Corn rootworm adults, stinkbugs, Japanese Beetles, corn aphids

Waterhemp

Sudden Death Syndrome and Downy Mildew in soybeans. I have not yet seen any white mold.

Northern Corn Leaf Blight, Grey Leaf Spot, Ear Smut, Tar Spot in the corn. Fungicide applications seemed to do well at slowing down the foliar disease but I’m definitely seeing more Tar Spot developing on the lower leaves of the corn now.

Corn is starting to fire in the lower canopy now as the plant cannibalizes lower leaves and remobilizes nitrogen into more productive leaves and the grain.

Around here, we’re probably about a month away from seeing the first aerial cover crop seeding applications. Remember, aerial seeding can be advantageous for early cover crop establishment, but it requires adequate soil moisture — ideally with a timely rain following the application. Be sure to consider your current soil moisture and weather forecast before giving the green light.

If you plan to fly cover crops into standing soybeans, try to time the application when the field first begins to yellow. Sometimes I’ll say to go at the first yellow leaf as the beans begin turning. This helps get the seed to the soil surface and allows leaf drop to hold in moisture, improving germination and establishment.

When flying covers into standing corn, it can help if the leaves are beginning to droop from natural senescence — this reduces seed being caught in the leaf axils — though it’s not critical.

As with any cover crop seeding, it’s always a good idea to double-check your herbicide program from this season (especially if you used a new active ingredient) to avoid potential carryover issues before applying.