cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Ewing Demonstration Center Fall Cover Crop Field Day – Nov. 6th

  • October 28, 2014

  • Nathan Johanning

Join us on Thursday, November 6th, 2014 for the the Ewing Demonstration Center Fall Cover Crop Field Day.  Registration and refreshments will start at 8:30 a.m. and the program will start at 9:00 a.m., rain or shine.  The Ewing Demonstration Center is located at 16132 N. Ewing Rd; Ewing IL 62836, on the north edge of the village of Ewing, north of the Ewing Grade School on north Ewing Road.  Watch for signs.
Cover crops have many benefits to the soil,…

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US EPA Concludes Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments of Negligible Benefit to Soybean Production

  • October 21, 2014

  • Michael Gray

On October 15, 2014, the US Environmental Protection Agency issued a report on the benefits of neonicotinoid insecticidal seed treatments to soybean production in the United States. Neonicotinoid insecticidal seed treatments include imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin. The analysis concentrated only on the potential benefits of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam used as seed treatments. Although clothianidin is registered for use as a soybean seed treatment, the authors of the report considered its use “minor” as compared with the other two neonicotinoids.…

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

  • October 21, 2014

  • 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 within the past year we have confirmed that resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides also is present in Illinois populations. …

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Registration Site Open for 2014 AGMasters Conference

  • October 17, 2014

  • Michael Gray

The registration site for the 2014 AGMasters Conference is now open! Space in the breakout sessions is limited and those with interest in this conference are strongly encouraged to register at their earliest convenience to help ensure the availability of specialized classes of most interest.The conference will take place at the I Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign, Illinois, December 15 to 16. The registration fee for this event is $250.00 through December 5. Continuing education credits (CCA) are offered in the following categories: professional development (1.5),…

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Volunteers Needed for Sampling Corn Grain

  • October 10, 2014

  • Emerson Nafziger

In June with wheat harvest underway, I asked people to send in grain samples so that under an NREC-funded project we could measure P and K levels to try to sharpen up our nutrient removal numbers.
We got a few wheat samples. We also, thanks to the Illinois Soybean Association, found a way to get a good number of soybean samples to measure P and K after they are tested for protein and oil.
Our real need now is to get corn grain samples from the 2014 harvest.…

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2014 AGMasters Conference Takes Shape: Plan to Attend

  • September 30, 2014

  • Michael Gray

The line up of speakers for the 2014 AGMasters Conference, December 15-16, is beginning to take shape. The 2-day conference will take place at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois. The conference begins with a general session that features speakers covering a variety of topics including: potential water protection rules and standards, implications of the new Farm Bill, agrichemical/agribusiness/industry education initiatives, and the practical implications of evolutionary principles regarding resistance development by insects,…

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Remain Vigilant for Palmer Amaranth

  • September 10, 2014

  • Aaron Hager

Accurate identification of weedy Amaranthus species during early vegetative stages can be difficult.  However, identification of the various species becomes much more reliable when reproductive structures are present (Figure 1).
Before harvest begins, consider taking a few minutes to scout fields; at this time of year it is much easier to differentiate between Palmer amaranth (Figure 2) and waterhemp plants (Figure 3).
Similar to waterhemp, Palmer amaranth plants are either male or female; male plants produce only pollen while female plants produce only seed. …

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Dates and Locations for the 2015 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics

  • September 8, 2014

  • Aaron Hager

The dates and locations for the January 2015 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics are set.  Our next series of meetings marks the 18th year of the Classics and will continue the program’s tradition of providing our clientele with the most current and timely information related to crop production, marketing and pest management.
The dates and meeting locations for the 2015 Corn & Soybean Classics are:
▸ January 7 (Wednesday): Peoria Par-A-Dice Hotel
▸ January 8 (Thursday): Moline i wireless Center
▸ January 9 (Friday): Malta Kishwaukee College
▸ January 12 (Monday): Springfield Crowne Plaza
▸ January 13 (Tuesday): Champaign I Hotel and Conference Center
▸ January 14 (Wednesday): Mt.…

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ALERT: Fall Armyworms May Reach Damaging Levels in Pastures Across Southern Illinois

  • September 6, 2014

  • Michael Gray

Doug Johnson, University of Kentucky Extension Entomologist, has received reports of large densities of fall armyworms in pastures from central Kentucky to the Mississippi River. These infestations follow some large flights of these moths as reported recently by Professor Johnson. The fall armyworm is a tropical insect and the moths migrate to northern states during the late summer and early months of fall. Gulf Coast storms may increase the late summer flights northward. As female moths find grassy or pastured areas,…

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Destructive diseases of soybean – sudden death syndrome and white mold – observed in the state

  • August 27, 2014

  • Aaron Hager

Signs and symptoms of a few soybean diseases have begun to show up in the last few weeks in some areas of the state.  Two of these diseases, sudden death syndrome (SDS) and Sclerotinia stem rot (a.k.a. white mold) certainly are going to cause economic losses in some growers’ fields this year.
Symptoms of SDS that currently are being observed are interveinal chlorosis and necrosis of the leaves (veins remain green while the tissues between the veins turn yellow and then brown). …

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