We are accumulating 20-25 GDUs a day now and putting a new leaf on corn every 5 days or so. At this point, corn is getting close to V6. It’s super hard to count leaves, so to properly stage a corn plant, cut the stalk in half and count nodes on the stalk. This is the best way to properly identify where you are in development.

-Matt Thompson

The recent cells of storms across the area may have done some physical damage to crops. An amino acid product, like Boost 10, is a great way to take a damaged plant and give it the push it needs to start producing energy and creating new growth. You can also add foliar fungicides and fertility to the pass to help with disease from entering at those injury sites.

-Seth Hanson

As we enter mid-June, it’s time to start scouting for corn rootworm larvae. Have your spade with you and dig 5-10 plants in different areas of the field, staying far enough away from the stalk to capture as many roots as possible. Gently clean and wash the roots looking for root node damage. It doesn’t take a lot of root damage to be harmful to the crop at this stage. While there’s not much you can do at this stage for this year’s crop, it will help you determine a planting strategy as far as trait package for 2027. Also, the larvae will have a cream-colored-bodied with a brown head.

-Glenn Herz

A lot of the corn is hitting the V6 stage of growth. At this stage, the growing point is moving above the soil surface and rapid stem elongation is beginning. This means the plant is now more susceptible to wind and hail damage, but this is also the time when good management practices like side dressing and minimizing stress will be very beneficial to the crop. Herbicide applications, while they may still be labeled for this time, should already be done to help minimize the stress they put on the crop.

-John Wiese

Remember to check your sprayer for correct pressure and nozzle type for results you are targeting in the field. Common mistakes are too low of pressure, causing larger droplet sizes than the chemistry needs to work efficiently. This will help get the most out of your investment of crop protection.

-Dusty Danos

Grass identification in non-GMO corn is important when looking at what options to use for your 2nd pass. In this picture, there is plenty of waterhemp that is dying but amongst the weeds is fall panicum. This grass is difficult to get 100% control of when it gets above 4″ so pre’s are important and either an ALS herbicide such as Accent Q or the HPPD product Impact is needed for good control (or use both). As you can see from the picture, the new growth is still green so this field will need to be resprayed and the V8 maximum stage for Impact is approaching quickly.

-Nicholas Paulsmeyer

A good rule to follow when spraying Liberty, or any product with the active ingredient glufosinate, would be to have the temperature and humidity at spraying time add up to 150 or above.

-Teddy Van Gelder

There have been a few corn fields where weeds have escaped the post-application. If the corn is still below the V10 growth stage, there is time to clean them up with 12–14 oz of DiFlexx. The built-in safener allows applications through V10 but be sure to avoid drift onto non-tolerant crops, as injury can occur.

-Alex Geraets

In the next two or three weeks, Liberty (glufosinate) herbicide applications will be made on soybeans. This is a critical spray window. When you’re nearing this post application window, it is important to study weather forecasts. Optimal glufosinate performance typically corresponds with high heat and high humidity. Spraying when the Fahrenheit degrees plus humidity percentage equal 150 or more will be the ideal burn down conditions. Mid-late morning when the heat has arrived, and the humidity is still high from the overnight is prime time to get after those pesky waterhemp.

-Connor Majerus

The window for side-dress nitrogen applications is approaching quickly. Nitrate sampling can help fine tune application rates and ensure crops receive the nitrogen they need without overapplying.

-Jonah Sylvester

Waterhemp pressure is becoming more noticeable in soybean fields, particularly in areas with a history of herbicide resistance. Growers are closely monitoring this to make timely post-emergence applications to prevent further spread.

-Ethan Buskness

As you start spraying for volunteer corn, make sure you are bumping the rates by 35-50% when tankmixing with Enlist One to counteract antagonism.

-Emily Stevermer

As a reminder, south of I-94, the dicamba application cut-off date is June 12. Additionally, applications are not permitted when air temperatures exceed 85 degrees.

-Jesse Lundebrek

Area growers are finding hail damage on parts of fields that look good on one end and severe on the other. Make sure to get all the way across the field for a stand evaluation. Some parts of fields will have to get replanted or thickened up depending on the remaining stand.

-Adam Gibson

No crop report available.

Valent has done some work with the synergy with PPO herbicides and Liberty (glufosinate). I have attached a chart where they show a substantial improvement by adding Cobra or Resource (also found in Perpetuo) to the tank with Liberty. A few years ago when Liberty was very high priced, we were cutting the rate of Liberty and adding Flexstar to the tank with great results. Now, I would NEVER cut the rate of Liberty, but I think adding a couple bucks worth of a PPO with Liberty will help the kill on waterhemp. Don’t be surprised if you see some crop response when you do it.

-Grant Lunning

If you are still planning to use any form of Flexstar yet this growing season, please have it applied prior to July 1st, or earlier. Flexstar has a 10-month rotation interval into corn for the following year and can really hurt corn yields if applied too late. While the full rate is 16 ounces per season, we have seen the 12-ounce rate perform well if AMS, surfactant and 20 gallons of water per acre, or more, are present.

-Jeremy Jensen

Most corn fields are ranging from the V3 to V6 growth stages. Soybeans have largely emerged and are progressing through VC to V2 stages with generally uniform stands and good vigor. Recent rainfall has provided timely moisture and improved topsoil conditions, supporting healthy crop growth going forward. Weed pressure remains moderate, with waterhemp, lambsquarters, giant ragweed, and volunteer corn present in most fields. Post-emergence herbicide applications are underway, and efficacy evaluations will continue from now through the next 10 days or so.

-Jeff Morris

Iron Deficiency Chlorosis, IDC, is really showing up now. This is a great time to get out and scout those IDC-prone areas in your fields. Check to see where treatment may be needed and evaluate whether your current management practices are working. Early observations can help you make better decisions for this season and future years.

-Brandon Howard

Soybeans in the area are starting to show IDC symptoms. If you see green tire tracks running through the yellow beans, that is telling us elevated nitrate levels are probably making the IDC symptoms worse. When soybeans take up nitrates, they push bicarbonates back into the soil which makes the root zone more basic. Compaction alleviates the nitrates by removing oxygen and allows the plant to convert iron into a usable form again.

-Brandon Bratsch

When scouting for flea beetles in canola, it is important to remember that 20 – 25% defoliation and active feeding is the threshold for if an application is needed.

-Connor Wojchowski

I’ve been getting a few calls from some growers about yellow nutsedge and how to control that in fields. You can either use a full rate of Basagran, or Permit depending on the crop, to help control the yellow nutsedge in those problem areas. Typically, these can be problematic in the saturated parts of the field. Adding more drainage tile will also help with controlling these weeds in the future.

-Tyler Gasow

Consider adding MegaGro, at 2 oz, to your post corn and soybean herbicide application. It is the only patented glyphosate safener that allows the plant to continue to grow through the stress of the herbicide application and reduces yellow flash significantly.

-Haley Bacon

There’s a lot of V8+ corn in the area, with the earlier planted corn reaching V10. If you’re still working on getting your corn post-herbicide applied, make sure to get out in the field to check the growth stage. Some of this corn is very deceiving, as it’s short and has tightly stacked nodes.

-Dylan Codr

I saw my first R1 beans today. I’m mixing some Cobra in with my Liberty, for not only white mold control, but also to pick up some extra control on waterhemp. This has been a nice program the last few years.

-Jacob Gubbels

As you’re making the switch from post spraying corn to post spraying soybeans, be sure you are following proper tank cleaning protocols. Also consider adding ERASE tank cleaner at 2 qts/100 gal of rinse aid, to get your tank clean and avoid any cross-contamination disasters.

-Casey Doernemann

As we see the corn pushing toward higher stages, make sure to be aware of what the label requirements say on each chemical. Chemicals such as Liberty must be sprayed before corn reaches V6.

-Blake Beiber

I’m seeing crop response in corn sprayed with HPPD’s on a hot day. Sometimes the spraying windows are small and spraying needs to be done when possible, but try to avoid spraying on super hot days. It can be hard on the crop and weeds are not actively growing so performance is less than perfect. Adding MegaGro with herbicides helps alleviate stress on crops and allows them to metabolize the chemistry better in a lot of situations.

-Spencer Schultz

With volunteer corn starting to emerge in soybean fields, don’t forget to add clethodim to your tank mix. For complete control, always add a COC (crop oil) with your clethodim and AMS if possible.

-Brady Anderson

Consider foliar feeding some nutrients for your crops if you’re lacking in nutrition or have a good crop coming. We will be adding some fertility to small grain crops this week.

-Kody Amann

Watch weed size, not just weed pressure. Recent rain and wind have limited spray opportunities, allowing weeds to gain ground. Before heading to the field, evaluate weed species and growth stage—larger weeds are harder to control and may require changes to herbicide selection or application timing.

-Collin Lee

With corn getting sprayed in the area, make sure you are keeping an eye on label restrictions for certain herbicides. For example, if you have atrazine in your post-pass, it has a label restriction of 12-inch-tall corn and must be sprayed before corn reaches that height.

-Brayden Hansen

As corn is growing at a rapid rate, consider using a safened dicamba product like Status or DiFlexx. These products will help significantly reduce the risk of greensnap and buggy whipping that can occur when unsafened dicamba products are used.

-Kalen Kjellsen

As you are making post-passes in corn, make sure you know the plant stage and height restrictions for the chemical you are spraying. If weather has delayed your spraying, the crop may now be too far along for the products you had planned to use.

-Michael Duch

If you planted PowerCore Enlist (PCE) corn last year and need to spray volunteer corn in your soybeans, you will need to use Select Max or another clethodim product. PCE corn is tolerant to FOP herbicides, which include products such as Assure II and Fusilade DX.

-Joe Schieffer

Make sure when you are spraying in the early evening that you are checking the rainfast of the products you are spraying. The onset of dew will increase the rainfast of the product.

-Lee Fischer

White mold is the worst soybean disease in this region of the country. To help prevent white mold, spray Cobra or generic Boa at 6 oz/acre. The time you want to spray at is as soon as you see the first soybean flowers in your field. Another plus to this product is being able to tank mix with many other herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, fertilizers, and naturals.

-Dylan LeBrun

Since it has been hot and dry lately, I have seen lots of corn hiding its leaves from the sun and turning into almost a pineapple. That is a defense mechanism when it gets super hot outside. At night when it cools down the plant will start to respirate again and continue to grow.

-Zach Hefty

I have been seeing a lot of soil tests low in sulfur because we cleaned up our atmosphere, and we aren’t getting it in our rain. Consider adding AMS before planting your corn and beans. If you want to add some sulfur in-season, try some eNhance with your top dress.

-Lauralee Eaton

I’ve been seeing some yellow nutsedge in soybean fields. A good way to control that is using Basagran with the addition of crop oil.

-Zach Polzin

Sometimes there can be some compatibility issues when mixing chemicals, depending on the products being mixed. You don’t want to have to deal with unplugging nozzles and filters when it is time to spray. Convert is a great product to use to help with preventing those compatibility issues. I recommend using 4-5 pints/100 gallons of water to help with compatibility issues.

-Mark Swanson

Get weeds while they are small! Yesterday, I was walking a field with a grower and we came across some waterhemp. Occasional ones were 12″ tall. I explained that the more branching and places where leaves attached to the plant, the more growing points the weed had. One waterhemp plant had approached 100 growing points already at 12″ in height. PPO and glufosinate chemistries need contact with every growing point to make the kill complete.

-Matthew Petersen

With the temperatures being very warm and the soil conditions drying out, the crop is starting to show signs of stress. I recommend using 2 oz/acre of ClimateKing to help mitigate the stress on the crop and help it keep growing through the harsher weather.

-Travis Petty

In my area there are pockets with poor drainage. In these areas, I have been finding yellow nutsedge. Yellow nutsedge spreads through tubers and even though it looks like a grass, it’s not one! Using Permit at 3-4 oz/ac should take care of it, but make sure to talk to your local agronomist on anything else you should add into your tank for control of other weeds you may have in your fields as well.

-Emma McInerney

When spraying post-emerge chemistries, do not short yourself on water carrier volume. I recommend 15 gal/acre for most applications unless you are using Liberty. When spraying Liberty, it is very important to bump your water carrier volume up to at least 20 gal/acre as you need great coverage in order to get a satisfactory kill.

-Blayne Martinez

Thistles and small seeded broadleaves continue to be a problem in pastures. Applying a product like Duracor at 16-20 oz/acre will resolve the issue.

-Lane Konrad

If you are spraying Liberty, it’s a good idea to have a defoamer like Gundown Elite ready to use. I recommend having defoamer and a compatibility agent ready all the time, but for Liberty it’s even more likely to be needed.

-Hayden Houdek

With the early season pre-emerge soybean applications being scouted for respray potentials, please be aware of the many issues that I am seeing. Many of the fields have poor thistle, miscellaneous grass, and volunteer corn control. Keep in mind many of the pre-emerge chemicals are very poor in controlling all three of them, mostly because they have either not emerged or they are not actively growing. Sometimes adding a separate pass to control the grass and thistle pressure is for the best. If you wait to control either of them yield loss can occur. I have been recommending to add a pass of glyphosate and clethodim in a standalone application to clean up and increase control of all the weeds throughout the year.

-Chad Jessen

I have seen some corn burned a little from Callisto and Harness Xtra being sprayed over the top on a hot day. If you’re spraying a hot load in the heat, throw in some MegaGro at 2 oz/ac to help with crop injury.

-Spencer Frost

When making fungicide applications this season, increase the efficacy by adding a fulvic acid product to the mix. I recommend 6 oz of either FulFour or Nutex EDA.

-Hayden Simon

As the growing season progresses, volunteer corn is becoming more common in soybean acres. Volunteer corn competes with the crop for nutrients and moisture and can cause other issues such as making harvest difficult and providing a way for corn rootworm to survive through the rotation.

-Logan Scheel

I am seeing lots of thistles along the borders of corn fields. Stinger is a great tank addition to take care of them. Corn must be shorter than 24 inches and be careful about the rate you are using because there are some carryover concerns.

-Jarid Bechen

Adding generic fomesafen (Flexstar) with Liberty has been popular to boost waterhemp control and provide some residual. Be mindful that there is a 10-month rotation to corn after using it, so applications will need to be wrapped up soon.

-Kyle Wiese

As you are making your post-emerge chemical applications, be sure you are using the correct additives. Proper adjuvants are the key to herbicide efficacy and could very well be the difference between great control and average control.

-Jason Leyendecker

There is an excess of volunteer corn in soybeans this year. When running corn killer, it is essential to use crop oil when spraying. If there is dicamba in the tank, make sure to up your corn killer rate.

-Shay Johnson

I’ve been in quite a few alfalfa fields this spring. I am finding bugs of all kinds. A simple and cheap application some kind of lambda (like Silencer or Warrior) will pay dividends throughout this growing year.

-Jeremy Nedved

Heavy residue from last year’s corn crop was an issue in soybean fields around the area. Make sure the spreader on your combine is doing its job so you don’t have a thick layer of residue. Then, if tillage doesn’t reduce the residue, or you are strictly no-till, try spreading D-Comp right after harvest. It has been shown to break down the residue significantly making it easier for the planter to clear the residue so the seed can make it down into the soil and get off to a great start.

-Ryan Kemnitz

Status has been a popular corn herbicide this season. With any popular or seasonal products, sometimes temporary supply constraints can occur. Try to avoid these by putting a plan together in the off season and take delivery of these products prior to season.

-Dave Mack

There are a lot of spring wheat and oat fields around where the flag leaf is starting to emerge or has already fully emerged. If you haven’t sprayed herbicide on these acres yet, keep an eye out since many of the herbicide options have a cutoff time at flag leaf emergence and a different route needs to be taken.

-Preston Barragan

Just a reminder when you are switching crops/chemical, that you are cleaning out your tank well. Triple rinsing and use of a tank cleaner like ERASE are always recommended.

-Beau Wensing