I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. It was nice to finally get some rain to our crops over the past week and a half. With rain and the time of season comes the increased risk of development and spread of diseases in our row crops. I encourage our growers to be vigilant and prepared for the following:
Corn: Watch for southern corn rust until the crop reaches R6 hard-dough stage. There have been no confirmed reports of SCR in Macon County. The closest county to us with a confirmed SCR case is Lee County. PREVENTION is the BEST treatment method. Keep scouting your fields and be prepared.
Soybeans: Soybean rust was found on kudzu in Jefferson County yesterday for the first time. Soybean rust has been found in kudzu now across the Coastal Plain. Because of this, we STRONGLY advise all soybean producers in the southern half of the state to make a fungicide application at R3 early pod set growth stage.
Cotton: The picture below shows cotton leaf roll dwarf virus. These are some of the most striking symptoms you should be watching for. We are still learning about this disease and are evaluating our on farm cotton trials to see if some varieties are more susceptible than others.
We should also be watching for target spot and bacterial blight in cotton as plants start to bloom.
Peanuts: The time is “now” for leaf spot and white mold control. Moisture will bring them on. Temperatures below 90 this week may keep white mold from being quite so explosive; however, it is always a threat. Be prepared.
As always, if you have any questions please give me a call or contact your local County Agent.
