Tissue testing is a great way to manage your nutrient levels in-season and can help boost your yields. However, it must be done correctly to see a gain in your fields this fall. As tissue testing detects whether your plant has sufficient nutrients for growth, knowing when and what to test is imperative. Keep in mind, that tissue testing should not be the only way you determine management strategies for your crops.
So you finally got, or are about to get, some rain. Whew! Good news after a tough 6-8 weeks here in the Midwest. What now?
Northern corn leaf blight is an annual threat in cornfields from the Midwest to the Atlantic Coast, wherever environmental conditions are met. It spreads quickly from south to north, riding hurricane winds to infect new areas.
Soybean white mold is an annual threat in the northern United States (north of Interstate 70) from Nebraska to the Atlantic Coast, though it may appear anywhere when conditions are right.
Timely, preventive action is necessary to maximize yield in the presence of white mold. Geographic location is only one piece of the puzzle. Also consider spring climate, planting practices, soybean variety, microclimate and field history when weighing the potential of white mold development.
Tar spot is a foliar disease of corn that has recently emerged as an economic concern for corn production in the Midwestern U.S. It is not a new disease, having been first identified in 1904 in high valleys in Mexico. Historically, tar spot’s range was limited to high elevations in cool, humid areas in Latin America, but it has now spread to South American tropics and parts of North America. It first appeared in the U.S. in 2015.
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