Fungicides and disease scouting is our focus this week to ensure we are ahead of these yield robbing diseases. Corn and soybeans have had a great week with plenty of moisture in the soil and sunlight to keep growth and development active especially soybeans. They have turned from a visual yellow color to more of a dark green color across the region with the break in rainfall we have had this week. Aerial fungicide applications have kicked off with corn, and some ground fungicide applications have been sprayed in early planted soybeans. In the upcoming weeks fungicide applications will be in full flight.

This week has marked up to be perfect growing weather for crops, with temperature highs being in the low 90s F and the lows being in the high 70s F

Forecast has shown chances of rains daily, but we have yet to see any sizable precipitation. Morning dew has been heavy acting as if there was rain over night. Southern part of our region did receive some rain last night.

Soil has significantly dried over the past week in places that were mud. We can now walk across.

Some have started preventative fungicide applications on early soybeans with ground rigs. Aerial corn fungicide has lifted off this week, as corn has matured to the VT stages.

During root digs this week, we have noticed reduced nodulation. We believe this is due to waterlogged soil conditions that these plants have experienced over the last few weeks.

In our region, we are seeing corn that is at the growth stages of V8-VT, with majority being one leaf away from tassel.

All wheat was harvested between the fourth and early this week. Wheat seemed to be small and stature but produce good yielding quality grain and straw. Several have double cropped a variety of crops into their wheat stubble to fit their farm needs.

Japanese beetles continue to thrive. We are starting to see corn rootworm beetles and corn aphids continue to show up on select varieties.

Waterhemp continues to dominate the region in soybeans. Last week we had great conditions for post emerge spraying application control in soybeans.

Northern corn leaf blight continues to show up big in corn, grey leaf spot also continues to grow throughout the region. We have yet to see tar spot in our scouting. We anticipate seeing disease activity to increase in spread due to the weather patterns we are experiencing as well with heavy dews causing extended leaf wetness and high humidity.

Plants seem to be much happier this week with temperatures and a break from rainfall this week.