2019 fall farm

2019 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine Lincoln Daily News Nov. 1, 2019 Page 29 grey leaf spot, ear rots, and several types of stalk rots,” according to the report. As a result, much of the state, especially in Northern Illinois, saw an increase in tar spot. This season, the overall incidence rate of tar spot really didn’t change much. However, the overall severity of the disease is actually significantly lower. “The combination of the heat and dry conditions could have delayed the onset of tar spot, resulting in disease developing later in the season and to a lesser degree than in 2019.” This suggests that the late start to the growing season resulted in a significant amount of crops that could not host tar spot. The fungus needs a large amount of healthy plants to move from one field to the next, and less crop early on this year made it difficult for the fungus to thrive. Finally, temperature shifts leftover from winter may have reduced potential survival of the fungus. “We would expect [the fungus] to overwinter, simply due to fewer corn acres planted and less corn infection in 2019. This could result in lower inoculum loads and potential disease in 2020,” according to the report. Finally, Eric Gordon spoke of any future treatment options farmers in the area could look forward to next year. From his perspective, the effective treatment does not necessarily call for something new. Rather, farmers should practice good timing on applying herbicides to their fields. “There has not been much new on the chemistry front as of late. Dicamba and enlist have been out for a couple of years, they seem to help on some of the resistant weeds, but timing of application is still key. There is a lot of new chemistry emerging as far as foliar diseases. Most are not after new diseases as much as they are about lasting longer.” Aside from diseases and weeds, certain insects are posing problems during harvest. A report by Phyllis Coulter published in Illinois Farmer Today indicates that rootworm has been on the decline this season, which could save farmers next year in terms of money and potential headaches over the pest. Joe Spencer, an entomologist and principal research scientist at the University of Illinois, was quoted in the report as saying, “This year has one of the lowest occurrences of western corn rootworm In Illinois, it looks like 2020 will be a low-pressure year for western rootworm populations,” he said at the university’s Agronomy Day in August. According to the same report, certain traits in pesticides seem to still be providing adequate protection against western corn rootworm. However, experts still warn against overuse of current chemicals, or the pests will build up resistances. “You may want to throttle back on BT protection next year,” says Spencer. The report adds that, “most of the western corn rootworm was found in only two counties. Possible reasons for higher counts would be in areas with organic crops or where resistance built up.” The annual pest survey also counts Japanese beetles and stink bugs. Kelly Estes, a surveyor for the University of Illinois, added her own thoughts to the same report. “Overall the insect population is low this year,” Estes said. Previously, most experts Continue 8