Black Cutworm
Continued flights have occurred this last week, but at low levels overall. Reports of corn emergence have been trickling in and along with those reports are also those of black cutworm feeding. As a reminder, some management suggestions from Nick Seiter’s 2018 article (http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/?p=4151):

  • Infestations are more likely in later planted corn, as delayed planting means larger cutworm larvae are present at earlier stages of corn development.

…

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Heads up- for Fusarium head blight

  • May 13, 2019

The following is posted on behalf of Dr. Nathan Kleczewski, Field Crops Pathologist for Growmark. This content is from the Field Crop Disease Hub webpage Dr. Kleczewski curated. 
Wheat in the southern part of Illinois is approaching heading or just headed, which means that flowering will start within 4-5 days, depending on temperature (heads produce small yellow anthers-(Figure 1)) Vomitoxin (DON) can accumulate in the absence of significant visual symptoms, and thus that is often the focus of my Fusarium head blight (FHB) recommendations. …

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