Good Corn, Bad Corn. That Tale of the Tip

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Rich Lee (Iowa)

Harvest is an excellent time to look at your ears, your corn ears that is. Bits and pieces of the entire growing season can be seen on the ears that are now heavy in the husk and waiting for harvest. One of the easiest stories to read is the stress that came during grain fill. Below are two ears from different hybrids from the same field. The ear on the left is a “good” ear for a flex type hybrid. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011 Harvest, Corn, Harvest, Iowa, Profitability, Syngenta | View Comments

New Diagnostic Tool Provides Quick Goss’s Wilt Confirmation

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Bob Kacvinsky (Nebraska)

There is a new diagnostic field test available that can identify Goss’s Wilt in corn. Goss’s Wilt is a bacterial infection caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis. The field diagnostic test, an ImmunoStrip® test from Agdia, can identify Goss’s Wilt within the leaf tissue. Goss’s Wilt, a past problem in the western plains, has dramatically increased its foot print throughout the plains and into the central Corn Belt. Factors that can increase severity include: Corn on corn rotations Surface crop … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011 Harvest, Disease, Goss's Wilt, Harvest, Nebraska, Syngenta, Uncategorized | View Comments

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Barry Soliday (Illinois)

Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Can you get them off the ground? Can you make out the row? Yep, it has been one of those years for many of us. If you think you are alone harvesting down corn, let me assure you that you are not. The real question is how did we get here? Well, it all started this spring… We started off the season with a very wet spring. Some of … Continue reading →

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The Many Faces of Goss’s Wilt in 2011

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Gary Prescher (Minnesota)

When a new disease like Goss’s wilt moved into the area in 2009 and 2010, I did my homework to get ready for this year’s episode!  I discovered that Goss’s wilt is unlike any other corn disease when it comes to a “traditional or normal look” to lesions or affected plants, so I started my library of pictures. Notable quotes include: “It’s like a flesh eating disease” said Mark Bernard, Crop Consultant, New Richland, Minnesota, commenting while on the Pro … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease, Goss's Wilt, Harvest, Hybrid selection, Minnesota, Scouting, Syngenta | View Comments

Managing Stalk Lodging and Assessing Yield Performance

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Mark Lawson (Indiana)

September brought the rains we wanted in July and August, a bit over 5 inches at this writing and it’s raining now. The early yield reports reflect the truism that “rain makes grain”. One farmer from the southern part of our county reported a corn yield of some 90 bushels. At the other extreme, I rode with a customer while the yield monitor was bouncing between 220 and 250 bushels per acre. The extremely dry weather caused hybrids to die … Continue reading →

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The Early Bird Catches the Worm When it Comes to Mycotoxin-management

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Kenneth Teeter (North Carolina)

Or maybe it’s better put to say that being the early bird results in less mycotoxins, as worms are only part of the equation in this story, but I’ll get to that in a minute. To be the “early bird”, in this case, really just takes early planning! Growers who plan in advance can apply Afla-Guard® biocontrol agent to corn between V10/V12 and R1 and significantly reduce aflatoxin levels.  A benign, non-toxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus, Afla-Guard works by establishing … Continue reading →

Posted in Afla-Guard, Aflatoxin, Agrisure Viptera, Corn, Mycotoxin, Profitability, Syngenta | View Comments

A Deep Bench at the Demonstration Plots

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Mark Lawson (Indiana)

It’s “field day” or “plot tour” season in my world. I have, for several years, tried to make the traditional “pork chop” tour something more than just looking at the hot new hybrid release or the latest thing in soybeans. Coaches and sports commentators often refer to a team’s “deep bench” when the team has a large number of very talented players. The Syngenta spectrum of seeds, seed treatments, crop protection and disease control products makes for a deep bench. … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease, Fungicides, Indiana, Syngenta | View Comments

Storm Damaged Crops in the Northeast

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Dervin Druist (Pennsylvania)

Another year of extremes! We started the growing season in the Northeast with a very wet month of May, followed by a hot and dry summer. As we move into early September, we are getting more than enough rain. Over the past few weeks, we have had heavy rainfall in many parts of the Northeast, and it looks like it will continue. The weather forecast for central Pennsylvania is calling for 7-10 inches of rainfall this week. Many of you … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Harvest, Pennsylvania, Soybeans | View Comments

Is Water A Concern? Have No Fear! Visit Syngenta at Husker Harvest Days This Year

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Josh Erwin (Nebraska)

I hope you are all enjoyed the cooler temperatures this past week, I know I did. Just how hot has it been? The map shows that eastern Nebraska temperatures averaged 2-5 degrees higher in July than the 15-year average. Although most of the hottest conditions occurred over pollination, the corn that I have seen looks to be okay. We are lucky that most areas of eastern Nebraska have seen rain. But what would have happened if we hadn’t? That’s where … Continue reading →

Posted in Agrisure Corn Traits, Agrisure Viptera, Aphid Management System, Husker Harvest Days, Nebraska | View Comments

Crop Stress Continues to Mount… “Every Drop Counts”

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Gary Prescher (Minnesota)

Sometimes getting caught up in growing degree units (GDUs) can be too much of a good thing. In spite of the cooler temperatures, crop stress continues to mount for corn and soybeans. Heat stress created pollination and kernel tip back issues in corn and limited pod set for soybeans in July, but water is the name of the game during grain fill in August. The impact is a little different for each crop. Drought stress during R3-R5 in corn limits … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Minnesota, Soybeans | View Comments