cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Managing when planting is delayed

  • May 6, 2019

With only 9% of the Illinois corn crop planted by April 28 and with 3 to 5 inches of rain this past week in the northern half of the state, and above normal rainfall just about everywhere else, there has been little further progress. The start in 2018 wasn’t much earlier than this, but planting was very fast once it started, and we finished earlier than normal. That will not repeat in 2019. In fact, the progress report released today (May 6) shows that corn went from 9 to 10% planted over the past week (it was 68% one year ago),…

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Considerations for dicamba application restrictions

  • May 6, 2019

On March 1, 2019 the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) announced it will require Special Local Needs labels (referred to as 24(c) labels) during the 2019 growing season for the four commercial dicamba-containing products labeled for use in dicamba-resistant soybean varieties.  The Special Local Needs labels include five elements, one of which is a June 30 application deadline.  IDOA recognizes the importance of this technology to Illinois soybean growers and is taking this proactive step to reduce the instances of damage to dicot plant species (including sensitive soybean,…

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Wheat Insects – What to Watch for This Spring

  • April 19, 2019

Consider adding some insect scouting to your wheat management routine this spring if you are not doing so already. While damaging insect pest infestations are pretty sporadic in Illinois, missing one can be costly. The first step in managing these infestations is knowing what to look for.
 
Aphids
 
There are several species of aphids that infest wheat in Illinois, and they can be difficult to tell apart without careful examination (the figure captions below provide some tips on how to identify the different species;…

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Variable vs. Uniform Seeding Rates for Corn

  • April 16, 2019

Along with colleagues from Ohio State University, we took a look recently at data from a lot of corn plant population trials in both Ohio and Illinois to see if we could come up with estimates of the value of variable-rate corn planting. This work was published in Agronomy Journal (reference is at the end of this article) and my OSU colleagues also put the findings in an Extension fact sheet, available here.…

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Grape Colaspis in Corn and Soybean: a Pre-Season Primer

  • April 16, 2019

Grape colaspis is a common insect, but it only occasionally affects corn and soybean production in Illinois. However, 2018 was that rare year where “outbreak” levels of infestation occurred in parts of the state, resulting in stand reductions and, in some cases, replanting of damaged areas. Information can be tough to come by for an occasional pest like this one, but I will summarize what we know and what we should expect going forward.
 
Biology.…

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Cool season viruses in wheat

  • April 14, 2019

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.…

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Another Look at Soybean Planting Date

  • April 12, 2019

As we wait for things to dry out so planting can begin in Illinois, I’ll provide an update on soybean planting date, including addition of some recent data and more detail on what planting date studies are telling us.
Between 2010 and 2018, we ran a total of 30 soybean planting date trials at four sites—Urbana and Perry in central Illinois and DeKalb and Monmouth in northern Illinois. We also ran trials at two southern Illinois sites in some of those years,…

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Early season diseases in soybeans

  • April 11, 2019

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. …

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Remember to check your hybrids for tar spot ratings, scout your fields

  • April 10, 2019

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.…

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