Posted: 08.31.2010

As August wraps to a close and kids head back to school - Wisconsin farmers are headed out to the fieds!

As of Sunday, the Wisconsin Ag Statistical Service reports that 7 percent of the states corn crop was already harvested for corn silage - a valuable animal feed for the states livestock owners.  Whole plant moisture has dropped to between 61-70 percent in most areas - nearly ideal for harvesting of feed quality corn.,

Confidence in the 2010 crop remains high by growers too!

Statewide, 40 percent of corn growers believe they've got a "good" crop and 42 percent are banking on "excellent".  There's equal confidence in the soybean fields too.  Growers rate their soybean fields at 45 percent "good" and 39 percent "excellent.

Mike Weiss, agronomist with Syngenta, tells Pam Jahnke that there are a few issues with the crop that will have to be monitored.  Weiss, who covers all of eastern Wisconsin, says he's seeing Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) impact potential yields in soybean fields - with occassional white mold popping up there too.

Weiss also is monitoring a pathogen called "Goss' Wilt".  Weiss says Goss’ Wilt has spread from western Nebraska (where it was first identified in 1969) to eastern Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. The bad news he says - once its in a field - its there to stay.  However, a plant has to be injured to express the infection.

Weiss says fields he's scouting that were damaged by high winds or hail earlier this summer are now the prime candidates for Goss' Wilt.  "Once the disease is present, there is nothing that you can do to control it", Weiss says.  "Once the bacterium is present in your field, it will always be there. There are a few things that you can do to avoid infection next year, though.  Rotation out of corn into other crops such as soybeans or alfalfa will help to reduce the inoculum in the corn residue, but it will not completely eliminate the disease."  Weiss says that fungicides are also ineffective on the disease.

Weiss says its tough to know how much yield will be lost in those affected fields. 

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