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.
Corn rootworm larvae begins hatching in late May to June. “Generally, corn rootworm hatch occurs close to the time that we begin seeing lightning bugs outside in the evenings,” said AgVenture Agronomy Lead Louis Sutton. “This is not 100% true, but it gives us a good indication of the hatch timing. When this happens, set a reminder to begin scouting in the next couple of weeks.”
There have been some reports of black cutworms already affecting corn and soybean fields this year. Read the latest article on what to look out for.
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