The Ag PhD Crop Scouting Reports are supplied by contributors to Hefty Seed Co., based in Baltic, South Dakota. Find more online at www.agphd.com and www.heftyseed.com.
ARKANSAS
Augusta, AR
That big grass we sprayed in the rice pre flood is not going away. Barnyard grass can be very difficult to control after it gets some size to it and we get some heat units. If this grass is thick enough in patches it will bring your rice down, contributing to further yield loss. It may be necessary, even beneficial, to make a Clincher or RebelEX application in flood. In the Clearfield system we can use Beyond. — Joey York
ILLINOIS
Georgetown, IL
Many of the early planted soybeans are either at R3 or getting very close to R3. A fungicide application at this growth stage can have very good returns. Speak with an agronomist to discuss all of your options. — Tyler Smith
Princeton, IL
We are applying late-season nitrogen on our farm this week. This was an excellent opportunity to add eNhance and Micro 500. — John Becker
IOWA
Sheldon, IA
With tassel right around the corner in our area, now is the time to decide if you need to spray a fungicide. With the price of fungicides coming down this year, it does not take as many bushels to make a return on your investment. Although a direct increase in yield may not always happen, an increase in plant health, disease prevention, and overall better stalk quality will help the plant stay healthier, lasting all the way through harvest. — Nathan Kloft
MINNESOTA
Fairmont, MN
Tissue sampling is a good way to see if your crop is getting all of the required nutrients it needs. Tissue sample at the same time of day and the same day of the week each week for the most consistent analysis. — Ray Johnson
I have been in some fields this week that received moderate hail damage. On the corn, we recommend to hold off on any fungicide application because of the current growth stage. By applying fungicide at this stage, there may be a risk of crop injury of ear development, causing possible lower yield potential. Do not include any adjuvants if fungicide is applied as we are quite certain that you could cause heavy yield loss. We do recommend adding a fungicide at VT as we have seen very good yield bumps most of the recent years. You need to make this call based on the weather conditions. — Steve Draper
Hancock, MN
Remember, nozzle selection is extremely important. For contact herbicides such as Liberty, flat fan nozzles or Guardian Air Twins are important to get a good kill. If you are curious about which nozzles to use with any of the herbicides you spray, download the free Ag PhD Spray Tip app for the best recommendations on tips, gallons, and spray pressure. — Aaron Giese
Janesville, MN
I have been starting to see signs of disease in corn fields. The issue this year is delayed planting and a wet spring, which favors the development of some foliar diseases in the corn canopy. If you’ve come across gray leaf spot or northern corn leaf blight in the lower canopy when scouting, that is a signal for spraying. You might find either common rust in the mid- to upper canopy and that is generally not as serious an issue in our area. Different environmental conditions will promote development of one disease over the other. Keep in mind that hybrids vary in their tolerance to diseases and fields with a susceptible hybrid often show a greater return when sprayed with a fungicide. — Josh Bruns
LeRoy, MN
The soybeans have really been taking off. Keep a close eye on them because fungicide timing is close approaching. R2 (full bloom) to R3 is the ideal time for a fungicide on beans. The plant is R3 when you have a pod 3/16th of an inch long or longer on the top 4 nodes. — Grant Lunning
Marshall, MN
We are starting to see low numbers of soybean aphids in areas that border streams and shelter belts. The counts quickly decrease as you get farther from either feature. Near the source, we are seeing 15-20 per plant consistently. — Mike Homandberg
Olivia, MN
There has been confirmed cercospora leaf spot in the growing area. Be vigilant and aggressive on your sprayings of fungicides on the sugar beets. — John Scheibel
In some scenarios, it is taking Engenia or Xtendimax longer than expected to kill weeds. Using a product with deposition aid like Intact will help. — Aaron Spronk
So many of the farmers I work with say they’re using Tempo to stop bugs in the house, lawn, or barn. They say it’s working great for controlling mosquitos, spiders, flies and many other pests. Most importantly though, it is a safe product and children and pets can re-enter the treated area once the product has dried. — Tony Hagen
Thief River Falls, MN
If you planted dicamba-tolerant soybeans this spring, you are getting close to the end of the labeled herbicide application time. With soybeans in our area getting close to or are just reaching the R1 stage, if you plan on spraying XtendiMax or Engenia, you probably only have a week or so left before it’s too late to apply those herbicides. — Jordan Swanson
Winthrop, MN
Many producers need to get their respray of Liberty done yet. If you need to do this, make sure it gets done soon as the weather will be perfect for it and it needs to be on by R1, which is first flower. — Matt Vogel
If you are afraid that your beans won’t canopy anytime soon and you want a good residual product to prevent the waterhemp from coming through later in season, you can still spray Warrant at 3 pts/acre up to R2. — Tyler Gasow
MISSOURI
Bertrand, MO
I have noticed some Japanese beetles in some soybean fields lately. This would be a good time to scout your fields. Mustang Maxx at 4 oz/acre should help manage these pests. — Albert Duenne
Hayti, MO
We’ve recently seen some soybeans with lighter coloration and dull leaves where early water pressure was present. When we inspected the roots, we discovered nodulation was very poor versus greener, healthier plants outside of the affected area. A foliar treatment of 1 gal of slow-release N with 3-18-18 may be beneficial on these areas. — Danny Stevens
NEBRASKA
Laurel, NE
As the weeds are getting bigger, make sure you are using plenty of water for better coverage and weed control. Download the free Ag PhD Spray Tip app for the best recommendations for each of the crop protection products you will use. — Rusty Reifenrath
There are getting to be a few fields that are going to need another pass to clean up waterhemp. Likely you will be looking at either Ultra Blazer or Cobra. — Kody Urwiler
Lisbon, ND
Soybean aphids are continuing to show up and the weather conditions are favorable for spider mites also. If you have spider mites and aphids, consider a product such as Brigade at a rate of 5.12-6.4 oz/acre. — Spencer Schultz
SOUTH DAKOTA
Aberdeen, SD
As I am out in the fields I’m noticing that just about all of our corn acres are canopied and weeds are under control. There are still some bean fields with some weed issues. At this point, I think your best bet is an increased rate of Roundup coupled with AMS and an NIS. — Justin Hanson
Centerville, SD
We have seen some gray leaf spot starting to show up in the area. This disease has the potential to be detrimental to yield if the lesions get severe enough. A good way to control this disease is a combination fungicide such as Fortix, Quilt, or Trivapro. The fungicide must contain a strobilurin and a triazole for best control. Use them before disease hits your field to maintain your yield potential. — Travis Petty
Freeman, SD
There is a lot of bean spraying post going on right now in the Freeman area. When using a burner such as Cobra or Ultra Blazer, it is a good idea to put some Solubor at 1.25 lbs/acre with it. This is a micronutrient that will help keep the burn to a minimum and is also good for the plant. — Lee Dockendorf
Gettysburg, SD
I have been getting a lot of good feedback from farmers on GrazonNext taking down thistles. Apply at 24 oz/acre plus 2 oz of Milestone and NIS at 1 qt/100 gal of water for best results. — Kyle Hawkinson
Huron, SD
It’s not a problem yet, but the grasshoppers are beginning to show up. Using a generic insecticide is only about $2 an acre. Since insect thresholds are extremely low, it won’t take much to justify. — Kyle Wiese
I have seen a few grasshoppers starting to move into soybean fields from ditches. A product like Silencer at 3.5 oz/acre will take care those pests. — Norland Hofer
Watertown, SD
Most farmers are targeting a foliar fungicide application at R2 to R3 on soybeans. They say that’s when the best return on investment is normally achieved. Others are using Domark fungicide at 4 oz/acre at R1 for protection from white mold. If you have white mold concerns, I’d recommend the R1 timing. Otherwise for plant health benefits and protection from other diseases the R2 to R3 timing works well. — Jack Beutler
