Crops

Symptoms of Southern Rust in Corn: When to Scout and What to Look For

Thu, 07 May 2026 15:08:35 GMT

A “wait-and-see” strategy will work for a lot of pests and diseases, but southern rust isn’t one of them. After widespread pressure across the Midwest in 2025, this disease is no longer just a southern concern. It’s a midseason risk that can move fast in many regions in the US under the right conditions.

Southern rust in corn will rapidly spread under hot, humid conditions, and uncontrolled infections can significantly impact grain fill and yield. That’s why early identification is key to keeping southern rust in check this year.

Southern corn rust symptoms

Southern rust corn infections are caused by a fungus called Puccinia polysora. It was typically confined to the tropics and the US South, but recently it has spread as far north as Minnesota and North Dakota.

The most common southern corn rust symptoms are raised pustules, which break through the outer leaf surface. The pustules range from orange to tan and are usually 1/16-inch ovals.¹ If you rub your finger over the pustules, you’ll notice red streaks of spores on your fingertips.

Look for pustules in the middle to upper canopy. Most pustules form on the upper side of the leaf. On the underside of the leaf, you’ll see chlorotic spots directly beneath each pustule, but not raised structures.

That upper-surface pattern is one of the most reliable ways to confirm what you’re seeing.

Common rust vs southern rust in corn

Southern rust and common rust share similar symptoms and signs, but there are some key differences.

Common rust in corn produces darker, brick-red pustules on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Southern rust produces lighter orange pustules that are concentrated almost entirely on the upper surface.²

That distinction makes scouting more straightforward. If pustules are present on both sides of the leaf, you’re likely dealing with common rust. If they’re confined to the upper surface with chlorosis underneath, southern rust is the more likely diagnosis.

Southern rust is also more aggressive. Under warm, humid conditions, it can develop and spread much faster than common rust, increasing the risk of yield loss if it’s not caught early.

Where and when to scout for rust in corn

Start scouting for southern rust in the upper canopy, where infections are most likely to appear first. Early infections can be easy to miss, but once conditions favor disease development, spread can accelerate quickly.

Southern rust thrives when temperatures approach 80 F and humidity remains high.³ In the Midwest, that typically puts peak risk in mid-to-late July through August.

Focus scouting efforts on:

Fields that were planted later than average
Hybrids with known susceptibility
Areas of the field where humidity lingers, such as low spots or dense canopy zones

Scouting is the first step in southern corn rust management

Scouting for southern rust in corn will determine the next actions you take.

Fungicide applications are typically recommended between VT-R3. This is a critical window for protecting your yield. Detecting southern rust early in that window gives you time to make an informed decision about which fungicides to apply.

Waiting until the disease is obvious across the field often means the opportunity to protect yield has already narrowed. Fungicide applications won’t cure an infection if southern corn rust symptoms are prevalent, but they can prevent further spread.

Fungicide applications are most effective when they’re timed to protect the crop during key reproductive stages. Products like Veltyma® or Headline AMP® can be part of a broader management strategy, but only if they’re applied before the disease gets ahead of the crop.

Experts are available to help you navigate scouting for corn rust. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent or a seed company professional like your regional BASF representative .

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Endnotes

Bradley, Carl A., et al. An Overview of Southern Rust. Crop Protection Network, 2019. CPN-2009, https://doi.org/10.31274/cpn-20190620-006
Ahumada, Daisy. Corn Rusts: Common and Southern Rust. North Carolina State University Extension, 27 Sept. 2023, https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/corn-rusts-common-and-southern-rust .
Crop Protection Network. Southern Rust Spreads Across Corn Fields This Season. 28 Aug. 2025, https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/news/southern-rust-spreads-across-corn-fields-this-season .

Oregon Farmers Navigate The Ups And Downs Of A Changing Ag Landscape

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:05:35 GMT

Helle and Bruce Ruddenklau make almost every agronomic move on their Willamette Valley, Oregon, farm with their balance sheet in mind. Crop rotations, contracts and niche markets are the core tools they use to maneuver through and survive today’s costly inputs and soft crop prices.

The couple farm about 1,100 acres near Amity, Ore. They own a third of the ground and rent the rest.

About half the acres are in commercial grass seed — perennial ryegrass and fescue for lawns, golf courses, sports fields and parks. The rest of their acreage cycles through wheat, an oilseed called Meadowfoam (highly sought after in cosmetics, skincare products, and specialty industrial applications), green beans, occasional sweet corn and peas, radish seed for export to Japan, clover seed and hazelnuts.

The crop diversity is critical. It helps even out the economic ups and downs of farming, and it also helps address a problem the couple didn’t even know they had initially in the 1990s: herbicide-resistant grass weeds, a challenge exacerbated by the fact they produce commercial grass seed.

“We had to come up with a different way of fighting some of these grassy weeds without chemistry, and that was through rotation. And no-till was the other big, big thing,” Helle recalls.

In the late 1990s, the couple invested in a no-till drill and redesigned their rotation.

“The (commercial) grass seeds stay in for two to four years, and when they come out, we have at least two years of other crops in those fields so we can get new chemical applications on, try to rotate and get on top of any grassy weeds that may have built up,” Helle tells Andrew McCrea during a recent episode of Farming The Countryside , available on Farm Journal TV.

Focused On Crop Diversity To Create Income

Crop rotation is a framework for stacking income streams. Every crop has to pull its weight against rising fertilizer and fuel costs.

“As with all farmers, our input costs are higher than what they have been. That’s been a huge challenge. Everybody here’s trying to find something that’s more profitable to grow,” she says, adding that she believes Midwest farmers have an even harder time generating ROI.

Grass seed has delivered strong margins at times, but COVID-era demand whipsawed the market. A surge in lawn and turf projects sent prices sharply higher in 2020. Seed companies then pushed acres. A couple of variable years later, and the industry became awash in seed.

“We’re still working through that oversupply from three years ago or so,” Helle says. “Our price has dropped in half, basically, from what it was.”

With prices cut and input costs elevated, some growers are rolling the dice and producing grass seed on speculation.

“You have the option to grow grass seed without a contract, and then you have it on the open market,” she says. “If there’s a market for it, you can sell it. If not, you just sit with [it] in the barn and wait.”

The Ruddenklaus work hard to avoid being in that position, growing most everything under contract.

“We have one field that we have an open market Kentucky 31 variety on. But other than that, everything we grow is under contract on both the grass seed, specialty crops, hazelnuts, vegetables, everything.”

Relationships Play An Important Role In Farming

That contract-first mindset shapes what they plant and who they do business with.

“A lot of it is relationships with different dealers… that we know they will treat us fairly, and they know that we will produce a quality product for them,” she says.

Those relationships open doors to new niche markets that fit within their existing rotation.

“A few years ago, a local economic development company came to us and said a local soy sauce manufacturer was looking to have some local production of hard red spring wheat,” she recalls. “Oregon traditionally grows soft white wheat, so it’s not something we had worked with in the past, but we decided to try it, and that’s become a very valuable little niche market for us that has worked out well.”

Through that same connection, the farm links with AgLaunch, a Tennessee-based network that brings farmers and ag tech startups together.

“The companies come in [and] want to get the support of the farmers, the advice, the on-farm trials,” she says. “In exchange, they have to give up some equity to the farmers’ network. So through that, we also are getting exposure to some new companies and potentially new opportunities. We are definitely always looking at things.”

Some experiments — like trying grain corn and soybeans — have not become permanent fixtures on the farm. But even those tests help the Ruddenklaus calibrate where their competitive edge really lies: in specialty crops backed by contracts and rotations that help them manage weeds and other risks at the same time.

“I think agriculture has an amazing, amazing story. Farmers are innovators, and that’s just part of what we have done through generations,” Helle says.

“I’m not pessimistic about where we’re at,” she adds. “I believe agriculture has a bright, bright future. We belong in society. We have an important role to play. It won’t look the same as it has in the past, but we’ll figure it out.”

Helle was the recipient of the Top Producer 2026 Woman in Agriculture award . The award was sponsored by ProFarmer.

Know someone you would like to nominate for the Top Producer Woman In Agriculture? Nominations are open! Recommend your candidate here .

A Frustrating Spring: Spotty Spring Rains Push Southwest Iowa Planting Slightly Behind

Wed, 06 May 2026 18:33:18 GMT

USDA’s latest Crop Progress Report showed as of Sunday, 22 percent of Iowa’s corn crop is planted, which is right in line with the five-year average. Soybean planting sits at 11 percent, which is just slightly behind. But those statewide numbers don’t tell the whole planting story this year. In southern Iowa, spotty spring showers are creating a far more uneven planting picture for farmers trying to make progress in the field.

In the far southwestern corner of Iowa, farmer Pat Sheldon is finally back in the field and relieved to see planters rolling again after a stop-and-start spring.

“We’ll be 25 or 30 percent done with the beans by the end of the day,” says Pat Sheldon, a farmer from Percival, Iowa.

While Sheldon prefers to be wrapped up planting by now, this season is running just a bit behind his typical pace.

“Usually we like to try to have almost everything done by now. We’re shooting for the end of April, but we usually don’t make it. So we’re a little behind where we normally are,” Sheldon says.“For no sooner than we started, we’ve come right along.”

About 80 percent of his corn is already planted, but some acres remain too saturated to finish, especially on his heavier ground.

After being out of the field for much of the past week due to wet conditions, Sheldon says the moisture hasn’t been as severe as in other parts of the region, but still enough to delay progress.

“We’re not as wet as it’s been east and south, but just enough to keep you out,” Sheldon says.

Even so, he is confident that progress will accelerate quickly if the forecast holds.

“The forecast looks good for here anyway, dry weather for a week or so, and I can get a lot done on the bottom when it’s dry,” Sheldon says.“ Just need dry weather and sunshine and let us work. It won’t take long. It’ll go in fast once it stays dry like this for a few days.”

Input costs have been a concern across agriculture, but Sheldon says his operation avoided the worst of recent fertilizer price spikes by planning ahead.

“We had all of our dry on last fall and over half of our anhydrous before it got too nasty for us to keep going, and we finished it up this spring,” Sheldon says. “We had it all pre-bought before all the prices went crazy, so we were fortunate on that aspect.

With planting back up and running this week, Sheldon says their operation is “in good shape,” and it’s that sense of stability is a stark contrast to conditions just seven years ago.

Sheldon’s family farm is situated next to the Missouri River. It’s fertile ground that’s been in his family for generations. But in 2019, Sheldon’s farm was devastated by flooding along the Missouri River, with water levels reaching several feet high in areas that are now being planted.

“There was probably three feet of water where we’re standing. Nothing got planted in the bottom ground. There was some stuff in the hills, but that was about it,” says Sheldon.

The floodwaters lingered for months, leaving lasting reminders still visible today.

“The water was here about 100 days. It was late June, I think, when they closed the breach,” Sheldon says.

And he says for the water lines still stained on the rain bins, it’s a constant reminder of what the Missouri River can take away, often without warning.

“You have a reminder every day,” says Sheldon. “You see it every day.”

Farming along the Missouri River means managing both risk and resilience. Despite the challenges, Sheldon says recent years have brought more favorable growing conditions, and he’s hopeful this year is shaping up to be the same.

“Are you optimistic about this growing season,” we asked.

“Very, very, as far as raising a crop,” Sheldon says of his outlook for 2026. “We’ve got decent moisture, probably better than we had going in last year. We’ve been lucky the last two or three years—timely rains, not a lot of rain, but at the right time—and we’ve raised really good crops. We’re hoping for more of the same.”

Metabolic Weed Resistance Crisis Builds Across The Heartland

Wed, 06 May 2026 16:50:37 GMT

Waterhemp, Palmer amaranth and some other tough broadleaf weeds and grasses are no longer slipping past just single herbicides. Across the Corn Belt and beyond, they are tolerating entire herbicide programs. Weed scientists say that pattern points to a critical issue more farmers are facing: metabolic resistance.

Unlike traditional target-site resistance, which is often specific to a single herbicide class, metabolic resistance is even worse because it can confer cross-resistance to multiple, unrelated herbicide groups .

Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Extension weed scientist often warns that when a tough weed like waterhemp learns to metabolize one herbicide, it becomes easier for it to “learn” to detoxify others. That ability has helped lead to the 7-way resistance with waterhemp seen in some Illinois counties, according to weed scientist Patrick Hanel, one of Hager’s colleagues.

At least 13 states have reported having some degree of “highly suspected” or confirmed cases of metabolic weed resistance. Here are three of the broadleaf weeds demonstrating metabolic resistance and states where they’re located:

Along with these broadleaf weeds, some common and giant ragweed, marestail/horseweed, annual (Italian) ryegrass and barnyardgrass populations have also demonstrated metabolic resistance.

(Weed Science Society of America, GROW, BASF, Syngenta)

Target-site resistance can be identified through DNA tests. But metabolic resistance is a “guessing game” involving hundreds of potential enzymes working in tandem, making it difficult for scientists and farmers to know which products will still work in their specific fields.

Tommy Butts sees the trend for metabolic resistance taking root in Indiana. He says PPO resistance in waterhemp is “getting widespread,” and the failures are expanding to other chemistries as well.

“We had more complaints last year about things like mesotrione or Callisto starting to fail, which is really scary in the corn acres,” says Butts, Purdue University Extension weed scientist. “Corn is supposed to be our easy year to control waterhemp, and now, all of a sudden, we start losing Callisto.” He addresses this in detail in the latest Purdue Crop Chat .

The bad news does not stop there.

“You start talking auxins and glufosinate, and we have confirmed resistance in the state to those,” he says. “I wouldn’t say that’s as widespread, but it’s definitely popping up.”

With metabolic resistance chipping away at PPOs, HPPDs, atrazine partners, auxins and glufosinate, the old playbook of “just switch products” no longer works well.

Glufosinate alone 😀⁰Mesotrione alone 😕⁰Glufosinate + mesotrione 🔥😎

That’s the power of effective herbicide tank mixtures.

Deploying synergistic tank mixes with multiple effective sites of action is critical for improving weed control and helping delay herbicide resistance… pic.twitter.com/FggZJrQQ1Q
— Rodrigo Werle (@WiscWeeds) May 6, 2026

“Hammer With Residuals” And Build Effective Combinations

Butts’ first message to corn and soybean farmers is straightforward: no more solo herbicide passes in the field.

“We have to hammer weeds with effective residuals and then mix up our posts as much as possible,” he says.

In his view, that means at least two things for row-crop growers. First, use layered residual programs that keep fields clean as long as possible and reduce the number of emerged weeds that ever see a post pass. Second, use post-emerge applications that combine multiple, truly effective modes of action at full labeled rates.

Cutting rates, he warns, is exactly how growers “train” metabolism-based resistance to take root.

With soybean trait systems, he pushes hard against relying on a single flagship product.

“If we’re growing Enlist soybeans, don’t just rely on Enlist and don’t just rely on Liberty,” Butts advises. “Do the tank mix. The tank mix trumps everything.”

This field shows the result of waterhemp seeds that were spread during harvest by a combine.

(Aaron Hager, University of Illinois)

Pay More Up Front To Avoid Making Expensive “Revenge Sprays”

Metabolic resistance can thrive when weeds are hit with chemistry they can partially tolerate. That is why Butts keeps coming back to strong, early, soil-applied programs.

He hears pushback from farmers every year on using multiple products in the tank.

“A lot of people tell me, ‘Well, it costs way too much up front with $20 for a pre. Corn gets even more expensive,’” he acknowledges.
However, Butts points to work by Purdue University Extension and other states showing those dollars pay off when the entire season is measured.

“If you can get a strong residual program out and get it activated, the whole-season economics of it makes sense,” Butts says. “It’s consistently shown that if you have that strong pre up front, you don’t have what I like to call the revenge sprays in August, where we’re going across the field three different times trying to kill waist-high waterhemp.”

Check out this tool from GROW on how to address waterhemp specifically.

Protect Herbicide Tools To Extend Their Use

As more herbicide modes of action come under pressure, Butts singles out metribuzin as an example of a product that still pulls its weight in soybeans.

“Metribuzin is a big one in soybeans, because we don’t have a lot of resistance to that,” he says.

“I will also put in the plug for AMS in general, across the board,” Butts says. “That always helps with some of those products… when we start getting later in the season, we get more stressed weeds. AMS even tends to help there.”

Butts does caution farmers that AMS is not allowed in dicamba tank mixes for XtendFlex soybeans.

Underlying all of it is a blunt warning about what happens if growers decide to skimp on their weed control efforts.

“If you let it go even one year, now you’ve made yourself a mess for the next five to 10 years,” he says. “You’ve got to try and stay on top of weeds as much as possible.”

5 Practical Recommendations To Address Metabolic Resistance

Because metabolic resistance is so unpredictable, weed scientists have shifted their advice away from “rotating chemicals” toward a “zero-threshold” approach to control. The following metabolic resistance management recommendations have been presented by Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Weed Scientist, and Beck’s agronomists:

1. The primary focus of metabolic resistance management should be on decreasing the weed seed bank. This means that weeds must be eliminated before they ever go to seed.

2. A robust residual herbicide program should be used, not because residuals represent a different herbicide family but because they eliminate weeds at the earliest growth stages – slashing contributions to the weed seed bank.

3. Physically cutting weeds out of the crop must be included in the management plan, because physical elimination of weed escapes further slashes contributions to the weed seed bank.

4. Post-herbicide programs should shift from calendar-based timing to scouting-based timing. Once weeds break through a pre-emerge residual program, they must be eliminated. Such early targeting further slashes contributions to the weed seed bank.

5. Mechanical techniques, field cultivators, etc., should be used where possible to further the cause of decreased seed production.

Build A High-Yield Powerhouse From The Bottom Up

Tue, 05 May 2026 17:40:08 GMT

The planter monitor in your tractor cab insists the seed corn is tucked away at a 2.5-inch planting depth, but Randy Dowdy says to question that placement. The high-yield row-crop grower explains there is often a difference between what the planter monitor says and what the soil shows — and the gap between the two can rob farmers of yield potential before the crop ever breaks the soil surface.

“You have to distinguish between the planting depth and what we call the germination depth. It’s a potential problem we talk about all the time with our farmers in Total Acre ,” says Dowdy of his agronomic business he co-owns with David Hula, world champion corn grower.

Iowa State Extension defines planting depth as the placement of the seed corn in the soil, while germination depth (emergence) is where the corn nodal roots will form, regardless of the planting depth.

The discrepancy that can occur between the planting depth and germination depth often happens at the moment the seed trench is closed or shortly thereafter. The planter might place the seed at 2.5 inches, but the closing system can shift seed upward — especially in dry, loose soils. As the dirt settles the seed can end up germinating at a significantly shallower depth than the grower intended.

“When we check seed placement in an open furrow, there’s no doubt about it, we were planting at 2.5 inches,” Dowdy notes in a recent video. But as he moves behind the machine to inspect the closed row, the reality changes. In Dowdy’s field demonstration, the shift is dramatic, showing the seed is now sitting much closer to the soil surface.

“When we dig into that closed trench, we find that the seed is now sitting in the ground at about 1.5 inches to 1.75 inches, and that’s not what you want,” Dowdy says. Watch the video on Farm Journal TV .

The result of that shallow germination depth is a fundamental threat to corn, Iowa State Extension reports. Shallow germination can impact early root development and contribute to rootless corn syndrome, susceptibility to herbicide injury, poor drought tolerance and other issues that can impact growth and development throughout the season and, ultimately, reduce yield.

(Farm Journal TV)

To combat this, Dowdy’s philosophy is simple: trust what you learn using a shovel to dig behind the planter to locate the seed; don’t depend only on what the planter monitor in the tractor cab shows.

Dowdy and Hula advocate for establishing a consistent germination depth for seed corn across the field, ensuring that plants have the strong foundation they need to thrive.

“For proper root development, we like to maintain a consistent two-inch germination depth,” advises Dowdy, who’s based near Valdosta, Ga.

Dan Quinn, Purdue University Extension corn specialist, says the “most common seeding depths recommended for corn range between 1.5 and 2 inches deep, and these planting depths can work very well within most conditions, however, certain soil moisture conditions at planting may warrant further examination/change in seeding depth.”

This year, with dry soil conditions in the Southeast, farmers have had difficulty achieving a 2-inch planting depth consistently for good emergence. Dowdy’s directive to growers in dry ground is to account for the “settle” in soils at planting by adjusting planter settings to go a bit deeper with planting.

Iowa State Extension agrees, noting that a 3-inch depth is usually OK in drier soils. While deeper planting can take slightly longer to emerge, it can lead to more uniform stands compared to shallow planting.

“My advice in these (dry) conditions is to plant a bit deeper, knowing the ground will settle, and you’ll get better root development,” Dowdy says.

By prioritizing the physical reality of the seedbed over the digital feedback in the cab, Dowdy believes farmers can unlock better performance without any additional overhead. By doing so, growers “will do a better job, and you’ll have proper root development and help you on your yields for free,” he says.

You can hear more about how this season is shaping up for Dowdy and Hula on their latest edition of Breaking Barriers With R&D podcast with Chip Flory on AgriTalk. Listen at the link below:

Gray Leaf Spot: Scouting and Identification of Corn Leaf Spot Symptoms

Tue, 05 May 2026 17:37:53 GMT

Gray leaf spot in corn doesn’t start when you first see it. It begins earlier, low in the canopy, and builds until conditions allow it to spread. By the time it’s obvious across the field, the opportunity to act early is already gone.

Under the right conditions, gray leaf spot can move quickly and reduce yield potential. The key is knowing when to start looking and what to look for before the disease reaches the upper canopy.

When and where to look for gray leaf spot in corn

Gray leaf spot corn infections typically begin in the lower leaves, often two to three weeks before tasseling.¹ That makes the pre-tassel window a critical time to start scouting, especially in fields with corn residue where the disease can overwinter.

Gray leaf spot develops under warm, humid conditions, especially when leaves stay wet from dew, fog or frequent rainfall. It tends to be most prevalent in minimum-till or no-till systems, especially in corn-on-corn systems, where infected residue remains on the soil surface

How to recognize early symptoms

Early symptoms of gray leaf spot in corn begin as small, tan necrotic spots on the lower leaves, often surrounded by a faint yellow halo. These initial lesions can be easy to miss, especially when scouting quickly or focusing on the upper canopy.

As the disease progresses, the lesions will expand and turn gray. The lesions are confined between the leaf veins, but can grow into each other, eventually reducing photosynthesis or, in some severe cases, killing the entire leaf.²

What to look for when identifying gray leaf spot in corn

When you’re scouting for gray leaf spot, start with the shape of the lesions. Gray leaf spot tends to form long, rectangular spots that run straight along the leaf veins. They don’t cross the veins. That’s one of the easiest ways to tell you’re looking at gray leaf spot and not something else.

Most of the time, you’ll find the first symptoms of leaf spot of corn in the lower canopy. But what really matters is whether it’s starting to move up the plant. If you’re seeing those same rectangular lesions working their way into the middle or upper leaves, that’s a sign the disease is gaining ground.

The color can throw you off a bit. In humid conditions, the lesions look grayer. In drier weather, they can look tanner. Either way, focus on the shape and how they’re staying between the veins.

Distinguishing gray leaf spot in corn to avoid common misdiagnosis

One of the most common mistakes when scouting is confusing corn gray leaf spot with bacterial leaf streak. At a glance, they can look similar, but there are a few key differences that are easy to spot once you know what to look for.

As mentioned, gray leaf spot lesions are straight and rectangular, staying neatly between the leaf veins. The edges are clean and well-defined, almost as if they were drawn with a ruler.

Bacterial leaf streak, on the other hand, looks more irregular. The lesions tend to have wavy, uneven edges and often cross the veins rather than remain confined between them. They can also look more “smeared” or streaked across the leaf surface.³

Identifying gray leaf spot correctly matters. Misidentifying the disease can lead to spraying the wrong product or wasting money on an ineffective treatment, as fungicides do not control bacterial diseases such as bacterial leaf streak. Early detection helps determine whether a fungicide application is needed and ensures it’s applied at the right time for maximum effectiveness.

Gray leaf spot is easier to manage when you find it early, not after it’s moved through the canopy. A few extra minutes spent scouting at the right time can make all the difference.

Experts are available to help you make your disease management decisions. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent or a seed company professional, such as your regional BASF representative .

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Endnotes

Crop Protection Network. Gray Leaf Spot of Corn. 19 Mar. 2019, https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/encyclopedia/gray-leaf-spot-of-corn .
Crop Protection Network. Gray Leaf Spot of Corn.
Jardine, Doug. Fungicide Management of Gray Leaf Spot: Don’t Miss Treatment Window. Agronomy eUpdate, no. 755, Kansas State University Department of Agronomy, 28 June 2019, https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article/fungicide-management-of-gray-leaf-spot-don-t-miss-treatment-window-343 .

Beyond the Rate: 4 Ways to Sync Corn Nutrient Timing

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:53:59 GMT

Beyond “How much do I apply?” growers need to ask “When can my corn actually use it?” says Connor Sible, a crop physiologist at the University of Illinois. Sible and Fred Below’s research shows dialing in the timing and placement of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) applications can be the difference between a 160-bu. crop and a 230-bu. or even 300-bu. one.

“The key is peak uptake. Your crop doesn’t need the same amount of nutrients every day. There’s a short window when demand spikes, and that’s what really drives yield,” Sible noted during the 2026 Crop Management Conference.

Here are four ways Sible and Below say corn growers can use that insight in the field this season.

(Chart Source: Illinois Crop Physiology)

1. Build A Plan to Meet Peak Demand.

High-yield corn doesn’t consume nutrients at a steady, linear pace, according to Below. His research indicates that a 230-bu. crop can pull more than 2 lb. of P₂O₅ per acre per day during peak demand. N demand is even more intense, reaching 5 lb. to 9 lb. per acre per day.

He encourages high-yield farmers to shift their mindset from total seasonal pounds to daily availability. For example, growers hitting the 230-bu. mark typically:

Use realistic yield goals and removal charts to calculate total needs.
Overlay uptake curves provided by agronomists or seedsmen to identify the exact window of peak demand for specific hybrids.
Target the window and build fertilizer plans to meet that two- to three-week peak demand period.

(Chart Source: Illinois Crop Physiology)

2. Place Phosphorus Where Roots Can Reach It.

Phosphorus is notoriously immobile in the soil, relying on root interception to be absorbed. This makes placement a critical timing tool.

To support peak demand, Sible and Below suggest banding P under the row. The goal is to create a vertical column of phosphorus that corn roots naturally penetrate exactly when demand spikes. This results in the nutrient being in the path of the growing plant rather than scattered throughout the soil profile.

(Chart Source: Illinois Crop Physiology)

3. Use Split Nitrogen Applications to Cover the Surge.

To ensure N is present and accessible during the midseason surge, high-yield growers are increasingly moving toward split applications.

Sible notes a common successful strategy includes a preplant base followed by a sidedress application between V5 and V8. This can be achieved via knife, coulter or injection, often supplemented by Y-drops or high-clearance applications near tassel in some cases.

This strategy serves three purposes:

Reduces the time N sits in the field before the crop needs it.
Replenishes the root zone as demand ramps up.
Maintains the necessary 5 lb. to 9 lb. of daily available N during the fastest growth stages.

(Chart Source: Illinois Crop Physiology)

4. Protect Uptake With Soil Health And Residue Management.

Corn growers aiming for high yields can support peak nutrient uptake in corn by fostering soils that mineralize nutrients naturally. Sible points out that while fertilizer covers the shortfalls, the soil provides the baseline.

“High-yield growers keep residue managed, via strip-till or strategic tillage, so microbes can break it down and release N, P and S over time,” Sible says. “They also maintain or build organic matter, which feeds the mineralization engine that kicks in as soils warm into early summer.”

This “mineralization engine” provides a steady background flow of nutrients, Sible adds, allowing supplemental fertilizer and precision placement to push the crop through its highest-demand hurdles.

Engenia Herbicide is Back

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:50:20 GMT

When it comes to weed control, selecting an effective herbicide is a critical decision, not just a routine input choice. With increasing weed pressure, extreme weather variability and ongoing market shifts, the right herbicide can protect yield and profitability. Farmers need proven, effective solutions that allow them to stay nimble and resilient in increasingly unpredictable growing seasons.

“Herbicide decisions carry more weight than they did a decade ago,” says Nick Fassler, Director of Technical Service at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “They influence not just weed control, but also trait and crop decisions, application timing and stewardship requirements.”

Every season demands a plan built for uncertainty. For soybean and cotton farmers, they need solutions that are effective, reliable and proven — that’s where Engenia^®herbicide comes in.

Built for the Way You Farm

Engenia herbicide is back for 2026 and now federally registered for use in dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton. Engenia herbicide delivers powerful knockdown of over 200 broadleaf weeds, including Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, kochia, morning glory and ragweed.

“Farmers have seen the difference formulation can make,” says Fassler. “With Engenia herbicide, you’re getting the most power per ounce of any other trait-enabled dicamba formulation on the market.”*

Engenia herbicide brings application efficiency into the equation. With a 12.8 fluid ounces per acre (fl oz/A) use rate, the lowest in its class, it simplifies logistics and handling during application. A straightforward 1 gallon per 10 acres (gal/A) conversion keeps mixing and loading straightforward when spray windows are tight.

“Engenia herbicide is built for the way you farm,” says Fassler. “It’s formulated to help you pivot based on what the season gives you.”

Consistent Performance

Consistency is one of the most important factors in herbicide selection for soybeans and cotton. A product that performs reliably across acres and conditions gives farmers something they can plan around.

Engenia herbicide is built with an exclusive BAPMA salt formulation designed for consistent, reliable results, and has been trusted by farmers across more than 100 million acres.

“What we hear from farmers is they want to know what to expect with a product,” says Fassler. “When herbicides perform consistently, it allows them to make decisions with confidence and keep their operations moving.”

Portfolio Power

Strong weed control programs aren’t built solely around a single pass. They are built as systems that work together across the season to manage pressure and reduce the risk of resistance.

Engenia herbicide is part of the BASF crop protection portfolio, which includes Liberty^® ULTRA herbicide. Liberty ULTRA herbicide provides powerful activity that complements dicamba, helping control weed escapes and extend control across glufosinate-tolerant soybean and cotton acres.

Liberty ULTRA herbicide consistently outperforms competitors, winning 9 out of 10 head-to-head comparisons and delivering 20% superior weed control versus generics.¹

“When used sequentially in a program, Engenia herbicide and Liberty ULTRA herbicide provide a proven approach that helps to keep fields clean throughout the season,” says Fassler.

Backed by BASF

Great products perform best with strong support in the field. BASF local sales teams have been rated #1 by farmers for three consecutive years for their dedication, expertise and support for farmers.²

Alongside your local agronomist, they can help you design a crop protection program that fits your operation. Additionally, BASF can provide technical and stewardship resources to help you make every application count.

Plan Your Program

When uncertainty is part of every season, the goal isn’t just performance. It’s performance you can count on. Engenia herbicide delivers this through consistency, along with the power and efficiency needed to manage the toughest weed challenges in soybeans and cotton.

Contact your local retailer or BASF representative to learn more about Engenia herbicide.

*Engenia herbicide offers the highest concentration of active ingredient compared to other dicamba-tolerant alternatives labeled for cotton and soybeans.
¹ BASF sponsored field research trials 2022-2023, 52 trials, nationwide
²Stratus Farmer Survey 2021-2023

Always read and follow label directions. Engenia herbicide is a U.S. EPA Restricted Use Pesticide. All Engenia herbicide applications must be made in accordance with all applicable Federal and state label requirements. In the event a state implements a more stringent Engenia herbicide application restriction, that state restriction will apply. Every application of Engenia herbicide requires the use of a Volatility Reduction Agent (VRA) (visit www.engeniaherbicide.com/VRA for a list of approved VRAs and required rates) and the use of an oil emulsion Drift Reducing Agent (DRA) at a rate of 0.3% v/v. Engenia and Liberty are registered trademarks of BASF. Copyright ©2026 BASF Agricultural Solutions US LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Cold Snap, Wet Soils Put Corn on Hold, but Beans Still Get Green Light

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:54:36 GMT

A soaking rain has pulled much of the Midwest out of drought, but it’s also put the brakes on corn planting just as a cold snap settles in, says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

Ferrie explains that recent storms dropped anywhere from a half inch to 4” of rain across farmers’ fields and, with it, erased lingering drought stress and filled ponds that “will probably stick around a while.” The moisture, however, has saturated soils to the point that most of his planting “signal lights” for corn are now red.

“Due to wet conditions, most everyone is red at this point, and that doesn’t change until the soil is fit,” says Ferrie, who’s based in central Illinois. “We don’t mud in corn.”

Cold Spell Drives Conservative Corn Strategy

Ferrie bases his current recommendations on the close agreement between the Global Forecast System (GFS) and European weather models through May 9, both of which point to a stretch of cold conditions unfavorable for corn establishment.

“When they’re close together, the accuracy is usually higher and they both indicate a cold spell,” he says.

With that outlook, he’s cautioning growers across multiple regions to be conservative on planting corn especially until temperatures and soils improve. He emphasizes that while model divergence after May 9 could change the picture, he’s focusing on the 10-day window where the models agree to set planting guidance.

“Three days is a long time in weather forecasting, but they do seem to hit the temperatures closer than the rainfall amounts,” Ferrie says. “So, we’ll reevaluate on Monday to see how this forecast changes.”

Regional “Signal Lights” For Planting Corn

Ferrie uses a green-yellow-red “signal light” system to simplify planting decisions:

In areas around Jacksonville, Ill., and further south, conditions shift to a green light for corn starting Sunday noon, May 3, before turning more cautious midweek.
Along the U.S. Highway 136 corridor, he calls for a yellow light on May 3, switching to red by next Wednesday noon, May 6, likely holding through May 9.
In northern Illinois and around Iowa City, Ferrie highlights there will be rapid swings in planting opportunities as forecasts point to a seed-chilling event moving in.
In northeast Iowa (Cresco area), Rochester, Minn., and across much of Wisconsin, the guidance is straightforward: “It’s going to be a red light until May 9,” he says.

Across all these regions, Ferrie’s advice centers on patience with corn until soils are ready and the coldest temperatures pass.

The map released today shows the Midwest with only a handful of dry areas, unlike in the West and Southeast where farmers are seeing extreme drought to the degree that some have parked their planters for lack of rainfall.

(U.S. Drought Monitor)

Beans Offer Opportunity—If Ground Is Fit

Even as he urges caution on planting corn, Ferrie says the forecast still allows room for farmers to progress on soybeans where field conditions permit.

“We still have a green light on beans if the ground is fit,” he says.

He urges farmers to pay close attention to seed quality and stand establishment, especially where soybeans are untreated.

“Watch your percentage germ on your tag, especially if the beans aren’t treated,” Ferrie says. “You may need to bump those populations up a little for weed control.”

Most of the “frosted off” early beans in Illinois have already been replanted or patched, he notes, but some drowned-out ponded areas will likely need follow-up patching once water levels recede.

Manage Corn Risk In The “Yellow Windows”

For growers who have not yet put any corn in the ground, Ferrie recommends using upcoming yellow-light windows to strategically manage risk — without forcing corn into marginal conditions.

“If you haven’t planted any corn yet with the planter, and to mitigate some risk, you may want to get some corn planted in these yellow windows so you’re sure that you can put the hammer down when this cold snap passes through,” he says.

That approach, he explains, helps spread risk across planting dates, while still respecting soil fitness and seedbed quality. The goal is to avoid having all corn acres exposed to the same stress event, whether it’s chilling, crusting or prolonged saturation.

Ferrie encourages growers to stay tuned for updates as the forecast evolves, noting that temperature forecasts tend to be more reliable than rainfall projections in the short term. He directs farmers to ongoing updates and deeper discussion via his team’s online and audio channels.

To stay up to date, check out Ferrie’s website at croptechinc.com and subscribe to his podcast, Boots In The Field. You can listen to it at the link below:

Strategies for Controlling Late-Season Weed Escapes in Corn and Soybeans

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 22:05:20 GMT

As your corn and soybean crops enter July, August and September, keep a close eye on weed escapes. Troublesome weeds such as Palmer amaranth, horseweed and kochia are notorious for releasing seeds that survive through the winter and cut into future yields.

Here’s a quick corn and soybean weed control guide to help you manage late-season weed escapes.

Weed control in soybean and corn: How weed escapes wreak havoc

A single Palmer amaranth plant can produce as many as 500,000 seeds, many of which can remain viable in soil up to five years.¹ Remarkably, common lambsquarters can be viable for 40 years.² Velvetleaf seed, meanwhile, can last 60 years.³

If weeds were left to grow uncontrolled, U.S. and Canadian corn and soybean yields could be reduced by approximately 50%. That would translate into $43 billion in annual economic losses to corn and soybean crops.⁴

Locations and causes of end-of-season weed escapes

Weed escapes frequently occur around field edges, in wheel tracks, in planting skips or in field areas with underdeveloped crop canopy. These escapes are typically:

Weeds that are not controlled by pre or post herbicides. Root causes can include improper application or poor application timing.
Weeds that emerge late in the season after herbicide applications and when residual control is fading.
Herbicide-resistant weeds that are not controlled by your herbicide program.

Improper application and environmental conditions can also work together to impair corn and soybean weed control, as when soil-applied herbicides are not properly activated with adequate rainfall.⁵

Weed seeds can also hitch a ride from field to field on harvest equipment, causing economic impact from added weed pressure in future seasons.⁶

What makes weed escapes hard to manage?

An occasional weed escape in an otherwise clean field will likely have a negligible effect on this year’s corn and soybean yields. What you want to avoid is a trickle-down effect in which many seeds grow out of control.

The level of pain your weeds inflict depends on several factors, including:

Which weed species you face (e.g., weeds such as marestail, waterhemp, and Palmer amaranth can require an aggressive mid-season control strategy)
Reasons for the escape (e.g., herbicide resistance, which could indicate bigger challenges and the need for a more robust weed-management plan)
The presence of other in-field pests, such as soybean cyst nematode, which can overwinter in winter annual weeds and make it even harder for your soybean crop to compete and thrive

Weed escapes eat into your corn and soybean productivity by producing viable seeds that exponentially increase the weed seed bank and devour water and nutrients.

They also eat into your bottom line: Weed seeds can contaminate trucks you haul to the elevator, resulting in dockages.⁷

Strategies for weed control in soybean crop and corn fields

Although it isn’t always realistic to do so, you should ideally pull weeds before they set and drop seeds. Mowing can be another helpful pre-harvest activity, though it should be done before seed set to be effective. Remember: This won’t curb weed seeds that have already dropped to the ground.

Remove distinct patches of weeds and keep records of their location for future scouting and management in future crops.

Products from the BASF herbicide portfolio can also help you keep weeds in check.

Experts are available to help you learn how to manage late-season weed escapes before they become next year’s headache. Reach out to your nearby extension office agent or a company professional like your regional BASF representative .

________________________________________________

Endnotes

“Managing Weed Escapes.” University of Maryland Extension, https://extension.umd.edu/resource/managing-weed-escapes/ . Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Michigan State University Extension. “Common Lambsquarters.” Michigan State University Extension, n.d., https://www.canr.msu.edu/weeds/extension/common-lambsquarters . Accessed 19 March 2026.
Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. “Velvetleaf.” Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, n.d., https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/velvetleaf . Accessed 19 March 2026.
Kansas State University. “Left Uncontrolled, Weeds Would Cost Billions in Economic Losses Every Year.” ScienceDaily, 11 Feb. 2025, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160516130720.htm . Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Lingenfelter, Dwight. “Early Season Residual Herbicide Issues: Corn and Soybean.” Penn State Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, 7 May 2024, extension.psu.edu/early-season-residual-herbicide-issues-corn-and-soybean . Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Hunter, Mike. “Weed seed movement and equipment clean out.” College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/ecological-management/weed-seed-movement-and-equipment-clean-out . Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Naeve, Seth, et al. “Got Weeds in Your Beans? You’re Not Alone - Take II.” Minnesota Crop News, University of Minnesota Extension, 12 Sept. 2022, blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2022/09/got-weeds-in-your-beans-youre-not-alone.html . Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

Can Biologicals Fill The Gap From Reduced Fertilizer Use?

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:55:50 GMT

As thin margins and high fertilizer costs squeeze budgets, many corn and soybean growers are asking a hard question this spring: can biological products help out and pay their way in the field?

The answer depends on the goal, according to Connor Sible, University of Illinois field researcher and associate professor.

“Is the goal to get more out of what we’re already doing, enhance the yield in an already pretty intensive, progressive system?” he asks. “Or, are we trying to reduce inputs and then make up for that by maintaining yields with a biological?”

Sible studies high-yield corn and soybean systems and has spent years looking at how biologicals fit into real-world management. He says profitability hinges on getting a biological and a farming system to match. He offers two trains of thought on reaching a return-on-investment (ROI).

1. The Yield Response: Achieving a direct yield increase to offset the product cost.
2. The Efficiency Response: Improving nutrient uptake to maintain yields while reducing traditional inputs.

That framework for biological use underpinned the discussion during an Illinois Soybean Growers webinar on Tuesday: “Stretching Every Pound: Using Biologicals to Maximize Fertility During Input Shortages.” The program was hosted by the University of Illinois and Valent Biosciences.

Drew Harmon, Valent technical agronomist, provided an overview of row-crop farmers’ persistent struggles with accessing and covering the cost of fertilizer going into the 2026 season. He referenced recent American Farm Bureau and Bushel surveys showing the struggle underway across the Corn Belt and how the strain on farmers is changing their behavior.

(AFBF)

Nearly one-third of farmers Bushel surveyed said they will be doing more to manage costs and inputs this season.

(Bushel, Valent BioSciences)

“A lot of people are considering cutting their fertilizer by about 25%,” Harmon says. He reports that on his own farm, where soil tests are “on the higher end of a maintenance plan,” he and his tenant “decided to cut back our P and K by about a third this year.”

Cutting back fertilizer raises a practical question: how do crops still access enough nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) to perform and meet yield expectations?

One potential answer, Harmon and Sible say, is to use arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, or AMF, especially where phosphorus rates are being reduced.

Harmon explains that mycorrhizal fungi are essentially a beneficial relationship that the fungi have with a host crop such as corn or soybeans. The root system supplies carbon through root exudates and, “in return for that carbon, the mycorrhizal fungi exchange nutrients and water.”

Applied as a seed treatment or in-furrow, AMF spores germinate in response to root exudates and colonize roots, then spread out as fine hyphae – branching, thread-like filaments – through the soil. That network effectively enlarges the rooting zone.

“Utilizing the mycorrhizal hyphae can expand the amount of surface area that [the crop] has to interact with, and it can expand that area by upwards of 50%,” Harmon says. “What that does is increase the opportunities for P and K uptake through diffusion, and it also allows greater access to soil water.”

In fields with lighter soils or facing recurring drought stress, that extended reach can be important. Even as much of the Midwest moves out of formal drought classification, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, Harmon notes that “we still can get those stretches of heat stress or stretches of flash drought… where we can see strain on our plants for needing water.”

Harmon also lays out an economic example for a typical two-year corn–soybean rotation under a biennial maintenance plan for phosphorus and potassium.

Using removal rates, yield estimates and recent DAP and potash prices, he calculates that a 25% reduction in P and K could offer “savings of mid-$40-ish per acre over a two-year period.”

The cost of using AMF in that scenario, he says, is about $6 per crop or just under $13 per acre over two years.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are essentially a beneficial relationship that the fungi have with a host crop such as corn or soybeans. The root system supplies carbon through root exudates and, “in return for that carbon, the mycorrhizal fungi exchange nutrients and water,” according to Drew Harmon, technical services representative for Valent Biosciences.

(Valent)

“AMF can be a potentially economical tool that could help increase nutrient uptake efficiency for the P and K that we’re reducing,” Harmon says, “while still protecting yield and preserving the majority of the fertilizer savings that you were looking to do.”

Harmon and Sible emphasize, however, that biologicals are not replacements for good agronomy—or for basic fertility.

“I don’t know a biological today that will fix a pH,” Sible says, as a for instance. “If we have a pH issue in the system, we probably need to resolve that before we go looking at new practices.”

A similar principle applies to nitrogen. Sible says nitrogen-fixing products can be useful as “a third source” of N, but they do not remove the need for a sound base rate.

“We often see an early-season biomass bump and higher kernel number potential [resulting from the biological product],” he says.

But to turn that into yield, the corn plant must have the nutrient resources to fill ears, which means adequate nitrogen and in-season management such as late fungicide use and/or supplemental nutrients.

For many farmers, another option this season for consideration is organic acids. Such products are positioned as biostimulants that support nutrient use efficiency, improve stress tolerance, and contribute to early growth.

Across both AMF and organic acids, Sible reminds growers that many biologicals are living tools, whether bacteria or fungi, and must be managed that way.

“A happy plant probably indicates happy microbes. Just like we need good conditions for plant growth, we need good conditions for microbial growth,” he says. “Plants need water, microbes need water. Plants need nutrients, microbes need nutrients.”
Harmon offers a similar caution on having the right set of expectations for using a biological.

“These products are not silver bullets,” he says. “They’re not fertilizer. They’re not going to [deliver] crazy amounts of yields. The majority of time you’re seeing it [improve] somewhere around 5% to 7% if you do see a biological response.”

Rice Delphacid Expands Across Mid-South

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:22:00 GMT

First documented in Texas in 2015, the rice delphacid has gradually expanded its footprint. In 2025, it appeared in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, putting the Mid-South region’s rice industry on alert. While Texas growers have nearly a decade of experience managing the pest, other states are still learning how it behaves in local conditions.

Comparison of two rice plants: (Left) plant exhibiting split-stem traits; (Right) healthy, normal plant.

(Mississippi)

Texas: Managing an Evolving Threat

In Texas, rice delphacid is no longer a new threat; it’s an evolving one.

“In the three years I’ve been in this role, they’ve shown up earlier every year,” says Sam Rustom, Texas Extension rice specialist.

Once considered primarily a ratoon crop pest, delphacids are now appearing in main crop rice earlier in the season. In 2024, populations emerged in July. By 2025, they were detected as early as June.

“The most severe damage occurs from panicle differentiation to soft dough,” Rustom says. “This is when hoppers feed on the sugars and stored carbohydrates that are supposed to fill the grain, resulting in both yield and quality loss.”

Rustom recommends scouting as soon as rice transitions from vegetative to reproductive stages, especially in aromatic varieties, which appear particularly attractive to delphacids.

“Our recommendation has been to spray on first detection,” Rustom says. “When we let populations get out of control, they will stay out of control.”

Courier, an IGR available through a Section 18 exemption, is currently the primary management tool. While it targets nymphs and provides residual protection, long-term solutions like resistant varieties and improved insecticides for adults are still in development.

“It’s going to help bridge the gap – until we get long-term solutions,” Rustom says.

Rice delphacid observed on a rice plant.

(Mississippi)

Louisiana: Monitoring Migration and the Importance of Timing

In Louisiana, efforts are focused on early detection and understanding how the pest behaves under local conditions.

“We are doing a statewide monitoring survey for the delphacid,” says Tyler Musgrove, Louisiana Extension rice specialist.

He says the program was scheduled to begin on April 1. Researchers are using sweep nets, sticky cards and even a DVAC to track populations.

Louisiana’s rice-crawfish rotation system might also influence the pest’s survival.

“Rice and crawfish are grown in rotation – which means food resources and habitat may persist longer into the winter,” Musgrove says.

That extended availability of habitat ties into a larger question researchers are still working to answer. Does the pest survive locally, or must it reestablish each season?

“There’s a theory that rice delphacids don’t overwinter locally, but instead migrate in each year,” Musgrove says.

Based on 2024 observations, that migration could lead to peak pressure later in the season, with significant populations expected around July.

Even so, last year’s outbreaks pointed to one factor growers can control – timing.

“Our current recommendation to producers is to plant as early as possible within the recommended window,” Musgrove explains. “The rice that was hit the hardest was the rice that was planted the latest.”

He emphasizes planting date isn’t just important for rice, but across agriculture as a whole.

That trend held across multiple states in 2024, with later-planted fields in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas consistently experiencing the greatest pressure.

Rice delphacid observed on a rice plant.

(Arkansas)

Arkansas: Facing a Major Unknown

For Arkansas, 2026 might be the first true test.

“Time will tell,” says Nick Bateman, Arkansas crop entomologist. “We’ve had about six weeks’ worth of experience with it, so it’s a major unknown.”

Unlike Texas, Arkansas has little historical presence of the pest. Surveys conducted decades ago failed to detect either the insect or the virus it can carry.

Recent winter weather may have reduced early populations this year.

“That cold front – it looks like the weather should have been cold enough to knock them out,” Bateman says.

Still, migration from Texas remains a concern.

“There’s no telling if it will happen again this year,” Bateman says. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we deal with it on a yearly basis.”

As in Louisiana, planting dates could play a critical role.

“If we can get rice planted in April, I think we’ll outrun a lot of the major issues,” Bateman says.

Rice delphacid observed on a rice plant.

(Arkansas)

Proactive Scouting and Management Tips

Across all three states, one message is clear – scouting must start earlier and be more aggressive.

“They need to be sweeping it with a sweep net, particularly where vegetation is thick,” Bateman says.

Producers should watch for early signs of damage, including hopper burn, which is characterized by small, irregular patches of browning.

In Louisiana, Musgrove also recommends checking grassy areas around fields early in the season, where populations might establish before moving into rice.

Management options remain limited. Courier, the Section 18-approved insecticide, is currently the primary tool available across the region.

However, improper insecticide use might worsen the issue.

“When we treated for rice stink bug, the rice delphacid immediately followed,” Musgrove says, referencing pest resurgence.

Avoiding broad-spectrum pyrethroids might help reduce that risk.

A Looming Viral Threat

Beyond feeding damage, the rice delphacid presents an even greater concern – its ability to transmit Hoja Blanca virus. There is no cure once the infection occurs.

“You’ve got to control the insect in order to control the virus,” Musgrove says.

Although the virus has only been confirmed in Texas so far, researchers expect it to spread.

“It’s a matter of when, not if,” Musgrove says.

With limited research and increasing pressure, specialists agree vigilance will be critical moving forward.

Managing Soybean Aphids and Bean Leaf Beetles in the Early Growing Season

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:10:51 GMT

Early-season soybean pests often arrive before growers expect them.

Bean leaf beetle populations often peak just as seedlings emerge. Around the same time, soybean aphids, having migrated off alternative hosts, arrive looking for a new home.

Because of this early dual threat, timely scouting and management decisions are critical to protecting crops.

Early scouting and soybean aphid control

Seed treatments can help protect against early-season pests, but that protection often declines before soybean aphids begin colonizing fields, making soybean aphid scouting the most reliable way to determine when intervention is needed.

Monitor fields regularly and apply insecticide only when populations reach the soybean aphid economic threshold of 250 aphids per plant on roughly 80% of plants, with populations increasing. This provides a five- to seven-day window for treatment before populations reach levels that can cause economic damage.¹

This helps you avoid unnecessary applications while still protecting yield when populations necessitate it.

What do soybean aphids look like?

Soybean aphids are small, yellow-green insects that cluster on stems and the undersides of leaves.

Soybean aphids often establish colonies on the newest leaves and terminal buds, so these areas should be checked first. You may also notice indirect indicators of aphid activity. Lady beetles are aphid predators, and their presence can signal nearby aphid colonies. Ants may also indicate infestations, since they feed on the honeydew soybean aphids excrete and often protect aphid colonies from predators.

Sticky leaves, honeydew or shed aphid skins can also signal growing populations.

Insecticides for soybean aphids

When the economic threshold for soybean aphid is reached, timely control measures are needed to prevent yield loss.

Be aware that some foliar insecticides can kill not only aphids but also beneficial predators that suppress aphid populations. This disruption of natural enemies may lead to aphid resurgence later in the season or outbreaks of secondary pests.²

Using selective insecticides can help maintain beneficial insects while still providing effective soybean aphid control. Regional pest forecasting maps can also help growers anticipate outbreaks and better time soybean aphid insecticide applications.

Early scouting and bean leaf beetle control

Economic injury from bean leaf beetle feeding early in the season is relatively uncommon because soybeans can tolerate moderate defoliation. However, treatment may be warranted when leaf feeding reaches about 15% defoliation during reproductive stages and beetles are still actively feeding in the field.³

Scouting early is key to proactively gauging your crop’s level of infestation.

Scouting and identifying bean leaf beetle damage

Bean leaf beetles are typically yellow with black markings, but different morphs can be gray, brown, red and orange too. The most common traits shared by the morphs are a black triangle behind their thorax and six black spots with a black band around their wings.

The larvae will damage roots, and adults will feed on leaves and pods. Adult damage will look like small, round holes in the leaves.

Fields that emerge first should be prioritized when scouting, as they often attract large numbers of overwintering bean leaf beetles. Early-planted soybeans are particularly vulnerable because adult beetles are already active when seedlings begin to emerge.

Growers can also track beetle activity using degree-day models that estimate emergence relative to crop development. These models sum up daily average temperatures beginning around soybean emergence and can help predict when first-generation adult beetles are likely to appear in fields.

Insecticides for bean leaf beetle control

Before flowering, bean leaf beetle insecticide treatment is typically recommended when defoliation reaches 30% and beetles are still present in the field. After flowering, the threshold decreases to 20% defoliation, as plants become more sensitive to leaf loss.⁴

Heavily infested fields can sometimes act as trap crops, concentrating beetles in a single area and allowing early intervention before populations spread.

Early-planted soybeans, fields with a history of high bean leaf beetle pressure or those at risk for bean pod mottle virus may benefit from insecticidal seed treatments. Foliar applications of Fastac® CS at 2.8–3.8 fl oz/a can also provide effective control of bean leaf beetles.

Experts are available to help you make your early soybean pest control decisions. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent or a seed company professional like your regional BASF representative .

________________________________________________

Endnotes

Ohnesorg, Wayne, and Thomas Hunt. Soybean Aphid Scouting and Management. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, CropWatch, 2 Aug. 2023, https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2023/soybean-aphid-scouting-and-management/
Dominic D. Reisig. “Check Fields for Soybean Aphid.” NC State Extension Soybeans, North Carolina State University Extension, 19 Aug. 2025, https://soybeans.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/08/check-fields-for-soybean-aphid/
Krupke, Christian, and John Obermeyer. “Bean Leaf Beetle Leaf and Pod Feeding: Some High Beetle Numbers and Damage.” Pest & Crop Newsletter, Purdue University Extension, 3 Sept. 2021, https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/newsletters/pestandcrop/article/bean-leaf-beetle-leaf-and-pod-feeding-some-high-beetle-numbers-and-damage/
Koch, Robert, and Bruce Potter. “Bean Leaf Beetles in Soybean: Biology and Early Season Management.” Minnesota Crop News, University of Minnesota Extension, 16 June 2022, blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2022/06/bean-leaf-beetles-in-soybean-biology.html.

From 60 to 600 Bu. Per Acre: Is 1,000-Bushel-Corn Next?

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:23:13 GMT

Across parts of the South, farmers are sitting on the sidelines this spring, not not because fields are too wet, but because they’re too dry to plant. With dust blowing and soil moisture in short supply, planters are parked as growers wait for rain, a stark reversal of the delays they’re more accustomed to and a reminder that in agriculture, timing is everything.

“We’ve been dry all season so far and we actually stopped planting because we’ve been so dry. Can’t just get the planter in the ground,” says David Hula, a farmer in Charles City, Virginia.

After six weeks of high winds and little to no rainfall, Hula says the conditions are unlike anything he’s experienced.

“I talked to my cousin who’s a decade older than I am, and this is the driest he’s ever seen. And I’ve talked to my agronomist, he says we’re the third or fourth driest on record since 1875 for this time of year. So this is uncharted territory for me right now,” he says.

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While part of his crop remains unplanted, Hula is encouraged by what’s already in the ground.

“Everything that we’ve planted so far, I feel really good. Emergence has been spot on. Even their soybeans came up good,” Hula says. “We waited till things warmed up, you know, I’m very diligent and patient about that. And all that corn has come up awesome.”

Waiting Without Sacrificing Yield

With roughly 40 percent of his crop planted, Hula is now watching the skies and waiting for moisture before continuing.

“So the portion that you’re waiting on moisture to be able to plant at this point, you don’t feel like you’re sacrificing yield by waiting. You feel like you’re protecting yield,” we asked Hula.

“Oftentimes growers think, well, it’s too wet to plant or it’s been too cold. So they’re the things that you want to wait for. Well, we still, because we’re not late yet, we still want to make sure we get uniform emergence. That’s the key, that’s the first box every grower needs to be paying attention to,” Hula says.

He says with sporadic pockets of moisture within the dry soils, he says conditions are conducive for poor or uneven emergency when planting into drought conditions, and it’s a risk he’s not willing to take.

Hula’s World Corn Yield Record

That focus on emergence has paid off. Hula holds the world record for corn yield, producing more than 623 bu. per acre , a benchmark that underscores his disciplined approach. He says the year he grew that new record yield was in 2023, and it was a crop that wasn’t planted early.

“That was towards the end of May. I mean end of April, first part of May, but it seems like our highest yield stuff comes when we plant later,” Hula says. “And that is again, we’re checking that box of the crop coming up uniformly. And that’s the one thing I don’t know that growers really understand the importance of that. And once they do it and see it, they’ll say, you know, it might have been worth holding off for one week.”

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A Seed Legacy That Dates Back a Century

The hybrid behind that record yield — Pioneer P14830VYHR — carries a legacy that stretches back a century.

“One of the wonderful stories of Pioneer is actually the introduction of Raymond Baker,” says Dean Podlich, who leads R&D digital solutions at Corteva Agriscience, during Pioneer’s 100th anniversary celebration last week. “Raymond Baker was a college student. In 1926, he met Henry Wallace at an event at Iowa State. He was very interested in hybrid corn, and he said, I would like to get involved with hybrid corn to Henry Wallace. Together, they actually put an entry into the Iowa corn yield test, and they actually won that contest in 1927. This is actually a certificate from 1927. We actually have the ribbon.”

Podlich says that early success helped launch hybrid corn into mainstream agriculture.

“Raymond Baker actually quit college in 1928, he joined the company as a farm hand, and he would go on to lead the breeding organization for more than 40 years, especially after Henry Wallace went to Washington. And so there’s a huge amount of history that is the start of our research engine,” he says.

100 Years of Yield: 60 to 600 Bu. Per Acre

One of the inbreds behind modern hybrids, known as Baker’s Inbred or B164, still plays a role today.

“What’s fascinating is that David Hula had a world record with 623 bushels a couple of years ago. We can trace the family tree of the genetics behind that hybrid all the way back to Baker’s Inbred itself,” Podlich says.

Two kernels, 100 years apart: One yielded 60 bushels per acre in 1927; the other topped 623. They look nearly identical on the outside, but a century of genetic innovation separates them under the hood.

(Tyne Morgan)

To the eye, seeds from then and now look nearly identical. But the difference in performance tells a much larger story, from the seed yielding roughly 60 bushels per acre a century ago to more Hula’s record yield of more than 600 bu. per acre today.

“The thing that’s very striking as you look at these two sets of seeds is how similar they are. It’s really hard to see any difference, but under the hood these things are really, really different,” Podlich says. “You have 100 years of selection, 100 years of breeding, 100 years of improved agronomics, improved drought tolerance, and higher genetic potential. This one also has biotech traits in it that help increase yield, protect that yield from insects, and provide herbicide tolerance. So this is what’s so remarkable.”

Is 1,000 Bu. Per Acre Yield Next?

Even with record-setting yields already achieved, Hula believes the ceiling is still far off.

“My late granddad was the first one to break a hundred in the area. My dad, a couple hundred bushels, and we got three, four or five, and where we are now. And that has been a really steep incline. So I’m excited about where things are in the future. I have no clue what the yield potential is,” Hula says.

“Somebody was asking me what the yield potential is today. When you open up the bag, I would say it’s in excess of a thousand bushels. If that’s the case, we’re poor farmers. You know, here the country’s only averaging 180-some bushels, and if the potential is truly that, we’ve got a long way to go. But then can you imagine what price corn would be,” he says.

During Pioneer’s 100th anniversary last week, Sam Eathington, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Pioneer, gave remarks to those in attendance. In his address, he not only looked at the past, but also gave a glimpse into the future. He says in 50 years when Pioneer is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary, he think it’s possible agriculture will have national average corn yield of 300 bu. per acre and record yields reaching 1,000 bu. per acre.

For Hula, he thinks that’s a very reasonable reality even less than 50 years from now.

“Within 50 years, yeah, I do think so. That’s almost doubling where we are. But think about where we have come. And then also think about the technology that’s coming about,” Hula says.

As advancements in seed technology continue and farmers gain deeper insight into soil health through biological tools, Hula says the future of yield remains wide open.

“But as they start figuring out how to allow the plant to be more efficient with what it can find in the soil, I’m excited about that,” he says. “And then the one key that nobody can duplicate is sunlight. As they start figuring out how to make plants more efficient with the sunlight that we have and the moisture, either lack or more, the sky’s the limit.”

Related Story: The Technology Poised to Revolutionize Corn Yields — Just as Biotech Did in the 1980s

Monitor Early-Season Disease Risks In Racehorse Hybrids

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:52:38 GMT

Farmers heading into a cold, wet stretch of weather with high‑yield “racehorse” type corn hybrids should be ready to scout aggressively and treat early for disease, advises Dan Bjorklund, technical agronomist with Landus Cooperative.

Bjorklund says the combination of water-saturated soils and below‑normal temperatures in parts of Iowa and some other Corn Belt states could be setting the stage for stand and yield losses, especially in hybrids with traits that are more offensive than defensive.

He says those hybrids with offensive genetics may excel in warmer, “friendlier” springs but they can stumble when early‑season stresses ramp up.

“We know from past experience that when we have an extended period of cold temperatures and rain after planting that emergence will be impacted,” Bjorklund says. “We won’t get those hybrids up and out of the ground maybe as uniformly as we would like, and that has yield impact. We might possibly lose some seedlings due to diseases out there.”

Bjorklund points to current forecasts in parts of Iowa calling for temperature highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s following heavy rainfall as a red flag for early disease pressure in both corn and soybeans.

Bjorklund references environmental swings in recent years that have triggered major disease outbreaks. He ties cold, wet conditions and certain genetics to fusarium-related crown and stalk rot issues.

Scout Corn At V5, Evaluate Stalks

While seed treatments offer a good line of defense, Bjorklund notes that environment and genetics can still impact hybrids depending on how long the seed sat in the ground prior to emergence. He points out that many high-yielding “racehorse” hybrids are ill-equipped to deal with saturated soils.

Bjorklund recommends making a scouting pass in corn at the V5 growth stage – when corn plants have five leaves with visible collars – and digging up some plants and splitting stalks open for evaluation.

“Look at the crown… if it’s nice and white and clean and doesn’t show a lot of damage, OK. But if you see a little bit of discoloration, then I would say you need to be concerned about potential crown and stalk rots,” he says.

It’s almost self-explanatory when you look at this stalk. The discoloration is what you don’t want to see at around V5, indicating disease pressure and the need for a fungicide.

(Landus Cooperative)

Bjorklund recommends making a fungicide application when early‑season conditions are stacked against the crop, especially if stalks reveal any discoloration.

“Try to get that fungicide on when you know that plant is at V5, when it’s making the rows around and the length. So that’s when ear determination is occurring. We don’t want to have the corn to have a bad day at that point in time,” he says.

He acknowledges there is debate over how well fungicide applications penetrate the plant, but says the yield data in cold, wet scenarios are hard to ignore.

“The data shows that V5 applications, in situations where we had cold days and over three inches of precipitation, we had a really nice yield response. We do know that the data is supportive,” he says.

As forecasts in some parts of the Corn Belt continue to point to cool, wet stretches, proactive scouting and timely treatment may be the difference between a racehorse hybrid that finishes strong — and one that doesn’t get a strong start out of the gate.

You can hear all of Bjorklund’s recommendations in his latest video here .

Koch Launches Centuro A-PRO: Reducing Nitrogen Stabilizer Use Rates by 67%

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 19:22:35 GMT

Koch Agronomic Services expands its nitrogen stabilizer portfolio with Centuro A-Pro designed to stabilize anhydrous ammonia and UAN ensuring nitrogen stays in the ammonium form longer.

As Cody Hornaday, technical agronomist with Koch Agronomic Services, explains the development of Centuro A-Pro was rooted in customer feedback for a more concentrated formula that offers enhanced operational efficiency.

“Koch is big on customer voice,” he says. “We took feedback on Centuro, and basically concentrated the product down to a higher concentration of active ingredient. Therefore, we could then lower the use rate. We now have launched Centuro A-PRO.”

Representing approximately a 67% reduction in the volume of product handled, the lower use rate of Centuro A-Pro is 1.61 gallons per ton of anhydrous ammonia compared to 5 gallons per ton for the original Centuro formulation.

“It is a concentrated formulation of the original Centuro, we are maintaining the same amount of active ingredient per ton of nitrogen. Therefore we get a lower use rate, and we get much more efficiency by handling less volume,” he says. “You still get the same great nitrogen stabilization below ground against denitrification and leaching, but we handle a whole lot less product and get the same effect.”

For retailers, this means operational efficiency realized in less storage needed and improved inventory management due to the lower volume. And for farmers, this equates to faster turnaround times when filling tanks, allowing for more efficient application during tight application windows.

“It’s a win-win for retailers and growers alike,” Hornaday says.

KAS says early trials in corn have shown up to an 18 bu/ac increase versus untreated anhydrous ammonia applications at an application rate of 180 pounds of nitrogen per acre. The company plans to have its full product launch for the fall 2026 application season.

Strategic Fit in the Koch Portfolio

“Nitrogen stabilizers are a tool to ensure that a grower is using all of that nitrogen that they are applying,” Hornaday says. “We want to ensure that Mother Nature doesn’t take away any of that through volatilization or denitrification or leaching, because we know that it’s one of the most expensive inputs that a grower’s going to use for a corn crop.”

He continues, “We’re just looking at trying to be as efficient with the pounds that we’re putting on as we can. Losing any of the money that you put out on a crop that’s already at a tight margin is certainly not what anybody wants to do.”

Continued product development for nitrogen stabilizers underscores how the topic is important—and farmers seek to be efficient with the nitrogen they are buying and applying in any economic environment.

Here’s an outline of the KAS nitrogen stabilizer lineup:

Above-Ground Protection (Urease Inhibition):

Agrotain: The NBPT based product that KAS says set an industry standard for stabilization for urea and UAN.
Anvol: The current flagship product featuring the Duromide molecule, designed for a longer window of protection against volatilization.

Below-Ground Protection (Nitrification Inhibition):

Centuro (Original): The established product for anhydrous ammonia and UAN stabilization.
Centuro A-PRO: The high-efficiency evolution of the below-ground portfolio, specifically targeting growers and retailers who prioritize speed and reduced product handling.

Soybean Plots Put Biological Seed Treatments, In-Furrow Starter and Fungicides To The Test: What Really Pays?

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:22:08 GMT

The Farm Journal Test Plot season shifted into high gear this week as Ken Ferrie and his team push to get soybean plots in the ground ahead of the next round of rain.

“We planted until midnight last night to finish two plots, and we’ll finish two more today if the weather holds,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

While planters are running full-tilt in parts of central and southern Illinois, Ferrie notes that northern Illinois is just finding its rhythm.

“Where we are today, farmers are just getting started again. If the rain forecast misses us, we’ll likely roll right through the weekend,” he says.

2026 Soybean Plots Take Shape

This week’s planting efforts focus on soybeans, with multiple test plots designed to tackle farmers’ questions regarding fertility, seed treatments and fungicide performance. Four key test plots being planted this week include:

Biologicals: A dedicated plot is focused on the performance of various biological seed treatments.
In-Furrow Starter: In a relatively uncommon setup for soybeans, the team is testing a special starter blend designed specifically for in-furrow placement.
Foliar Micronutrients: Ferrie and team will be applying micronutrients over the top of soybeans to evaluate the crop response and ROI.
Plant Architecture & Fungicide Efficiency: This plot compares non-branching varieties in narrow rows against branching “bush” beans. The goal is to measure how efficiently foliar products reach—and stay on—the target. “We want to see how much product hits the ground versus how much stays in the canopy,” Ferrie explains. “If I’m foliar feeding and it hits the ground, it’s a wasted investment. We’re tracking those efficiencies.”

Corn Is On Standby

While the soybean plots are ramping up, corn planting at the Farm Journal Test Plot sites remains largely on hold as the team waits for a better weather window.

Ferrie notes that while many farmers further south in the state are well underway with corn, his local fields south of Bloomington, Ill., have been slower to reach ideal conditions.

“We’ve given farmers the green light to plant corn in some areas of the state, but our specific ground is just now reaching the right moisture levels,” he says. “It has been a challenge to stay out of the wet spots, but we are ready to move as soon as the soil allows.”

Thank You to Our Plot Partners
The research underway this season in the Farm Journal Test Plots is made possible by: Case IH, Fendt, Great Plains Manufacturing, John Deere, Martin-Till, Pleasant View Ag, Precision Planting, Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Yetter Farm Equipment, B&M Crop Consulting and Crop-Tech Consulting.

Why Your ‘Worst’ Soybean Fields Should Be Planted First

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:31:23 GMT

When fields are ready to plant, soybean growers often head to their best ground first. Connor Sible is asking you to consider doing the opposite.

“If you want to maximize soybean yields across your entire farm — not just in one field — start by planting your lowest soil-testing fields first and save the highest soil-testing fields for last,” he advises.

That shift in focus is counter to what many farmers currently do, and it is at the heart of the planting strategy he recommends. The University of Illinois row-crop field researcher and assistant professor contends that it’s when and where you pull the planter into each field that can raise your overall farm average.

In practice, that means when an early planting window opens in April or the first of May and several soybean fields are dry enough for a green light, the first acres you plant should be the ones with lower soil test values — not the “good” fields on the soil test map.

“This gives the late-planted soybean the advantage it needs to put on more bushels relative to early planting,” Sible says. “Between the soil testing data and the planting date response data we have, it makes a lot of sense.”

Why Early And Late Soybeans Behave Differently

Sible says there is a decade-plus of field trials from the University of Illinois comparing planting dates, soil tests, and yield responses, verifying that this change in planting strategy makes sense. The full study, led by Marcos Loman and advised by Fred Below, summarizes their findings and is available here .

Part of Sible’s explanation is that early-planted soybeans in April tend to yield more overall, but these beans grow slowly at first in cool, often wet soils with lower solar radiation. Their nutrient uptake is long and gradual.

“Early soybean, while yielding higher, has slower growth and probably doesn’t need fertilizer” he says.

Because those plants grow and require nutrients slowly, the soil can usually keep up with nutrient demand, even in lower-testing fields. That’s why he says early planting is the best “boost” you can give to weaker ground.

Later-planted soybeans, going in during late May or even into June, are going into a different environment: warmer soils, longer days and more solar radiation.

“Late-planted soybean, while lower yielding and a lower total nutrient requirement, grow so fast that if we want to optimize the return on fertilizer investment, it’s probably going to pay back better on late-planted beans,” Sible says.

Fast-growing late-May soybeans in Illinois pull nutrients at a higher rate, and Sible’s data shows they respond more strongly to higher soil test levels and applied fertilizer. That’s why he wants the best-testing fields held back for the later planting window.

“Late-planted beans grow so fast, the soil (fertility) probably cannot keep up,” he explains. “The late-planted soybean benefits more from that high soil test environment.”

How Farmers Can Implement The ‘New’ Planting Strategy

Sible is quick to acknowledge that in the real world, farmers will start the planting process in whatever field is fit at the time.

“Obviously you’re going to plant the driest field first,” he says, noting that central and northern Illinois have had recent rainfall.

But once more than one field is ready, he contends farmers can start making more intentional choices.

His recommended process for soybean planting looks like this:

Sort fields by crop and soil test.
Start out by grouping soybean fields by soil test levels — lower-testing and higher-testing, especially for phosphorus and potassium, but considering overall fertility.
Identify likely early-plant candidates.
Look at drainage, residue and soil type to consider which soybean fields typically dry out first. Within that group, mark the lower-testing fields.
Use early planting on “weaker” fields.
When an early planting window opens and several soybean fields are fit, move the planter to the lower soil-testing soybean fields first — those that usually don’t win the “yield contest” on your farm.
Reserve high-testing fields for later.
If weather or logistics push some soybean acres into late May or early June, prioritize the higher soil-testing fields for those later planting dates, where their strong fertility levels can support rapid growth.
Align fertilizer decisions with timing.
On early-planted soybeans, especially in lower soil-testing fields, be conservative with extra fertilizer unless there is a clear nutrient deficiency. On late-planted soybeans in high-testing fields, consider that any fertilizer investment is more likely to deliver ROI.

“If we line up planting date, soil test and fertilizer strategy, we can do a better job of maximizing soybean yield across the farm,” Sible says.

From Field-by-Field To A Higher Farm Average

Sible frames his planting strategy for soybeans as a mindset change. Instead of asking, “How do I make my best field even better?” he wants farmers to ask, “How do I pull my whole average up?”

“The principle is pretty simple,” he says. “Early planting is a powerful yield tool — use it where the soil is weakest. High soil fertility is a powerful growth tool; use it where beans are going in late and growing fast.”

Farmers won’t always see the highest absolute yield on those late-planted, high-testing fields, he acknowledges. Weather and your calendar date still matter. But he believes the relative performance and return on fertilizer can improve when planting order and soil tests work together.

For growers struggling to manage tight margins, it’s a strategy that costs nothing to try except a reshuffled planting list.

“Hopefully you can take these concepts back and take them to your acres,” Sible says. “It’s about getting the most from the whole farm, not just one field.”

Sible laid out his planting recommendations for soybeans during the 2026 Crop Management Conference at the University of Illinois.

Cotton Seedling Diseases: Identification and Proactive Management Tactics

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:32:43 GMT

Investing in high-quality cotton seed and planting under favorable conditions sets the stage for a strong cotton stand. But when cotton seedlings begin to collapse from damping-off shortly after planting, that investment can disappear quickly.

Early season cotton diseases are a common challenge for many cotton growers. Understanding what to look for and how to reduce risk before planting can help protect stand establishment and prevent damping-off before it starts.

Identifying cotton seedling diseases

Several soilborne pathogens can infect cotton seedlings as they emerge and begin early growth. When disease develops, it often appears as damping-off, root rot or stem lesions that weaken or kill young plants.

Early scouting can help you diagnose disease in cotton and determine whether plant stands remain adequate. Identifying the likely pathogen can also provide clues about the conditions that favor cotton disease development and help guide prevention strategies in future seasons.

For example, Rhizoctonia solani, often called sore shin, commonly produces sunken reddish-brown lesions on the plant’s hypocotyl near the soil line. These lesions can girdle the stem and cause cotton seedlings to collapse after emergence.¹

Pythium species frequently cause seed rot before emergence or damping-off shortly after seedlings appear. Infected plants often have soft, water-soaked roots and may appear weak, stunted or chlorotic.²

Fusarium species can cause a cotton blight disease characterized by yellowing, wilting and stunted growth, often accompanied by brown discoloration in roots or vascular tissue.

Another cotton disease, black root rot, caused by Thielaviopsis basicola, produces blackened roots and hypocotyls. Affected plants typically have reduced taproot diameter and poor vigor.³

Environmental risk factors and optimal planting conditions

Environmental conditions at planting can strongly influence the risk of cotton seedling diseases. Soilborne pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium are more likely to infect cotton seedlings when germination and emergence are slowed by stress. Cold or overly wet soils delay cotton seedling growth and give these pathogens more time to attack young plants. Poor drainage and saturated soils also favor diseases like Pythium, which can cause seed rot and damping-off before or shortly after cotton seedlings emerge.⁴

Planting when soil temperatures are consistently around 65 F or higher can help reduce cotton disease risk. Warm, well-drained soils allow seeds to germinate quickly and support stronger early root growth. Faster emergence helps cotton seedlings outgrow early pathogen pressure. Avoiding soil compaction, reducing crusting after planting and selecting favorable planting windows can also improve stand establishment and reduce disease risk.

Proactive cotton disease control and seed treatments

Preventing cotton diseases needs to start before you plant. Because these pathogens live in the soil, if emergence is delayed by cold or saturated soils, cotton seedlings remain vulnerable to infection for longer periods and disease pressure increases.⁵

Using high-quality seed and planting into warm, well-drained soils reduces early stress and allows seedlings to establish faster, limiting the window when pathogens can infect young plants.⁶

Fungicide seed treatments are another important tool for protecting seedlings during this early growth stage. Many cotton seeds are treated with fungicides that protect against pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia and other soilborne organisms that cause damping-off and seedling blight. These treatments help protect the seed and emerging roots during the first weeks after planting, when seedlings are most susceptible to infection.

In-season scouting and cultural mitigation of cotton seedling diseases

Scouting early and consistently can help you catch these symptoms and determine whether your stands will get established adequately. Most cotton seedling diseases appear within the first 30 days, when young plants are most vulnerable to soilborne pathogens.⁷

As you scout, look for symptoms such as damping-off, root rot or stem lesions that can weaken seedlings or reduce stand counts.

If you find infected plants, your management options this season may be limited. Once pathogens infect cotton seedlings, fungicide applications after emergence generally provide little benefit.⁸ Instead, focus on evaluating plant populations to determine whether the remaining stand is sufficient or if replanting may be necessary.

Cotton seedling diseases can threaten stand establishment, but many of the most effective management decisions are made before problems arise. By planting into favorable conditions, protecting seed with treatments and scouting fields early, you can reduce disease risk and give your cotton crop the strongest possible start.

Experts are available to help you make your cotton seed treatment decisions. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent or a seed company professional like your regional BASF representative .

________________________________________________

Endnotes

Cotton Incorporated. “Cotton Seedling Disease Identification.” Cotton Incorporated, National Cotton Council, https://www.cotton.org/tech/pest/seedling/identification.cfm
Cotton Incorporated. “Cotton Seedling Disease Identification.”
Davis, R. M. “Seedling Diseases.” UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Cotton, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/cotton/seedling-diseases
Ahumada, Daisy. “Cotton Seedling Diseases.” NC State Extension Publications, North Carolina State University Extension, 29 Sept. 2023, https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/cotton-seedling-diseases
Hu, Jiahuai, and Randy Norton. Symptom Identification and Management of Cotton Seedling Diseases. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Oct. 2020, https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/docs/default-source/agricultural-ipm-documents/cotton/az1856-2020.pdf
Ahumada. “Cotton Seedling Diseases.”
Ahumada. “Cotton Seedling Diseases.”
Davis, R. M. “Seedling Diseases.”

Assess Soybean Frost Damage: Ken Ferrie Urges Patience, Replanting Discipline After Hard Freeze

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:47:05 GMT

Earlier this week after a series of storms and subfreezing temperatures swept through central Illinois, agronomist Ken Ferrie walked his March-planted soybean test plots south of the Bloomington area and didn’t like what he found.

“We had a substantial frost, reports of temperatures from 29 to 32 degrees, with the frost hanging around three hours or more,” Ferrie says. “Things are kind of crunchy in the grass this morning.”

That crunch underfoot translates into real damage in soybeans. Some plants, Ferrie says, are not going to make it.

“The worst hit are soybeans in the unifoliate stage or more and that were planted in our low ground,” he notes.

Illinois wasn’t the only state where soybeans were hit by frost. Weather reports from Monday and Tuesday indicate a late-season cold snap brought frost and freezing temperatures to at least four additional key soybean-producing states, impacting parts of Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

According to the USDA Crop Progress report released on April 20, roughly 12% of the national soybean crop had been planted. States like Illinois and Indiana were slightly ahead of their five-year averages, making crops there more vulnerable to this specific frost event.

Don’t Rush To Replant, Be Disciplined In Your Approach

Ferrie describes a clear set of visual cues growers can use to evaluate frost damage in their crop.

“Look for unifoliate leaves that are dark and deflated, and the cotyledons have a dark color,” he says. “The biggest telltale is the stem has no turgor pressure right below the cotyledons.”

He notes that those beans with discolored cotyledons and limited turgor pressure will require more time to see if they will refire at the cotyledon node.

Ferrie urges growers to take a systematic approach to evaluating frost-damaged soybeans with these four steps:

Check bean growth stage and field position (low ground vs. higher areas).
Inspect unifoliate leaves and cotyledons for dark, deflated tissue.
Pinch stems just below the cotyledons to feel for turgor.
Flag concerning areas and return in a couple of days to reevaluate survival and stand uniformity.

This bean is at the VC growth stage. While leaves look nipped and are discolored, what matters even more is what’s happening just below the cotyledons. Ferrie says there is no turgor pressure in the stem underneath the cotyledons. Turgor pressure serves soybeans a number of ways, including support for the movement of nutrients and water. “This plant is going to dry up and die on us and not make it,” Ferrie says.

(Crop-Tech Consulting Video)

This plant shows some leaf damage and possible stem damage just below the upper leaves. However, turgor pressure lower in the plant looks good. This plant is likely to survive, but Ferrie says farmers would want to reassess plants like this a few days following a frost to make sure.

(Crop-Tech Consulting Video)

Young soybeans, like this one, handle frost better than plants at VC and older because they are closer to the ground, allowing them to benefit from soil warmth, and they have thicker, waxy cotyledons. This plant is going to do fine.

(Crop-Tech Consulting)

Once you’ve assessed damage, the questions then are, how many beans survived, and how uniform a stand remains?

Replant decisions, Ferrie emphasizes, should be based on surviving plant counts and uniformity, not on first impressions the morning after a frost. That will take a few days to assess.

Why Risk Planting Soybeans In March?

Ferrie addressed the broader strategy that put March-planted beans at risk in the first place — and why many growers benefit from planting early.

“Guys ask me why plant beans in March, when you can plant them April 15,” Ferrie says. “If you can plant them April 15, not much is gained. But if you get rained out at May 1 or later, you could definitely miss the early flowering window.”

That early flowering window, he notes, remains a key driver of soybean yield potential. The risk of frost is the tradeoff.

“So that risk of early planting and dealing with frost and the need to help them up with a hoe and things like that, that always needs to be weighed against missing the early flowering window,” he says.

Go Time For Planting More Soybeans

Ferrie says the next few days are a green light for planting soybeans in central Illinois.

“If you don’t have your full-season beans planted by April 24, you may want to switch to your shorter-season beans, giving them a better chance at early flowering. Our early flowering window is closing for these full-season beans,” he adds.

The freeze may claim some of the earliest soybeans, but Ferrie insists growers still have tools to protect yield — from switching maturities as key dates approach to making informed replant calls based on stand counts and plant response.

Younger soybeans typically handle the cold and frost better.

“Population is, here at the campus, the last emerging beans, still in the cotyledon stage, are in good shape,” he says. “And the beans that we plant in the covers are protected well.”

Ferrie’s message to farmers this week is clear: get out and assess your crop, but don’t rush to replant. “By the end of the week, we’ll know how rough this frost damage is, and we’ll reassess replanting decisions after that,” he says.

You can watch Ferrie’s brief video on how to assess soybean damage here .

Major Insect Pests of Cotton: Cotton Insecticides and Integrated Management

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:13:56 GMT

Early- and mid-season insects in cotton crops are one of many threats growers face that can significantly impact lint yield and fiber quality.

Applying integrated pest management (IPM) principles helps protect your seed investment while preventing pest-control tools from losing effectiveness. The goal is not simply to eliminate pests, but to optimize the timing of interventions and slow the development of insecticide resistance.

Effective IPM programs begin before you put a single seed in the ground and continue well into the growing season.

Variety selection and cultural control of insects in cotton crops

The foundation of any cotton operation is the seed you plant, and choosing the right variety based on expected pest pressure and local growing conditions can help the season start on the right foot.

Selecting high-quality seed and varieties adapted to local environments helps establish a strong stand and promote early plant vigor. Varieties with appropriate maturity ratings, insect-resistant traits and Bt technology should also be considered so plants can develop under favorable conditions and limit the need for cotton insecticide applications while protecting developing bolls.

Cultural practices also influence pest pressure. Planting dates can affect how quickly seedlings grow and how vulnerable they are to early feeding injury. Managing surrounding weeds is equally important, since these plants can serve as alternate hosts for insects such as thrips and plant bugs that later move into cotton fields.

Finally, maintaining beneficial insects in cotton is an important part of an integrated strategy. Predators such as lady beetles and other natural enemies help suppress pest populations and can reduce reliance on chemical control when managed carefully.

Early pest management: seed treatments and scouting for cotton crop insects

A proactive approach to pest management is better than a reactive spray-and-pray approach. This involves seed treatments and field scouting regularly after emergence.

For example, seed treatments are recommended for thrips management if you are experiencing cooler springs. Thrips can damage seedlings, causing growth stunting, delays in maturity and reductions in yield. However, several regional types have become resistant to neonicotinoids¹, and systemic cotton insecticides can fail due to wet weather leaching out the seed treatment, and a foliar spray may be necessary.²

The alternative to relying solely on seed treatments is a robust scouting program. By monitoring symptoms and pest injury early on, growers can determine the precise moment a supplemental foliar treatment is required.

Economic thresholds and scouting for mid-season insects in cotton

Scouting is critical early in the season, but it is just as important as cotton moves into squaring and boll development. As the crop grows, new insect pests can begin to threaten yield if fields are not monitored regularly.

Cotton fleahoppers, plant bugs such as lygus bugs, and bollworms can begin feeding on plants and bolls during the mid-season. When these pests appear, the temptation may be to apply a broad-spectrum cotton insecticide immediately to protect the crop.

However, applying a cotton insecticide based on a calendar schedule or at the first sign of a pest can sometimes create more problems than it solves.

Economic thresholds can help determine when pest populations are likely to cause yield losses that justify treatment. Applying insecticides only after these thresholds are reached helps ensure treatments are applied under the right conditions while also preserving beneficial insect populations.³

When predators are removed, secondary pests such as aphids or spider mites may flare up and create additional management challenges later in the season.

Mitigating cotton insecticide resistance risk

While economic thresholds can protect your bottom line and beneficial insects, it also protects your future strategies.

Repeated use of the same mode of action can lead to the development of a resistant population. Here are a few solutions to reducing those resistant insect populations:

Use the full rate recommended on the label
Apply cotton insecticides when above the economic threshold
Rotate cotton insecticides with different modes of action
Use Bt cotton varieties and adhere to refuge requirements

Additionally, you can use beneficial insects and biocontrol practices to reduce your reliance on a single control method.

An integrated pest management approach not only improves pest control in the current season but also helps ensure that valuable insect management tools remain effective for years to come.

Experts are available to help you make your pest management decisions. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent or a seed company professional like your regional BASF representative .

________________________________________________

Endnotes

Reisig, Dominic. “Thrips.” NC State Extension Cotton Portal, North Carolina State University Extension, https://cotton.ces.ncsu.edu/insect-scouting-guide/thrips/
Reisig, Dominic. Managing Insects on Cotton. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University, 29 Jan. 2026, https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/pdf/managing-insects-on-cotton/2025-01-30/12.ging_Insects.pdf
Simon, Logan, and Anthony Zukoff. “Mid-Season Insect Management for Cotton Production.” Agronomy eUpdate, Kansas State University Extension, 11 July 2024, https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article/mid-season-insect-management-for-cotton-production-599-5

Canadian Farmers Look For A Fresh Start After The Driest Year In Decades

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:47:21 GMT

The way Tim Webster tells it, his 2025 cropping season was nearly a disaster. Summer delivered the lowest July–August rainfall his area had seen in 50 years. That lack and abnormally high temperatures pushed corn and soybeans to their limits.

“We had just enough moisture to get to the finish line,” recalls Webster, a sixth-generation farmer based just west of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. The end result: corn and soybean yields came in at about half of normal.

Webster and fellow farmer Steve Crothers, who farms on the north shore of Lake Ontario about 50 miles east of Toronto, recently sat down with Illinois-based Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie to talk about how they’re adjusting cropping plans for 2026 after last year’s drought.

Drought Reshapes Farmer Expectations

For Webster, last season was a stark reminder of how quickly yield potential can evaporate. Ultimately, Webster’s bottom line took a hit.

“We’re hoping that doesn’t repeat again,” he told Ferrie.

Crothers’ experience, though slightly better, was still defined by drought. Growing corn, soybeans, wheat and edible beans along Lake Ontario, he says it was the driest of his 40-plus years in farming.

“We had a couple half-inch rains, so we kind of ended up with three-quarters of our long-term average yield. So, we fared a little bit better,” Crothers says.

Still, the season left him and Webster concerned about their cropping plans and finances for this year.

Crop Insurance As A Lifeline

Ferrie drew a comparison between Canadian and American safety nets as he listened to Crothers and Webster describe their experiences. In the U.S., Ferrie notes farmers often lean on multiple levels of crop insurance to blunt losses in a bad production year. He asked whether similar options exist for Canadian farmers.

Webster replied that growers there do have a provincial crop insurance program, but participation and coverage levels vary.
“I think we all felt after last year, maybe we should have been insured a little higher. But we were very happy to have what we had to help pay the bills, that’s for sure,” Webster notes.

Crothers says specialty crops, including edible white beans and adzuki beans, come under similar insurance frameworks as corn and soybeans, though they have higher premiums because of their higher value.

Most of the white beans grown in his part of Ontario head to the United Kingdom, while the adzuki beans (also called mung beans) are shipped to Japan, Crothers notes. Those export markets add another layer of risk to already weather-sensitive crops, making insurance an important backstop when weather or markets turn against them.

Fertilizer Sticker Shock Hits Canadian Growers

If drought defined 2025, fertilizer prices loom large over this season for Canadian farmers, much like they do for U.S. farmers.

“For 2026 our biggest thing is hope — hope for typical average rainfalls after last year’s drought,” Crothers says. “And then, of course, the economic challenges with the fertilizer situation are obviously troubling to everybody.”

He tells Ferrie most fertilizer in his part of Ontario is not prepaid “The fellows using 28% are usually prepaid, because it’s been hard to get the last few years. But generally, not near as much fertilizer is prepaid as what, in a perfect world, would have been.” Crothers reports.

That leaves many Canadian farmers more exposed to potential sticker shock as they head into spring planting.

Webster says he pre-bought some of his nitrogen (N) in February and is now leaning hard into a strategy of splitting applications and dialing back on more expensive, slow-release N options where he can.

This year, for his wheat topdress program, fertility costs didn’t pencil out, forcing a change in his plans.

“It’s $32 more [per acre] to go with the time-release product versus straight urea,” Webster notes. “So, I think on our wheat this year we’re going to do a lot of split applications.”

With diesel, fertilizer and other costs trending higher, he says, “anything you can do to save small increments adds up … for the whole operation.”

Cropping Plans: Adjust Or Stay The Course?

Both farmers describe their region as an area where crop rotations remain fairly consistent: corn, soybeans and wheat typically share the mix. Asked whether high input prices and drought fears would drive large acreage shifts this season, Webster says his own operation plans to stay the course with its rotation, helped by a marketing strategy that spreads grain sales out over time to manage risk and meet mortgage payments.

Still, he’s aware some of his neighbors are recalibrating their cropping plans.

“I know some guys are going to go less corn, more beans — just less dollars to put it in,” Webster notes. “Maybe the profits aren’t as high, but there’s less risk involved.”

Ferrie notes that, similar to Ontario, many U.S. growers also appear to be largely holding to their established crop plans, as their major fertilizer and seed commitments were already made before input costs soared.

In a region still feeling the effects of the driest season in decades, both Webster and Crothers are essentially betting on a return to something closer to normal this season — average rains, manageable input costs and no repeat of last year’s extremes.

“If we get good yields, then we can deal with those [costs],” Crothers says. “But another weather year like last year would definitely be a struggle for a lot of people.”

Crothers and Webster spoke with Ferrie during a meeting hosted by the Durham Soil and Crop Association, a grassroots group that works under Ontario’s agricultural umbrella to bring new ideas, funding opportunities and conservation programs to farmers in the region.

You can catch the entire conversation between Ferrie, Crothers and Webster on this week’s Boots In The Field podcast, available below.

The 20-Bushel Wake-Up Call One Farmer Is Using To Boost Soybean Yields

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:42:15 GMT

For years, Stephen Butz watched his corn yields climb while his soybeans stalled. The numbers didn’t lie: corn was steadily improving, while soybeans were “average at best,” he recalls, running hot and cold from year to year with no clear pattern.

“Our soybeans were just plateauing,” says Butz, who farms near Kankakee, Ill.

The turning point for Butz came several years ago on a 120-acre field split between two soybean varieties — 80 acres on the north side and 40 acres on the south. Everything matched: planting date, field conditions, management. The only difference was the variety planted.

At harvest, the 40-acre section of the field was 18 to 19 bushels per acre better.

A talk with Butz’s seedsman revealed the answer: the higher-yielding soybeans carried the Peking source of resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN). That single difference explained nearly 20-bushels-per-acre the farm had been losing to SCN for years.

“Honestly, it was just one of those deals where our seed guy had said, ‘Hey, this is a good number.’ So we’d planted the variety kind of naively,” Butz says. “But lo and behold, it was a huge benefit for us and showed us a problem we had on this farm and other farms, too.”

With the initial finding of SCN, Butz started soil testing to identify how significant the problem was across his farm. Surprisingly, soil tests revealed SCN populations ranging from the low hundreds to as high as 5,000 per sample.

“We’ve got a good amount of farms in that 3,000 to 5,000 count, which is an extremely high amount that I need to address,” says Butz, who samples fields ahead of planting.

Spring 2026: Going 100% Peking

After splitting acres for several years between non-GMO and Enlist soybeans, Butz made a decisive shift to the latter for 2026 as the non-GMO soybeans do not carry resistance to SCN.

“This spring, we are going with 100% Peking,” he says

For Butz, the move is less about chasing bonus bushels of soybeans and more about stopping the hidden losses SCN has been causing. He’s certain he’s left a lot of yield potential on the table in previous seasons.

“We’re not so much adding bushels (with the Peking) as we expect to relieve the stress that’s been taking bushels away,” he says.

Going all-Peking this season is only part of his management plan. The other piece is rotating more between corn and soybeans and, over time, between different SCN technologies, including Peking and PI 88788.

Butz’s cropping pattern follows a rough structure of thirds in any given year: about a third of his total acres in corn or soybeans and another third in continuous corn. That same structure drives his soil sampling schedule and will, in the future, he says, guide how he rotates SCN resistance traits across the landscape.

He also hopes to bring new technology into the mix, including the new SCN solution on the way from BASF Agricultural Solutions, called Nemasphere. It is the first-ever biotech trait designed specifically to address SCN.

Unlike traditional native resistance found in PI 88788 and Peking, Nemasphere is based on a transgenic trait — a Cry14 protein engineered directly into the soybean — explains Hugo Borsari, BASF vice president of business management for seeds in North America.

Beyond Yield: Logistics And Longevity

For Butz, the case for more soybeans, and especially better-protected soybeans, isn’t just agronomic. It’s logistical and financial.
Soybeans help spread out workload during planting and harvest, he explains, easing the strain of managing continuous corn acres. They also inject rotation into fields that might otherwise lean too heavily to continuous corn.

“Years of continuous corn in some spots is fine, but rotation is obviously better,” he said during a recent panel discussion hosted by BASF.

Like he found out by accident, Butz says he believes many other growers might be losing significant yield to SCN without realizing it.

“You might live in an area that you raise 75-bushel beans all the time, or 80-bushel beans, and that’s amazing. But what if the potential is 90 or 100 bushels?“ Butz asks. “There’s plenty of people out there that might be losing 10, 15 bushels off the top, and that adds up fast. You’re freaking losing $100 an acre pretty quick that would help a lot with your bottom line.”

Maryland Farmer Turns Stringent Fertilizer Restrictions Into An Opportunity To Innovate

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:13:18 GMT

On the Delmarva Peninsula, where every pound of fertilizer applied is regulated, Maryland farmer Temple Rhodes is rebuilding his corn production system from the ground up — literally.

“We are in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, so all eyes are on us,” Rhodes says. “I am 50 miles from Baltimore, 50 miles from D.C., 67 miles from Philadelphia. We are in a hotbed of regulation.”

For the past 25-plus years, Chestnut Manor Farms has operated under a state-mandated nutrient management plan that caps how much nitrogen and phosphorus can be applied. Rhodes says participating in the program is not voluntary.

“It is forced on us with no incentive. You just have to do it,” he says. “So, we have to reinvent ourselves. We have to start looking at other ways to do things.”

Rhodes grows corn, soybeans and wheat, along with a few acres of grain sorghum. He also runs a cow-calf operation and backgrounds a couple hundred head of steers each winter on cover crops. The diversity helps, but the real transformation is happening in how he feeds his 1,700-acre corn crop.

From Front-Loading To Spoon-Feeding

For years, the standard practice was to front-load fertilizer before planting and hope enough stayed in place through the growing season. Under tighter rules and scrutiny, Rhodes says that approach no longer works.

“We used to put 100% of our nitrogen up front, then plant a crop on it and expect it to be there all along,” he says. “That is where we find out we are making a mistake. We are limited in how much fertility we can put on, so we better get it on at the right time, in the right place, or we are going to run out.”

Today, Chestnut Manor relies on what Rhodes describes as a systematic, layered approach that can include planter-applied fertilizer (in-furrow and 2x2 programs), split in-season applications of nitrogen, extensive cover crops and biologicals.

“When you take a systematic approach to all these things, it becomes a different animal,” Rhodes says.

Most of his corn is grown using a strip-till system with strips built in the spring. State rules prevent him from applying fertilizer in the fall, so he must work ahead of the planter using modest rates of nitrogen and then follow up with in-season applications.

“My end goal is to grow 225 bushels per acre,” he says. “I am going to put about 0.7 pounds of nitrogen per bushel on my crop. I can get away with that if I spoon-feed it correctly. If I put it all down up front, I am going to need about 1.25 pounds. I’m saving a lot of fertility by doing it this way.”

Rhodes says Maryland’s regulatory framework ensures he stays within strict application limits. The state’s phosphorus usage tool combines soil samples, yield history, location and soil type into an algorithm that dictates what farmers can apply.

“You put your soil samples in, you put your yield goal in, and it spits out what you can put on,” Rhodes says. “If you say your yield goal is 250 bushels but your APH is only 180, that is not how it works. Your APH and your yield goal have to be very similar, or you are not going to get to put on what you want. They are going to tell you what you can put on. Period.”

A New Technology Takes Root

Working under those constraints, Rhodes has become aggressive about testing new technologies that promise better nutrient efficiency and stronger root systems. Not one to be painted into a corner, Rhodes stays open to all ideas of what could work within the state’s mandated parameters. One of those is a biostimuant from NewLeaf Symbiotics.

The product is a non-GMO, naturally occurring bacteria known as PPFMs (Pink-Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs), often called “M-trophs”. The PPFM-powered biostimulant is designed to improve crop yield, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance, according to NewLeaf.

In the process of trialing the product, Rhodes shared the technology with XtremeAg, a group of seven farmers across the country who rigorously test new technologies in different environments.

“If we can test a product at multiple locations — a guy from Iowa, a guy from Maryland, a guy down South — and it works across everybody, that is big,” Rhodes says. “It is huge, because what works for me might not work for the guy in the Midwest. It all goes back to soil type and environment.”

Rhodes says what he was looking for from the biostimulant was stress mitigation and nutrient scavenging that can improve his current foundation for the future.

“I need a massive root system that can go out and get more nutrients, because I am limited on how many nutrients I can put on,” he says. “If I build a plant that scavenges more, that is a home run for us.”

Cutting Irrigation And Boosting Biomass

Rhodes farms a mix of acres, with about 25% irrigated and 75% dryland. After the first year of trialing the NewLeaf technology he found he didn’t need to run his irrigation system as frequently.

“The root system and the plant that it makes, I do not have anywhere near the stress,” he says. “When it’s hot and dry we would normally run the irrigation system, but I found I do not need to put on as much water.”

With irrigation costing about $125 per acre, every pass he eliminates adds up to a significant savings.

“If I make 12 passes a year, I can save $10 an acre just by not turning it on one time,” he says.

Beyond water savings, Rhodes estimates he is getting 30% more biomass in the plants.

“We actually cut corn stalks off at the ground and weighed them. We did not even measure the roots — just the plant itself. Thirty percent more biomass than my grower standard practice,” he says.

The biomass offers a payoff for grain production and nutrients for his cattle operation.

“I chop silage, so if I can add 30% more, that is 30% fewer acres I need to chop,” he reports. “It costs me by the acre, so 30% less is massive. And the nutrients in that plant are higher than in my grower standard practice. It all follows each other.”

Learning Curve And Next Steps

While the product delivers more biomass and higher yields, it did create new management challenges. Rhodes discovered the downside of building a much bigger plant on a tight nitrogen budget.

“In my system, I put about 30% of my nitrogen needs down with my strip till. I plant on top of it, everything looks great, it makes this massive system — and then I end up running out of nitrogen later in the season,” he recalls.

He spotted the problem at harvest, with many ears showing considerable tip-back of an inch or two. Rhodes figures the crop just “outran” his nitrogen program. Even so, the fields containing the experimental treatment still out-yielded his standard fields by an average of 11 bushels per acre.

The experience pushed him to rethink nitrogen application timing and total rate.

“I’m pulling some of the front-end nitrogen out and putting it into reproduction, so I do not run out at the end,” he says. “Instead of 0.7 pounds per bushel, maybe I can go to 0.8 or 0.9, maybe even one-to-one, and still be efficient because of what this product is doing.”

The results from the past two years of field testing are strong enough that Rhodes is no longer treating the technology as a small trial.
“We plant about 1,700 acres of corn, so it’s going on every acre of corn,” he says.

On a tightly regulated farm in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Rhodes is betting that bigger roots, smarter fertilizer use and careful experimentation with nutrients will keep his operation profitable — all while staying within the rules.

Why Your Herbicide Can Fail Even if You Follow the Label

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:35:29 GMT

When weeds break through your herbicide, it’s easy to blame the product, rate or application timing. However, weed-control experts Greg Dahl and Joe Ikley suggest the real culprits might be something else altogether: the water in the tank and the adjuvant — or lack thereof — mixed into it.

Dahl, a retired research manager at WinField United, says hard data tells the story best. After reviewing thousands of university trials, he found
that skipping the herbicide’s required adjuvant is an invitation for weed-control failure.

“We saw a 30% to 90% reduction in weed control when the adjuvant was left out,” Dahl says. “That’s a pretty big sting.”

But simply using an adjuvant isn’t enough. The trials showed that using the wrong class of adjuvant in the tank can slash performance by up to 50%. Even settling for a “good enough” product over a premium version can result in a 25% drop in efficacy. Notes Dahl: In the world of weed control, “close enough” often isn’t.

(Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology)

Solutions That Work

Hard water in the spray tank is often a contributor to poor weed control. When spray water is loaded with calcium and magnesium cations, that can create a hostile environment for weak-acid herbicides like glyphosate. These minerals physically bind to the herbicide, forming particles the plant cannot absorb.

“Plants don’t eat rocks,” says Ikley, a weed specialist at North Dakota State University Extension.

To counter this, he and Dahl recommend using ammonium sulfate (AMS) as a dedicated water conditioner. Dahl’s research indicates that in cases of extreme hardness, adding at least 8.5 lbs. of AMS per 100 gallons is necessary to fully neutralize the water and restore herbicide efficacy.

However, the battle isn’t just in the tank; it’s often on weed leaves. Ikley points out that certain weeds, like velvetleaf, actually secrete their own calcium crystals onto their leaf surfaces.

“Several of our weed species actually need higher AMS rates because of the crystals on the surface of that leaf,” Ikley explains. “We have to account for that interaction on the weed surface, not just in the water.”

While “all-in-one” adjuvant blends offer convenience, Ikley and Dahl urge caution. To hit a specific price point or fit multiple ingredients into the jug, manufacturers sometimes compromise on the water-conditioning component. University trials consistently show that very few “convenience” products can outperform the gold-standard combination of AMS plus a nonionic surfactant, Ikley and Dahl say.

Conditioners Aren’t All Created Equal

Dahl and Ikley both note that water conditioners and “all-in-one” adjuvants vary widely in performance. To get everything into a gallon and hit a certain price point, they say manufacturers sometimes compromise and come up short on one of the functions, often the one for water conditioning.

Ikley says university trials show only a handful of conditioners outperform the standard combination of AMS plus a nonionic surfactant.

“A few of the water conditioners do quite well,” he reports. “The rest don’t perform as well as AMS plus surfactant.”

Before they select or change the adjuvant used, Dahl and Ikley tell farmers to test their water, and ask the laboratory to report the results to them in parts per million.

“Some labs report in grains, and then you’ve got to do more math,” Dahl says.

Ikley adds a practical tip: always run the water for a few minutes before taking a sample to ensure you aren’t testing stagnant residue from the lines.

Ultimately, adjuvants are a valuable safety net for herbicide performance and weed control. As Dahl puts it, “You can raise herbicide rates until you can’t anymore. When you need help, the adjuvants can help.”

When to Apply Sulfur Fertilizer for Sulfur Deficiency in Corn and Soybeans

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:26:44 GMT

Sulfur fertilizer is an increasingly important part of crop nutrition for corn and soybean growers. Among its other benefits, sulfur helps plants fully utilize nitrogen and produces amino acids that make up proteins in soybeans.¹

In some corn fields with sulfur deficiency, the use of sulfur fertilizer has contributed to an average yield bump of 11 bushels per acre.² Experts recommend prioritizing sulfur fertilizer for corn specifically because it delivers a greater production benefit in corn than in soybeans. However, soybeans might enjoy a small benefit by scavenging sulfur and other unused nutrients as part of a corn-soy rotation.³

Sulfur needs vary widely by field and soil type, and sulfur and nitrogen deficiency can appear similar on the surface. Here’s how to determine which fields might benefit from sulfur, how to distinguish between sulfur and nitrogen deficiency, and what you need to know if a sulfur rescue application is needed.

Conditions that increase likelihood of sulfur deficiency

Corn requires between 0.05 pounds and 0.10 pounds of sulfur from the soil for each bushel of grain produced.⁴ Corn sulfur deficiency most often occurs in fields with low organic matter. It also occurs in fields with coarse and sandy textures.

Watch for possible sulfur deficiency if you practice no-till or grow continuous corn, or if your soil is cold and excessively wet or dry.

Differentiate between sulfur and nitrogen deficiency

To determine whether your crop might be experiencing sulfur deficiency or nitrogen deficiency, scout for these telltale signs.

In corn:

Sulfur deficiency appears early, first on younger and upper leaves, as sulfur has low mobility within the plant. By contrast, nitrogen deficiency appears on older, lower leaves.
Sulfur deficiency results in pale yellow striping of leaves, whereas nitrogen deficiency leaves a yellow “reverse V” mark.

In soybeans:

Sulfur deficiency presents as small and pale-green younger leaves with hard and thin stems, whereas nitrogen deficiency results in yellowing leaves.

Determine when a sulfur fertilizer rescue application is warranted

Before applying sulfur, determine your crop’s needs by conducting visual scouting and tissue testing before V6 corn growth stage. Proper diagnosis is the first step to determining if a rescue application is warranted.

Although soil testing is a poor tool for determining sulfur deficiency, tissue sampling your crop is a reliable way to evaluate sulfur availability. You can also conduct strip trials in corn over several seasons—some rows with sulfur fertilizer applied, others with none—to evaluate whether you see a benefit with your farm’s unique blend of soil, management practices and environmental conditions.

Pay attention to pH. If your soils have low pH, it can make sulfur and other nutrients less available to your crop, stunting root development and exacerbating other deficiency symptoms.

How to time an application for sulfur deficiency in corn

If you and your trusted adviser determine sulfur is needed, you can apply sulfur fertilizer anytime from spring through early crop stages.

There are various ways to apply sulfur fertilizer. You can band it or broadcast it. You can combine it with other fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphate and potash. You can also mix it with a liquid fertilizer, though you should check their compatibility first.

Elemental sulfur fertilizer should be used well before your corn crop needs it. Alternatively, you can use elemental sulfur in combination with sulfate that contains fertilizer.

If you use ammonium thiosulfate as your source of sulfur, don’t place it in the seed furrow because it can damage corn seedlings.

Sulfur fertilizer application recommendations

In cases of corn sulfur deficiency, yield response is typically best with 15 pounds of sulfur per acre on fine-textured soils and 25 pounds per acre on coarse or sandy soils.⁵ The same rates can be applied to soybeans.

If you are using a corn-soybean rotation, apply these rates ahead of corn years because your corn yields will respond more than your soybean yields. Plus, you won’t need to apply more sulfur the next soybean year. If you grow corn on corn, apply sulfur every other year.

Experts are available to help you diagnose and treat sulfur deficiency in corn plants and soybean plants. Reach out to your ag retailer, a nearby extension office agent or a trusted company professional like your regional BASF representative .

________________________________________________

Endnotes

Albert, Derek. “Researchers Explore Sulfur, Micronutrient Fertilizer Applications.” Louisiana State University AgCenter, 17 Aug. 2022, https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1660765905492 . Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Anderson, Meaghan, and Richard T. Roth. “Who Needs Sulfur? You Might Need Sulfur.” Integrated Crop Management, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, 9 Oct. 2024, https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/post/who-needs-sulfur-you-might-need-sulfur . Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
“Is It Worth Applying Sulfur to Your Soybean Crop?” Minnesota Crop News, University of Minnesota Extension, 8 Apr. 2024, https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2024/04/is-it-worth-applying-sulfur-to-your.html . Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Woodmansee, John E. “Should I Plan to Add Sulfur to Crops?” Purdue University Extension, 21 Jan. 2022, https://extension.purdue.edu/news/county/whitley/2022/01/should-i-plan-to-add-sulfur-to-crops.html . Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Sawyer, John. “Crop Sulfur Fertilization This Spring.” Integrated Crop Management, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, 25 Mar. 2020, https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2020/03/crop-sulfur-fertilization-spring . Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.

Cut Through The Biological Noise To Find Real ROI

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:03:28 GMT

Biologicals are booming across the agricultural landscape, propelled by a surge of new products and high-octane promises. Yet, when the invoice arrives, farmers are often left with this nagging question: Did I actually need that?

University of Illinois field researcher and assistant professor Connor Sible is on a mission to provide clarity. Drawing on a decade-plus of in-field study in corn and soybean systems, Sible offers a farmer-first filter to cut through the marketing noise. His research is helping growers determine where these tools offer a reliable return on investment — and where they fall flat.

“Start with your agronomy, then decide if a biological adds value on top,” he advises. “They’re not a shortcut around good fundamentals.”

One of the key reasons why farmers struggle to cut through the noise and identify which biological products will work for them results from the shear number of biological products in the marketplace. Another challenge is what this class of products is called. Academia and regulators use the term biostimulants. Ag media, companies and most farmers increasingly use the broader term biologicals.

The 2025 crop biostimulant list was capped at 450 companies. Sible notes that most companies offer multiple products, so if the chart were redrawn by product labels instead of company logos, it would “get out of control pretty quickly.” In his own review of just row-crop (corn, wheat, soy) products, he examined 155 products and found 139 unique microbial species used as active ingredients.

(Connor Sible Presentation)

The Baseline: Deliver on Fundamentals

For all the excitement surrounding biologicals, Sible encourages farmers to focus on unglamorous agronomic foundations first. He describes biologicals as next-step inputs; they can sharpen a high-performing cropping system, but they will not rescue one built on outdated practices.

“I do not know of a biostimulant or biological today that will fix your pH,” Sible says. “If you’ve got a soil pH issue, fix that first. Same with drainage, and same with using the same hybrid you’ve used for six years just because it’s still available.”

The Logistics: Is it Dead or Alive?

Once the fundamentals are solid, Sible says a practical next step is to consider whether a product is living or non-living.

Beneficial microbes — such as nitrogen-fixers, phosphorus-solubilizers, residue degraders, and many seed-applied inoculants — are alive. Many biostimulants — including humic and fulvic acids, certain enzymes, and kelp- or marine-based formulations — are not.

That distinction isn’t just academic; it determines whether a product has any chance of working by the time it reaches your field.

“If you’re buying something living, you’re buying a responsibility,” Sible says. “You have to keep it alive from delivery to application.”

He urges farmers to evaluate their shop conditions: Can you provide temperature stability? Is the product sitting against an uninsulated exterior wall? If the logistics of babysitting a living organism do not fit your management style, Sible suggests using only non-living biostimulants.

Nutrient Efficiency: Boosting Nitrogen

Few biological categories have generated as much buzz as nitrogen fixers. Sible’s work suggests they can play a role — but not the one many farmers might first imagine.

For a typical corn crop, about half the nitrogen comes from applied fertilizer and about half from soil organic matter and mineralization.

Biological N fixers are best thought of as a third source of nitrogen, he says, helping to cover shortfalls when fertilizer is lost or tied up, or soil mineralization doesn’t keep pace with crop demand.

From his data on a 230-bushel corn crop, the key number is 7 pounds of nitrogen per acre per day. That’s how much the plant must take up every day for about three weeks at peak demand. At 300 bushels, that jumps to around 9 pounds per acre per day. One of the questions farmers need to ask their retailer on a nitrogen-fixing biological they’re considering is, how much will it help provide during the key periods of demand?

Corn requires significant amounts of nitrogen during key growth stages to deliver a 230-bushel corn crop. The demand makes it hugely challenging for a biological to deliver sufficient N as a standalone product.

(Connor Sible)

Sible makes two critical points:

Don’t cut N and expect a biological to fully replace it.
When growers drop early-season nitrogen in hopes that microbes will fill the gap, his team often sees corn respond by reducing kernel set. The yield ceiling falls before the biological has time to colonize and contribute.
Placement and mode of action matter.
Products marketed as N fixers don’t all work the same way. Some colonize roots externally, some live inside the plant as endophytes, and some may enhance N assimilation rather than truly fixing atmospheric N. That affects:
- Whether they’re best applied in-furrow, on-seed or foliar.
- What they can be tank-mixed with.
- When they’ll begin supplying nitrogen.

Farmers trialing N-fixing products this season should treat them as insurance or a supplement and not a license to slash N rates across the board, Sible advises.

Phosphorus-Solubilizing Microbes

Soils often hold a high volume of total phosphorus, but much of it is locked in forms plants cannot access. Certain microbes can free up this nutrient by secreting weak organic acids that chelate soil cations away from phosphate.

In field trials, the most consistent benefits occurred when microbes were supplied in-furrow or very near the roots and applied alongside phosphorus fertilizer. Using “difference methods” to track uptake, Sible reports that baseline efficiencies often sat between 4% and 7%. With a P-solubilizing product, that jumped to the 7% to 11% range in some environments.

“It’s still not great, but it nearly doubled our efficiency in some environments,” he says. However, he cautions that cutting fertilizer back significantly and expecting microbes to “mine” the difference is not a reliable strategy.

The Carbon Battle: Residue Management

Residue degradation is where Sible sees some of the strongest opportunities for biologicals, especially in high-yield or no-till systems.

Every 10 bushels of corn adds about 440 pounds of residue; over a decade, a yield gain of 25 bushels can mean an extra half-ton of residue per acre.

The challenge is the high carbon-to-sulfur ratio in corn stalks, which ties up nutrients. Sible’s research has found that biological degraders are inconsistent on their own but show significant synergy when paired with nitrogen and sulfur.

“If you’re going to use these, understand they’re fighting an uphill battle against carbon,” Sible says.

He also stresses application timing: “Spray on cloudy days or in the evening to take advantage of overnight dew. You have to set the product up to succeed.”

Carbon and Humic Products

When evaluating humic acids and molasses-type products (sugar), Sible notes a clear divide between crops. In soybeans, results have been largely inconsistent. In corn, however, in-furrow carbon and humic products produced small but consistent yield gains that held up under economic analysis.

Sible attributes this to crop physiology. Corn makes major yield decisions twice: during early vegetative stages (kernel potential) and at pollination (kernel retention). Supporting the plant during these specific windows has offered a measurable response.

Soybeans, by contrast, adjust yield daily from flowering through seed fill, making them a much harder target for a single application of a biostimulant.

Stress-Mitigating Products

Sible sees value in some stress-mitigating products — often kelp or marine extracts — that claim to help crops tolerate drought, heat or other abiotic stress. He notes these materials are often rich in metabolites that help plants survive extreme fluctuations in temperature, moisture and salinity.

When applied to crop leaves, these materials can trigger stress-defense pathways.But they only work if they’re applied before the stress hits.

“You have to be proactive, not reactive,” Sible says. “If the corn is already curled or the soybean leaves are flipped over, it’s too late for these products to do much.”

He tells farmers to watch their 7- to 10-day forecasts and time applications ahead of expected heat waves or dry spells, adding that these products are ineffective as rescue treatments.

From Products to Purpose

Across all categories of biological products, Sible’s advice remains the same: define your “why.” If a product doesn’t clearly fit a specific goal — such as improving N efficiency at peak uptake or accelerating residue breakdown — it may not be worth the investment.

“There are some really exciting tools out there,” Sible says. “But the value comes when you use them precisely, not when you expect them to fix everything.”

As farmers evaluate biological products, Sible notes there are about 10 frequently used types of “active ingredients” that are better-understood, likely credible and worth evaluating. They include:

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
Bacillus subtilis
Bradyrhizobium spp. (classic soybean inoculant – “the original biological”)
Azospirillum spp.
Trichoderma spp.
Azotobacter spp.
Several other Bacillus and related species are in the top-10 list, as well.

Sible’s framing of these for farmers’ consideration:
If a new product contains one or more of these top 10 species, it “fits the larger narrative of this market.”
If it has something totally different, it might be:
— a random/unproven one-off, or
— truly novel and promising – but in that case he suggests being more cautious and asking more questions.