Corn producers in parts of the state are nearing the point in time where they are thinking about fungicide applications to their fields. In a recent post on my blog I discussed tar spot and also mentioned a recent publication that shows that a single fungicide application at the VT/R1 growth stage has the greatest chance of providing the producer with a return on their investment. Click here for access to this article.…
Recently I posted information on Twitter about tar spot forecasts that I will be making on my website throughout the season. It is important to know how to interpret these forecasts. For more information, see the article by clicking here…
As many of you are aware, our tar spot coalition is working to refine a tar spot model developed by colleagues at the University of Wisconsin Madison this season. This model, currently named Tarspotter, uses weather data to predict risk of tar spot disease on corn. For more information on the model and fungicide applications click here
Much of the corn in Illinois is just emerging, but some is past the V6-V8 stage. …
When you are out at the club, dropping the bass is a good thing. When you are planting soybeans and have soil pathogen issues, dropping the base can be a bad thing. Why? See the new article posted on the Field Crop Disease Blog found by clicking here.…
Applying soil-residual herbicides with non-residual, foliar-applied herbicides can help reduce additional weed emergence following application and, therefore, reduce the need for another application later. The “lateness” of this year’s soybean crop undoubtedly will decrease the number of acres where layered residuals are applied, but nonetheless keep in mind that labels for most soil-residual herbicides used in foliar applications include soybean growth stages or time intervals beyond which applications cannot be made. Additionally, these labels include time intervals for rotational crops,…
This season we will be using a new system to monitor and track southern rust in Illinois #corn. We will be operating and managing a site that clientele can access and view in real time. I will provide information pertaining to the site once it is operational in a few days.
Why do we need to monitor rusts? Because rusts are obligate fungal pathogens. This means they need a living, green host to grow and reproduce. …
With a lot of acres of corn and soybeans still unplanted as we move into the second half of June, prevented planting (PP) is unfortunately going to be a major part of the story of the 2019 cropping season in Illinois. Here we’ll look at goals and options for managing acres on which the intended crop—corn or soybean—does not get planted.
The main goals of managing PP acres will be: 1) providing a vegetative cover in order to keep the soil in place and to prevent “fallow syndrome”;…
Each year our team of plant pathologists collaborate to develop efficacy tables for fungicides that can be used to help manage fungal diseases in field crops. Our most recent sheets can be found by clicking the following links:
CDWG Fungicide efficacy table_2019_final
Soybean Fungicide efficacy table_2019_final
These sheets will eventually be housed for download on the Illinois field Crop Disease Page along with factsheets, applied research data and guides, scouting videos,…
SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) announced today it will extend the application date the herbicide dicamba can be applied on soybeans in Illinois for the 2019 growing season until July 15. In February, the Department approved state-specific labels allowing for dicamba use on soybeans only until June 30. Dicamba is primarily used on soybeans to control post-emergence broadleaf weeds.
“Due to the extraordinary wet weather seen in this state during the spring planting season and with still over 50% of the soybean crop to be planted,…
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.
This week, growers and ag professionals have noticed round tan-colored lesions with red margins and yellow halos on Illinois corn. These symptoms likely were a minor disease called Holcus spot. Holcus spot is a bacterial disease of corn that can occur on young corn and is rarely damaging.…