cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Armyworms Inflict Damage to Corn in Northeastern Illinois

  • June 9, 2015

  • Michael Gray

On June 8, I received a report from Stephanie Porter, Burrus Sales Agronomist, concerning a severe infestation of armyworms in McHenry County. Significant damage had been inflicted to a field of no-till corn in which rye had been used as a cover crop. Throughout my career, the most common reports of damaging infestations of armyworms have occurred in corn when rye has been used as a cover crop. For more information on the biology, life cycle and management of this pest,…

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Western Corn Rootworm Hatch Update: Typical Timeline this Season

  • June 9, 2015

  • Michael Gray

The annual western corn rootworm hatch appears to be similar this spring to the two most recent growing seasons. Thanks to Larry Bledsoe and his entomology colleagues at Purdue University, we have compiled a list of hatch dates over the past 20 years! Beginning on May 21 (and at 3-day intervals), Larry examined the root tissue of untreated corn plants for first instar larvae. On June 4 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana he found his first corn rootworm larva and estimated that hatch occurred the day before.…

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International Agronomy Day

  • June 1, 2015

  • Aaron Hager

The Department of Crop Sciences will host International Agronomy Day on August 31, 2015 at the Crop Sciences Research and Education Center at the University of Illinois. We have developed International Agronomy Day as an opportunity for international visitors to attend a field tour at the University of Illinois and interact with many of our faculty and staff.  International Agronomy Day will take place the day before the Farm Progress Show opens in Decatur to provide an opportunity for international visitors traveling to the United States to attend the Farm Progress Show to learn more about the research being conducted by our faculty and staff.…

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Tracking Soil Nitrogen – Does Corn Have Enough N?

  • May 30, 2015

  • Emerson Nafziger

Rainfall in April and May has been about average through most of Illinois, at least until the downpours the last days of May. This has allowed timely planting and a good start to the crop in most areas, and has allowed nitrogen management to be carried out more or less as planned by most producers. Warm temperatures during some weeks of May are moving crop development along, and much of the N planned for application after crop emergence has already been applied.…

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Identification of Palmer amaranth in Illinois

  • May 21, 2015

  • Aaron Hager

Palmer amaranth continued to expand its presence in Illinois during 2014. Palmer amaranth populations have been confirmed in counties colored orange or blue in Figure 1; orange designates glyphosate-resistant populations are present in these counties. It should be neither construed nor assumed that Palmer amaranth populations occur only in the counties colored on this map. It is altogether likely that Palmer amaranth populations are present in many other counties. Emerged Palmer amaranth plants were observed on May 7 at our field research location west of Kankakee.…

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Black Cutworm Damage Reported in Northern Illinois

  • May 21, 2015

  • Michael Gray

In a recent Bulletin article, I shared an observation of black cutworm damage in southern Illinois. Just recently (May 20), James Kennedy, Advanced Crop Care, Inc., found black cutworms were at work in northern Illinois as well. He found three fields that were infested with cutworms (4th instar) with cutting of plants in the 1-3% range. The fields were located in northern Kane County and McHenry County. James indicated that rescue treatments would be applied in the near future to these infested fields.…

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Plant Clinic Screening Waterhemp for Herbicide Resistance this Season

  • May 19, 2015

  • Suzanne Bissonnette

New testing for 2015: U of I Plant Clinic is offering molecular screening of waterhemp populations for resistance to glyphosate and PPO inhibitor herbicides this growing season. Protocols developed by University of Illinois Weed Scientist Dr. Pat Tranel, supported by Illinois Soybean Association and Pioneer, are now being offered through the Plant Clinic. The fee for the molecular testing is $50 per tested field. This includes both tests.
Herbicide-resistant waterhemp populations continue to expand into more areas of Illinois each season.…

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2015 Field Day Events in Illinois

  • May 19, 2015

  • Emerson Nafziger

Fields days organized by Crop Sciences and Extension at the University of Illinois and by other institutions will focus on crops and pests, with speakers talking about current crop issues along with information from previous research. Each event will offer CEUs for CCAs.
Following is the schedule of crop-related 2015 field days organized by University of Illinois Crop Sciences and by several other institutions.

Event
Date – start time
Food
Contact

Urbana – Weeds
June 24 –…

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Cutworm Activity Reported in Southern Illinois: Scouting Fields Closely Recommended

  • May 18, 2015

  • Michael Gray

John Pike, University of Illinois Crop Sciences Research Agronomist, Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, observed some cutting of corn plants today (May 18) in some plots that had volunteer ryegrass prior to burndown (Figure 1). John indicated that overall moth flight has been low at this location; however, as his observations illustrate, it is still worthwhile to scout fields closely for cutting activity. Please refer to some previously published Bulletin articles for additional information on this topic.…

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Stripe rust and Fusarium head blight (scab) concerns in Illinois

  • May 14, 2015

  • Aaron Hager

Stripe rust of wheat has been observed in different parts of Illinois within the last week. Although some varieties have very good resistance to stripe rust, there are still several varieties that are susceptible. Stripe rust is able to flourish under the cooler temperatures we’ve had over the last few days. With rain in the forecast in parts of the state over the next few days, favorable conditions for this disease likely will continue.
Although some wheat fields in the state are already past the critical period for applying a fungicide for protection against Fusarium head blight (a.k.a.…

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