Fungicide

The annual yield survey by First Mid Ag Services estimates McLean County corn to average 223.69 bushels per acre. The yield estimate is based on 1,620 samples from 162 locations.

Agronomists covering a broad area of the Corn Belt gave their insights on crop conditions, nitrogen applications and other topics recently at Beck’s Central Illinois Field Show.

Tar spot was an unknown corn disease in the “I” states less than a decade ago, but no longer. A severely infected field can reach yield losses upwards of 60 bushels per acre.

The Highland Community College Agriculture Department invites the public to the 2023 Agriculture Research Day.

It’s hard to believe we are already at the end of August. We have finished sweet corn sales for 2023. This is a family project, and I believe almost all of us are OK that the time has come to wrap up.

For Eric Brammeier, who farms and owns a crop insurance business, August is about waiting for harvest — and harvest prices to be set.

Washington County got hit by a mini-derecho. We had severe winds, like 100 mph winds in some places. It laid some corn flat and destroyed some buildings. Some people were out of power for days.

It’s been steady-as-it-goes at Smolkovich farms and the brothers are using the downtime to clean and check the combine in preparation for harvest.

We are finishing our last fungicide and herbicide applications. We have had a few weeds push through our early herbicide application, so we have been forced to make another pass to clean some weeds up.

Soil tilth building practices should be considered offensive management tools. “Cover crops have been pushed as defensive tools against erosion, water quality problems or impeding regulations,” said Mitchell Hora.

Chris Gould harvested record wheat yields from his farm in July. “The wheat produced 115 bushels per acre,” said Gould, who together with his wife, Dana, grow corn, soybeans and wheat on their Kane County farm.

At this stage of the season, it’s a good time to scout fields for compromised plants that can reveal any early season stressors that may have stymied ear development and, ultimately, yield potential.

With 2023 planting complete, growers are turning their attention to managing their in-season inputs, and one of the key decisions remaining this year is whether or not to use a fungicide.

After working eight- to 10-hour shifts at their full-time jobs, the Smolkovich brothers converged to do chores at their cattle operation Monday evening.

Fungicide applications are a preventative measure that need to occur before a plant has significant infection. “We can see when weeds germinate or bugs come in, but for diseases you can’t see it until it is entrenched,” said Gery Welker.