cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

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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“Tip-back” and the 2016 corn crop

  • August 4, 2016

  • Emerson Nafziger

Although my post last week reflected the current optimism about yield prospects for the 2016 Illinois corn crop, there has been some recent discussion about unfilled ear tips and whether or not this might mean lower yields than the appearance of the crop leads us to believe.
Corn ears with kernels missing at the outer end of the ear are often said to have “tip-back.” The term is a little obscure, but the idea is that the end of the cob has been exposed by lack of kernels there,…

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Remain Vigilant for Palmer amaranth

  • August 3, 2016

  • Aaron Hager

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) has garnered much attention recently in both academic discussions and popular press releases, and with good reason.  Among the weedy species of Amaranthus, Palmer amaranth has the fastest growth rate and is the most competitive with the crops common to Midwest agronomic cropping systems.  Soybean yield losses approaching 80% and corn yield losses exceeding 90% have been reported in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.
While most concern focuses on Palmer amaranth in agronomic cropping systems,…

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Soybean: crunch time to come

  • July 27, 2016

  • Emerson Nafziger

The 2016 Illinois soybean story is similar to the corn story; current (July 24) crop ratings for both crops are similar to those we saw in 2014, when we produced the highest-ever yields for both crops. Illinois producers matched the 2014 soybean yield (56 bushels per acre) in 2015, despite the crop’s getting off to a very rocky start last year. Few surprises in crop production have been greater than that of seeing fields that looked marginal in July 2015 go on to produce 60,…

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Is the 2016 corn crop as good as it looks?

  • July 27, 2016

  • Emerson Nafziger

With the exception of a few cool and wet periods in May and some areas of southeastern Illinois that stayed wet and were planted late, the 2016 growing season has been very good so far. The Illinois corn crop was planted a little earlier than normal, stands are excellent, and the crop has had outstanding leaf color throughout the spring and into mid-summer. On July 24, 82% of the crop was rated good or excellent. That matches the late July rating in 2014,…

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Insect Briefs – Soybean Aphids, Syrphid Flies, and More

  • July 20, 2016

  • Kelly Estes

–  Russ Higgins, University of Illinois Extension reports finding a couple of soybean aphids in LaSalle County this week. This follows some earlier reports in July of soybean aphids being found in low numbers in Iowa. Despite some of the recommendations floating around, direct yield loss from soybean aphid feeding does not occur when the first (or five or ten) aphids begin feeding. Today’s soybean varieties are equipped to handle minor challenges, including a few aphids.…

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