News

Warm nighttime temps have hurt corn

A University of Illinois crop physiologist says some of the problems showing up in corn are due to this summer’s high nighttime temperatures.

Dr. Fred Below says those warm nights have contributed to leaf disease issues in parts of the Corn Belt.

“Especially in central Indiana, south central Illinois—a lot of Gray Leaf, even some Southern Rust,” says Below, “and I think that disease has been driven by the warm nighttime temperatures, a lot of humid nights and a fair amount of rainfall.”

In their fungicide trials in Champaign, Illinois, where they compare fungicide versus non-fungicide treated corn, Below says the difference is “night and day”.

Warm nights have also been a factor in the higher-than-normal tip back in corn ears, but he says the news is not all bad.

“The good news is the crop got off to such a good start, there wasn’t the nitrogen loss we saw last year. So we started with a higher potential and that means, even though we’re losing a bit to high nighttime temperatures, we had more potential to start with.”

Below spoke with Brownfield at a recent Landus Cooperative field day in Iowa.

AUDIO: Fred Below