Disease
Some Midwest cornfields are losing more than a percentage point of moisture daily, tightening timelines for growers trying to determine how much crop they can confidently sell into the market rally.
Barbell, beer can and banana are descriptive names for abnormal ear shapes that show up every season and cause yield losses — problems growers could avoid more often by tuning into three factors researchers refer to as GEM.
Environmental factors are behind this year’s crown rot surge. The disease is appearing in hybrids that agronomists say are rarely prone to having the problem.
Red crown rot is now active in at least eight Midwest states. The significance of the disease is building. The Crop Protection Network estimates 7.7 million bushels of soybeans were lost in 2025 versus 121,000 bushels in 2024.
Iowa State research reveals PI 88788 resistance is losing effectiveness at 2% per year, with yield losses potentially reaching 9 bushels per acre by decade’s end if management practices are unchanged.
Day 1 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour highlights a deeply divided Corn Belt. Scouts find drought-damaged corn but surprisingly resilient soybeans in the West, while the East battles mud and highly uneven maturity.
With Midwest farmers reporting disease lesions on leaves in storm-hit cornfields, an Iowa State pathologist says the right management step hinges on correct identification.
Ken Ferrie leads the unsponsored, two-day event focused on crop fertility ROI, weed management and making the 4Rs pay in tight markets.