Despite nearly an inch of precipitation over the weekend, many grass areas have yet to come out of dormancy in regions that were previously very dry. Tar spot confirmation frequency is increasing in northern Illinois counties and merits attention. Isolated southern rust infection was also detected this week in the area. Dr. Boris Camiletti addressed southern rust identification and management in a July 19 Bulletin article.

In R3 (milk stage) corn that was scouted, corn earworm (CEW) was found. While generally not an issue in dent corn, it can be problematic for sweet corn. The female CEW moth lays individual eggs, preferably on fresh corn silks. After hatching in 2–5 days, the larvae move to the tip of the developing ear to begin feeding. Once inside the ear, there is no effective control for the pest.