I finally got a chance to go through my normal Fulton County survey route on July 14 and 15. I headed across County Roads L & B from boarder to boarder. I looked for insect and disease as well as crop development. Here is what I saw
Corn
This year there are 40 corn field on the route and 67% are in the R1 stage where pollination is occurring. The other 33% of the fields are in late vegetative stages V7 to V13. Most of the corn seems in pretty good shape but there are areas particularly west of 66/south of 20 and the south east corner that are under moisture stress.
Diseases are minimal to nonexistent. A little bit of rust. I have heard reports of gray leaf spot but did not see any. Areas of southern Ohio have been seeing a greater amount of gray leaf spot in 2010.
Insects we did find the first larval feeding of western bean cutworm in corn early in the week and have confirmation from OSU Entomologist. The infestation levels are low but it does indicate that this pest has advanced in from the west. For 2010 it more of a novelty and academic observation. At season end we will have a better idea of the extent and based on experiences from other areas help discuss management changes for 2011. You can also find European corn borer feeding as well but at fairly low numbers in non bt hybrids.
Soybeans
Soybeans have improved dramatically over the past two weeks. Rows have closed in and we are entering the flowering stages even pod set in some cases. There are 46 soybean fields on the route. Forty three percent were in vegetative stages and had not begun to flower. About 47% of the field were in R1 (a flower at any node) or R2 (flowers at the two top nodes) stage. Nine percent were in the R3 stage with pods setting on the upper nodes.
Disease were not a concern here as well. A little bit of brown spot could be found but that was basically it.
Insects were at very low levels. There was a little foliar Japanese beetle feeding but a extremely low levels. Soybean aphids were found in three fields in the southeast corner of the county with levels were less than 5 per plant.
