Jim Schwartz, CCA 
ICORN IGRONOMIST
1-800-240-0101
jschwartz@icorn.com

Crop and weather update

 Soybean aphids

Crazy Top in corn

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Soybean aphids

Soybean aphid populations continue to build in the three state area with many fields in Northern Illinois and some in Indiana requiring treatment.  I found them in a field yesterday just north of Indianapolis, although not to threshold levels.  Keep your eyes peeled for aphids in your fields.  .

 Many folks are still hesitant to spray in an effort to allow beneficial predators to do their work and this is a noble idea at first in the early stages of infestation, but my experiences and other folks as well have indicated that the populations can explode quickly and overwhelm the beneficials.  My opinion is that once threshold levels are reached you need to spray and once you spray continue to monitor the field in another 10 days to 2 weeks because I have seen the populations build back pretty quickly.

Attached are a couple of articles about aphids and their control

Soybean Aphids 2002

Soybean Aphids Could Drain Profits This Summer

Soybean Aphids, Start Scouting Soon!

Crazy Top in corn

To know one’s surprise, crazy top is evident in many fields.  A soil born fungus, this disease infected the corn when it was very small either by flooding or rain splashing soil into the whorl.  The disease affects the growing point and specifically the cells of differentiation causing a plant to have a tassel with tiny ear-like shoots instead of anthers.  Other symptoms can be stunted yellow plants with real thin leaves or very tall plants with no tassel.  There isn’t much that can be done but I have received a few calls about it.

Crazy Top of Corn - Ohio State University Extension

Crazy Top of Corn - integrated pest management

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