By Nicolle Ritchie and Angie Gradiz
Weather
Most of the past week was hot and dry, but yesterday, June 18, brought precipitation and storms to southwest Michigan. Temperatures will pick up moving into the weekend, settling into the 90s for much of next week. Storms are forecast starting Wednesday, June 25, and continuing into next weekend.
Crops and pests
Soybeans are mostly between V1 and V3. Some early planted fields have plants entering R1 (a flower anywhere on the stem). As flowering draws closer, the window for post-emergent herbicide applications narrows. Glufosinate can be applied until R1, and glyphosate can be applied through R1. Always check product labels before applying.
Corn is mostly between V3 and V5. Sidedress nitrogen applications went out in earnest this past week and will continue. Nutrient uptake is highest during V6 to V10. Tar spot was found in a Purdue University research plot in Indiana last week. In the same trial plot last year, tar spot was first confirmed on June 10, but it didn’t reach the ear leaf until July 25. The best timing for fungicide application is still V10 to early reproductive stages, and higher temperatures this past week and coming up will slow down tar spot progress.
Winter wheat continues with kernel fill. At this point, carbohydrates are starting to transfer from leaf tissues to be stored as starch within the kernels. While dry weather has mostly kept fusarium risk lower, moisture is needed to complete kernel fill and maintain plants through the upcoming heat. After the recent storms, check wheat for lodging, and investigate if the lodging is in the roots or in the stems to be able to better manage it next year.
Source : msu.edu