As harvest begins, it is important to continue scouting fields for diseases, including ear rots.

Brown stem rot may be the culprit of yield losses in the western Corn Belt. Recognizing brown stem rot isn’t easy as symptoms are not evident until late in the growing season.

The soybean stem borer (Dectes texus) is a long horn beetle that can cause lodging in soybean plants, resulting in harvest difficulties and significant yield loss.

An important part of corn silage production is proper and timely harvest management.

Wet and cool conditions during flowering are ideal for development of the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

No variety is completely resistant to white mold, particularly under severe disease pressure, but differences in tolerance exist among varieties.

Tar spot is a fungal leaf disease that infects corn leaves and causes lodging and yield losses. First confirmed in 2015, it has rapidly spread in persistence and reach. Yield losses from tar spot infection can be severe.

Corn and soybean planting season may have been extreme, but there are many benefits to seeding alfalfa this time of year. As alfalfa stands age, yield potential declines.

Downy mildew or crazy top is a condition that often results in wet or flooded fields. A crazy top results when plants are infected by Sclerophthora macrospora at flooding.

Erwinia chrysanthemi pv. zeae is one of the most common causal agent of bacterial stalk rot. It is readily capable of establishing and thriving on corn and sorghum plants as it enters natural openings or wounds made from weather or pests.