Suspect Red Crown Rot in Your Soybeans? Get a Free Diagnosis Now.
Researchers are on the lookout for Red Crown Rot (RCR) across Illinois. If you suspect RCR in your fields, send your diseased samples to the USDA-ARS lab in Urbana for free. Help us monitor and identify new areas in Illinois where this pathogen has spread.
Well…How’d You Do?
As IL Soy Envoy Craig Grafton monitors the development of this year's crop and reflects on the recent planting season, he emphasizes the importance of evaluating successes and areas for improvement. In this blog post, he shares his approach to planting and assessing plots as the season unfolds.
And the Bad News Is?
After a week's break, the IL Soy Envoys have returned to provide their latest field reports. They cover precipitation levels—or the lack thereof in some regions—and discuss the emergence of tar spot and other potential diseases.
Weed Management in Double Crop Soybeans
Double the crop, half the weed control – that’s part of the allure of following wheat harvest with a second planting of soybeans. However, this approach involves different weed spectrums, residual herbicide timing decisions, and spray cut-off dates to consider.
Understanding Surfactants: A Key Partner for Effective Weed Control
Herbicides require specific surfactants to achieve optimal performance. Why does this matter? In this blog, IL Soy Envoy Karen Corrigan explains how the right surfactant can enhance an herbicide's effectiveness in controlling targeted weeds. Using the correct surfactant can prevent many herbicide failures.
IL Crop Conditions Getting Worse?
On the latest episode of the ILSoyAdvisor podcast, the Soy Envoys discuss Illinois crop conditions, emergence issues, "floppy corn," ongoing weed scouting, and pest concerns such as slugs, Japanese beetles, and stinkbugs.
Understanding the Crop Injury Risks of PRE Herbicides in Early-Planted Soybeans
As farmers continue to plant soybeans earlier, there are concerns about preemergence (PRE) herbicide injury to emerging seedlings. Supported by the Illinois Soybean Association, the University of Illinois Crop Sciences department is evaluating different PRE herbicides on early-planted soybeans to give farmers access to crop injury ratings for better weed management decisions.
Does Late Planting Mean Delayed Yields?
The 2024 planting season has been marked by significant variability, especially in planting dates. This raises the question: should soybean fields planted in mid-May be managed like those planted in April? According to IL Soy Envoy Drew Beckman, the answer is yes, and he provides reasoning in his latest blog.
Monitoring Root Development and Planning for Fungicide
Crop conditions across the state remain highly variable, and the IL Soy Envoys share their regional updates. This episode also covers wheat harvest, root establishment issues, slug damage, crops in the "ugly duckling" phase, herbicide misapplications, and notes for fungicide season.
Crop Scouting During the Awkward Junior High Stage
In a "normal" year, Stephanie Porter's focus would be on scouting V7 corn and R1 soybeans. However, with corn planted at varying intervals this year, it's essential to approach each field with a different mindset. Read on to see her photos and observations from the field.