It’s been a rough spring for much of Ohio and the counties that have received the most rainfall typically have less than 20% of the county planted. Many unplanted acres remain across the Corn Belt and in Ohio. The decision to plant or not to plant still lingers in a farmer’s mind. Farmers truly want to plant but with the June 20 deadline for planting soybeans or declaring prevent plant, many farmers will be taking the prevent plant option. Additionally, on the acres not planted, weed pressure is becoming more and more of a problem.  

I have received several reports of corn leaning because of the high winds we have experienced recently along with the heavy rains. It is not uncommon for young plants to exhibit “lodging” as a result of strong winds. Last week, Amanda Douridas, ANR Extension Educator in Champaign Co., shared observations of corn leaning at approximately the V3-V6 stage in several fields (see Fig. 1). Usually, this leaning is short-lived and plants recover within several days. Amanda reported that about 24 hours after the wind event the plants had already straightened up.

Several pictures last week and over the weekend of leaves with tan centers and purple to burgundy ring around the outside.  These are symptoms of both some types of herbicide injury but frogeye leaf spot as well.  With frogeye, conidia will form on the underside of the lesion.  One of the ways to visualize them is to place the leaves in a plastic bag overnight and look for “whiskers” (the conidia) on the underside of the lesion the next morning (Figure).  Leaves are often damp enough so a wet paper towel is not needed for this, if the leaves have become dry, just rinse them off with tap wat

Some alfalfa fields have been harvested for the first time and now is the time to scout the regrowth in those fields for potato leafhoppers (PLH).  At our Western Agricultural Research Center near South Charleston, OH the PLH numbers last week in early alfalfa regrowth were generally about half the number needed to reach economic treatment thresholds. However, PLH populations can change quickly, and second crop regrowth should be scouted at least on a weekly basis.