Crop injury can occur from pre- or post-emergence corn herbicide application. It usually occurs due to poor application timing, improper application rate, carryover from the previous year’s application or leftover residual in the spray tanks, lines and filters. Fortunately, yield loss, in most cases, is minimal. Be aware of herbicide injury symptoms and ways to prevent them.

Utilizing winter cover crops for hay and corn production allows you to realize soil conservation benefits while increasing dry matter production per acre. Proper cover crop management in the spring can ensure the subsequent corn crop is successful, as well.

Growers can protect their investment in Roundup Ready^® crops and maximize yield potential through the use of a residual herbicide, such as SureStart^®II or Sonic^®. SureStart delivers consistent, broad-spectrum weed control during early stages of corn growth and offers application flexibility. Sonic provides broad-spectrum foundation control of tough broadleaf weeds to reduce competition for emerging soybeans.

Palmer amaranth is a resilient weed with increasing herbicide resistance and territorial expansion that could harm your crops. Through identification and precaution, you can maintain your plant health and yield potentials.

If your cornfields have been damaged by heavy rain, hail, pests or poor emergence, you may consider replanting.

Soil acidity is one of the primary fertility issues that can limit crop growth. High levels of acid can reduce nutrient availability, restrict root growth and increase the toxicity of some elements. Soil acidification occurs naturally as the result of rainfall, plant growth, breakdown of organic matter and the application of ammonia fertilizers. Applying lime reduces soil acidity and is a source of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg).

Increased use of reduced tillage and no-till production practices has increased gray leaf spot occurrence. Caused by a fungus, the disease leads to leaf tissue loss, resulting in a decrease in plant sugars and decreased grain production. Potential yield losses range from 5 percent to 40 percent.

Strip-till is a conservation system that uses minimum tillage. It combines the soil-drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage with the soil-protection advantages of no-till by disturbing only the soil that will contain the seed row. Strip-till rows are usually about 8 to 10 inches wide. Because special equipment is required for this type of tillage, understanding what is needed for a strip-till system can help you determine if it’s the right practice for your fields.

Difficult-to-control and herbicide-resistant weeds are major issues facing crop farmers. Troublesome weeds sometimes get a head start by popping up in the fall. Although tillage can take care of problem weeds, it isn’t always preferred or even possible. A well-timed fall herbicide application can prevent weeds from getting a head start and save time during the busy spring season.

Glyphosate-tolerant corn and soybean systems have become commonplace. But more than a decade after the introduction of glyphosate-tolerant crops, weed control has again become a major problem in nearly every crop-producing state. Many weeds have become more difficult to control and herbicide application rates have spiked. Learn to effectively balance your management approach.