cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Soil Nitrogen and N Management Following the 2016 Crop

  • November 14, 2016

  • Emerson Nafziger

The 2016 growing season has been a very good one for corn in Illinois, with the November yield estimate of 202 bushels per acre, slightly higher than our previous best of 200 bushels per acre in 2014.
In sharp contrast to the wet June of 2015, most of Illinois received below-normal rainfall in June 2016, with parts of western and southwestern Illinois receiving less than an inch for the month. With May rainfall close to normal across the state in 2016,…

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Fall-Applied Herbicides: Which Weed Species Should be the Target?

  • October 25, 2016

  • Aaron Hager

Herbicides applied in the fall often can provide improved control of many winter annual weed species compared with similar applications made in the spring.  Marestail is one example of a weed species that is often better controlled with herbicides applied in the fall compared with the spring.  An increasing frequency of marestail populations in Illinois are resistant to glyphosate, and recently we confirmed resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides also is present in Illinois populations.  Targeting emerged marestail with higher application rates of products such as 2,4-D in the fall almost always results in better control at planting compared with targeting overwintered and often larger plants with lower rates of 2,4-D in the spring.…

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Diplodia ear mold at harvest: What can be done now?

  • September 23, 2016

  • Aaron Hager

Producers in western and west-southwestern Illinois may have observed symptoms of Diplodia ear mold during harvest.
 
Diplodia Symptoms and Machinery Adjustments at Harvest. Diplodia ear mold can cause lightweight kernels with a dull grey to brownish color and sometimes small black structures call pycnidia (Figure). The infected kernels are prone to breakage and can result in poor test weights, poor grain quality and fine materials in the hopper or grain bin. Adjusting combine settings can help to maximize grain cleaning and minimize breakage.…

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Soybean Rust found in Southern Illinois 2016

  • September 20, 2016

  • Suzanne Bissonnette

Soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) has been found in southern Illinois.  Samples were collected in Williamson county on 9/11/16 to make observations for other fungal foliar leaf disease. Soybean rust was found sporulating in pustules on the bottom surface of the leaves.  The field was at R6 so yield loss to that field is unlikely.  While this very late in the season,  there are still many fields in southern Illinois that are  green and producers should consider scouting for soybean rust.…

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Corn Earworm, European Corn Borer, Fall Armyworm, or Western Bean Cutworm: Which One Is Causing the Injury I’m Finding on My Corn Ears?

  • September 16, 2016

  • Kelly Estes

Several questions about injury on corn ears has made it way to my desk the past week.

Insect injury to corn ear (photo courtesy of Duane Frederking).
Damaged ear tips, missing kernels, and fungal pathogens are all being reported. Several insect pests in Illinois could be the culprit. Corn earworm, fall armyworm, European corn borer, and western bean cutworm are pests of Illinois cornfields. Their larvae all feed on the ears of corn plants.…

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2016 Tar Spot again found on corn in Northern Illinois

  • September 13, 2016

  • Suzanne Bissonnette

Corn leaf samples from LaSalle county have been positively identified by the University of Illinois Plant Clinic to be infected with Tar Spot Phyllachora maydis.  Commercial Agriculture Extension Educator Russ Higgins found the disease while field scouting.  The fungal leaf blight was identified in numerous northern Illinois and northern Indiana counties in 2015.
Tar Spot has distinctive signs and symptoms. The fungal fruiting body, called an ascomata, looks like an actual spot of tar on the leaf. …

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New bacterial leaf disease “Bacterial leaf streak” identified in one northern Illinois County

  • August 26, 2016

  • Suzanne Bissonnette

Extension Staff Join with other Agencies to Survey Illinois for New Corn Disease 2016: The USDA just announced the presence of Bacterial leaf streak in corn, as determined by recent surveys of the Corn Belt states.  In Illinois, a cooperative survey was organized with APHIS-PPQ (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service), IDA (Illinois Department of Agriculture), CAPS (Illinois Natural History Survey’s Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey) and University of Illinois Extension to provide a rapid response to determine distribution.…

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How can we improve your experience with the Pest Degree Day Calculator?

  • August 25, 2016

  • Kelly Estes

Insects require a certain amount of heat to develop from one stage in their life cycle to another (eggs to larvae to pupae to adults). Degree-days measure insect growth and development in response to daily temperatures. The accumulation of these degree-days can be measured over a period of time and used to estimate growth and predict insect development. Calculating degree-days allows us to predict when significant biological events such as the appearance of insect pests may occur or when they may reach a life stage that is damaging to a particular crop.…

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A Mixed Bag of Insect Densities in 2016 Corn and Soybean Surveys

  • August 22, 2016

  • Kelly Estes

Once again, statewide surveys of insects in corn and soybean fields were conducted during the summer of 2016.  A total of 33 counties were surveyed this year. The surveys were performed during the first week of August by sampling five corn and five soybean fields per county. For the past several years (2011, 2013–2016), surveys in corn and soybean fields have been conducted with the goal of estimating densities of common insect pests. Densities are reported for the various USDA crop reporting districts of Illinois to highlight portions of the state where the risk of economic insect damage is greatest.…

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Agronomy Day 2016

  • August 16, 2016

  • Lee Bynum

Agronomy Day is a collaborative field day hosted by the Department of Crop Sciences in partnership with several academic units in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). From nitrogen management to drone demonstrations Agronomy Day shares cutting-edge research with practical implications for your farm or business. CEU and CCA credits are available during tour stops. Want to know more about Agronomy Day? Sign up now for the Agronomy Day mailing list!
For directions and a list of field tour presentations,…

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