By Rebecca Vittetoe and Marli Anderson
The “cooler” temperatures were welcomed last week. Rainfall was spotty across the state, and unfortunately, the western part of the state, which has been drier, missed out on most of the rain. Corn pollination has wrapped up or is wrapping up, and soybeans are starting to fill pods. Overall, disease and insect pressure remain low across the state. Read on for more specifics on what ISU Extension field agronomists are hearing and seeing in fields around the state.
Cherokee, Ida, Lyon, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury counties
“Crops in the northwest corner of the state continue to show strong yield potential as corn moves from pollination into early grain fill and soybeans advance through flowering into pod development. Precipitation throughout the month of July has been light and highly variable, so some fields are beginning to show signs of stress on lighter soils. Scouting fields at this point in the growing season is still very important. Farmers should evaluate ears for successful pollination and monitor insect and disease pests. Levels of both have been low but could cause issues or yield loss in the future if left undetected or untreated. With much of the crop entering grain fill, weather during the next several weeks, particularly heat and moisture, will play a major role in determining final yields.”
Allamakee, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Jones, Linn, Winneshiek counties
“Severe thunderstorms came through the region early last week, delivering heavy rainfall and strong winds to some areas. While most of the region received anywhere from 0.50 to 1.5 inches of rainfall, some isolated areas in Jones and Linn counties received up to 2 inches of precipitation. In general, most of the corn is around VT to R2, while soybeans are around R2 to R4. Disease management continues to be a concern while disease pressure remains low. The third crop of alfalfa is well underway across most of the region. The majority of recent field calls have centered around herbicide drift and injury, as well as scouting for crop diseases.”
Source : iastate.edu