cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

A Quick Pigweed Identification Exercise

  • May 11, 2015

A scouting trip last Thursday to our Palmer amaranth research location west of Kankakee revealed that Palmer amaranth plants had begun to emerge a few days before our arrival. Early and accurate identification of Palmer amaranth plants is an important component of an integrated management program, but differentiating among seedling-stage Amaranthus plants sometimes can be difficult. As plants become larger and reproductive structures are present, identification becomes increasingly easier. The following photographs might help renew your Amaranthus species identification skills.…

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2015 Season at the University of Illinois Plant Clinic

  • May 11, 2015

What pests will the 2015 growing season feature? Let the Plant Clinic help you diagnose them. Samples havePreview been gradually filling up the lab here at the Clinic in our 40th year of operation. On the field front, there have been concerns with root and virus disease diagnosis in wheat. On the home landscape front, there has been a steady influx of fungal disease.
 
The University of Illinois Plant Clinic accepts samples year-round.…

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University of Illinois Weed Science Field Research Tour

  • May 11, 2015

We invite you to attend the 2015 University of Illinois Weed Science Field Day on Wednesday, June 24th at the University of Illinois Crop Sciences Research and Education Center, located immediately south of the main campus. Coffee and refreshments will be available under the shade trees near the Seed House beginning at 8:00 a.m.
Similar to past years, we will car pool to the fields where participants can join in a guided (but informal) tour format.…

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Applying Soil-Residual Herbicides to Emerged Corn

  • May 5, 2015

The rapid progress of corn planting sometimes can outpace the application of soil-residual herbicides.  In most instances these herbicides are applied within a few days after planting, but weather-and equipment-related factors can delay applications until after corn has emerged.
Most, but not all, soil residual herbicides can be applied after corn has emerged.  Products such as Balance Pro, Radius, Fierce, Prequel, Sharpen and Verdict must be applied before corn begins to emerge; applications of these products to emerged corn can result in significant corn injury. …

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Wheat disease outlook

  • April 28, 2015

As the weather begins to warm up, wheat is beginning to grow at a faster pace.  Symptoms of some diseases also are beginning to appear or will likely be appearing soon.  Below are some diseases to look for right now.
Stagonospora and Septoria leaf blotch: Although caused by two different pathogens, symptoms of these two foliar diseases look very similar and both can be managed with an appropriate foliar fungicide application.  Most results from University of Illinois wheat foliar fungicide trials conducted since 2008 have shown that an application of an effective fungicide for control of Fusarium head blight (scab) when wheat is beginning to flower also provides good protection against common foliar fungal diseases on the flag leaf. …

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US EPA’s Proposal to Prevent Western Corn Rootworm Resistance: Does IPM Implementation Have a Realistic Chance?

  • April 27, 2015

On January 28, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)  published a “proposed framework to prevent corn rootworm resistance.” Public comments were sought across an original 45-day period that was extended 30 days beyond the original March 16, 2015 deadline. Within the proposal, the United State EPA acknowledges that corn rootworms have already developed resistance to “Bt corn” in some areas of Iowa and Illinois. US EPA has characterized some states within the Corn Belt as in the “red zone”…

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Planting into Cool Soils – Yes or No?

  • April 22, 2015

While research shows that the last 10 days of April is on average the best time to plant corn in Illinois, expectations of below-normal temperatures in most of Illinois during the last week of April has some wondering if it makes sense to plant now or to wait until temperatures warm up.
Averaged over the past 22 years, Illinois corn producers have planted 16% of the crop by April 20. NASS reported that 15% of the crop was planted by April 19 this year,…

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Black Cutworm Moth Captures Common in Several Midwestern States

  • April 21, 2015

Impressive flights of black cutworm and armyworm moths have been reported by Doug Johnson an Extension Entomologist at the University of Kentucky . Entomologists at Purdue University also have received reports that black cutworm moth captures are now common in many areas of Indiana. Kelly Estes, Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator with the Illinois Natural History Survey, has established a network of trapping cooperators across Illinois. Although no intense flights (nine or more moths caught over a 2-day period) of black cutworm moths have been reported by these cooperators,…

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Slowing the Evolution of Weed Resistance to Herbicides

  • April 20, 2015

Many individuals involved in production agriculture have first-hand experience with the numerous challenges caused by herbicide-resistant weeds.  The magnitude of herbicide resistance is best measured on a worldwide scale.  The most recent summary indicates 450 unique cases of herbicide resistance—encompassing 245 species—occur globally.  Approximately 11–12 cases of unique resistance are discovered each year.  Methods employed to detect and study the evolution of herbicide resistance have improved greatly over time, but our understanding of the epidemiology of herbicide resistance has lagged.…

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