Don’t let disease, nutrient deficiencies or pest pressure catch you off guard.

LG Seeds Agronomist Robby Meeker says a timely harvest will be critical in areas where disease is advancing.
LG Seeds Agronomist Robby Meeker says a timely harvest will be critical in areas where disease is advancing.

Westfield, IN (September 16, 2024) — “We’ve had challenges from the start of the season,” says LG Seeds Agronomist Robby Meeker, who covers east-central Illinois. Like much of the country, farmers in his area dealt with late planting as well as a mix of wet and dry spells. That set the stage for additional threats like disease, nitrogen deficiency and insect pressure.

Meeker urges farmers to scout fields now for disease, pests and intactness to protect corn yields.

Monitor disease and insect pressure

Gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight are moving into Meeker’s territory, and he reports “tar spot is getting pretty rampant in some of the earlier planted corn.”

Meeker is also concerned about stalk rot and nitrogen loss. “Especially in low-lying areas or side hills, corn is showing signs of nitrogen deficiency,” he says.

Farmers have also fought heavy corn aphid pressure this season, which was a new experience for Meeker. He reports the pest can be found in most fields, with pressure ranging from minimal to as high as 40% of plants impacted. Aphids can typically be controlled with insecticide, but some fields were damaged before spraying occurred.

Check fields for disease and stalk rot
When scouting fields for disease, Meeker says farmers should examine how green the plant is from top to bottom. “Those first two leaves will likely be pierced by the brace roots coming out and will show a little more yellow,” he says. “Farmers should pay attention to the third and fourth leaves.”

In August and September, those leaves should still be green. If they’re yellowing, it likely signals they’re running low on nitrogen.

Meeker also encourages farmers to keep an eye out for leaf diseases, paying close attention to the third, fourth and fifth leaf below the ear. “The majority of time, symptoms start below the ear,” Meeker says.

Farmers should also keep an eye out for anthracnose, which can rot stalks and cause stalk death above the ear in the weeks after pollination.

Prepare for harvest and beyond

At this point in the season, treatment options are likely limited. But knowing what’s going on within your fields is important for three reasons:

  1. Knowing what size of corn crop you’ll likely bring in.
  2. Prioritizing what fields need to be harvested first.
  3. Planning for even better results next season.

Hybrids that shined this season

Scouting gives farmers a chance to evaluate hybrid selection and management practices. “A season like this shows the importance of genetic diversity and having a multitude of hybrids on the farm to spread risk,” Meeker says.

LG64C43 was a top performer in terms of plant health in the face of adversity this season, Meeker reports. He’s also excited about LG62C73. “This new hybrid has maintained a deep green color, withstood a greensnap event, and defended against this season’s aphid pressure and disease threats quite well.”

Meeker also warns against making sweeping assessments about a hybrid based on a single year’s performance. For example, a hybrid may struggle with gray leaf spot this year, but that disease could be a nonissue next season.

“Spread your risk with multiple hybrids because you never know what curveballs might come in,” Meeker concludes.

For support making those hybrid selections, reach out to your local LG Seeds agronomist. 

ABOUT LG SEEDS

LG Seeds is a dealer-driven national seed brand offering solid agronomic support, straightforward service and consistent plant performance that yields. LG Seeds’ portfolio of broad trait choices and tailored genetics brings corn, soybean, sorghum and alfalfa products to fit farmers’ performance goals. For more information visit LGSeeds.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, formerly known as Twitter.

ABOUT AGRELIANT GENETICS

AgReliant Genetics is committed to providing trusted seed solutions that help farmers grow. We do this by focusing solely on seed and delivering one-of-a-kind, high-performing hybrids. Founded in 2000 by global seed companies KWS and Limagrain, AgReliant Genetics benefits from direct access to a global corn germplasm pool and has a top four corn research program. Through our seed brands, AgriGold® and LG Seeds in the U.S. and PRIDE® Seeds in Canada, we proudly offer the latest innovation to our farmer customers, whether they grow corn, soybeans, sorghum or alfalfa. Discover more at AgReliantGenetics.com.