Stress, Golf and the 2011 Indiana Corn Harvest

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Mark Lawson (Indiana)

Lee Trevino, the famous golfer once commented that “Stress is playing for $50 per hole and you don’t have $50”.  The amendment to Mr. Trevino’s quote could be “Stress is trying to produce a corn crop with 12 inches of total rainfall and you need 25 inches.” Indiana now shows up on the Palmer Drought Index maps as having moderate drought/extreme drought conditions over much of the state of Indiana. As frustrating as it is to watch, there are some … Continue reading →

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Time for a visit? Come to the 2011 Farm Progress Show!

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Barry Soliday (Illinois)

The 2011 Farm Progress Show is right around the corner, and so is harvest. What looked like a really promising crop just a few short weeks ago ran into some extreme heat and virtually no rainfall. To be honest, it wasn’t just the day time temps that got us but all those hot nights. Corn really likes or should I say needs some cool nights as “down time” to recoup from all of the heat and moisture stress during the … Continue reading →

Posted in Farm Progress Show, Illinois, Syngenta | View Comments

When is it Time to Say “Enough is Enough”?

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Josh Erwin (Nebraska)

I just got back from shutting off my east pivot, one of two that we operate on our family farm. It has definitely been a drier summer here in northeast Nebraska, thus the pivots have had a higher-than-normal workout. For those of you with all the rain, you could send a little my way every once in a while! As I was driving home I was thinking to myself, “I wonder how many more passes I am going to need … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Harvest, Irrigation, Nebraska, Profitability, Syngenta, Water Optimization | View Comments

Sudden Death Syndrome in Iowa-Is it Still There?

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Rich Lee (Iowa)

Sudden death in sports events usually means a quick and exciting finish to a game. You never quite know how things will turn out. Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in soybeans may have some similarities to sudden death in sports: a quick finish, an unknown ending and the end of the season. Fortunately for growers, SDS is not always the season-ending event. In our area, we are now starting to see the familiar SDS symptoms of yellow leaves, which eventually turn … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois, Iowa, Profitability, Scouting, Soybeans, Sudden Death Syndrome, Syngenta | View Comments

A Developing Drought in Southern Minnesota?

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Gary Prescher (Minnesota)

Precipitation for the month of July shows a developing dry pattern across southern Minnesota. Early July Areas colored yellow and orange on the map missed critical rainfall during early July and have the potential to be the most affected by heat stress during pollination and early grain fill. Compacted fields, corn on corn rotations, and coarser soils are currently suffering the most potential yield loss from dry top soil conditions. Keep in mind: Ear size is adjusted through R3. Lower … Continue reading →

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Watch Out Wisconsin and Beyond! – Western Bean Cutworm

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Rich Lee (Iowa)

The following is an update from Mike Weiss, Agronomic Service Representative, Wisconsin: We are just past the peak flight period for Western bean cutworm in central and northern Wisconsin and it’s important for growers to keep an eye out for this pest.  The scouting procedure is to count the egg masses or small caterpillars on 20 consecutive plants in five random locations in each field. If 5 percent of the plants are infested, an insecticide application is recommended. Western bean … Continue reading →

Posted in Agrisure Viptera, Corn, Pests, Scouting, Western Bean Cutworm, Wisconsin | View Comments

You Knew They Were Coming – Soybean Aphid Alert

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Gary Prescher (Minnesota)

Soybean aphid season in Minnesota is upon us once again in 2011. This year is a real testament to the effectiveness of CruiserMaxx® Beans insecticide/fungicide seed treatment from several angles.   This seed treatment continues to perform as we have come to expect by protecting seedlings early on from disease and by delaying aphid establishment. Fields planted with untreated seed are quickly reaching economic thresholds of 250 aphids per plant. Fields where CruiserMaxx Beans seed treatment was used normally delays aphid thresholds … Continue reading →

Posted in Aphid Management System, Infestations, Insects, Minnesota, NK, NK Soybeans, Pests, Profitability, Scouting, Syngenta | View Comments

Popping Corn in the Heat

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Rich Lee (Iowa)

Next time you find yourself laying in the shade of a 97° F day gasping for air and someone comes up to you and says, “Sure, it’s hot but it’s good for the corn,” you have my permission to disagree with them. True, corn does like heat and it grows best with warm weather, but I use the term “warm” weather, not blast furnace weather, like we are experiencing throughout the summer. Heat can be good, but too much of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Iowa, Japanese Beetle, Profitability, Rootworm Beetle, Yield | View Comments

Getting Clipped

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Rich Lee (Iowa)

You just have to admire the way Mother Nature can change things up. Until just a couple of years ago, we just had to worry about silk clipping from rootworm beetles. Now, just to make life more interesting, along comes the Japanese beetle. This new pest coming from the East is rapidly adapting to Iowa. It is sometimes found in heavy populations in our corn and soybean fields. Usually the leaf feeding caused by Japanese beetles is minor enough that … Continue reading →

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Goss’s Wilt in……Illinois?!

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Barry Soliday (Illinois)

Goss’s What? Why Goss’s Wilt of course….you mean to say you have never heard of it? Well to be honest, I usually checked out of the conversation when it turned to Goss’s Wilt. It was always an issue for the guys to the left of the Mississippi River, but now it has become a real issue for us on this side of the river too.  For most of us, Goss’s Wilt did come in last summer. But it came late … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Disease, Fungicides, Genetic diversity, Goss's Wilt, Illinois, Nebraska, Profitability, Syngenta | View Comments