Additional rainfall this week has brought weeds through the soy canopy in some fields, especially in areas where the population was thinned by earlier flooding or saturation. The soy fields I have scouted continue to be mostly disease free. That statement does not hold up for the corn crop. I have been scouting a 108-day hybrid that was planted on April 24th, this corn has reached R5 or the dent stage. At this stage within the kernel, starch begins to harden at the top and works its way down to the kernel tip attached to the cob. There is variation between maturities and hybrids, but corn plants are generally in R5 for 30 days before reaching R6 or physiological maturity. At the beginning of R5 the kernel dry matte content is estimated at 45% of the potential final accumulation. Unlike the soy crop, and not surprising with August environmental conditions, foliar diseases have increased markedly in the recent week in corn fields. Southern Rust, Tar Spot and Gray Leaf Spot is all currently present in fields scouted that did not receive fungicide treatment. Another interesting anomaly noted on hybrids with shortened husk, is frequent damage to the exposed ear tip, presumably by birds or insects.