Soon many producers will be starting to plant small grains. For practical guidance, check out this list of important things to consider when planting wheat and other small grains in the coming weeks from the University of Illinois.

In search of higher yields, many producers aim to plant soybeans early in the season. When considering this practice, there are two diseases to be mindful of: Sudden death syndrome (SDS) and Pythium root rot (PRR).

While it would be nice if the cold temperatures we are experiencing could help to reduce our potential for pest damage, past experience tells us that the most serious pests we deal with are unlikely to be impacted much by these conditions.

In 2018, many areas in the Midwest suffered from persistent late season rains which delayed harvest by several weeks. Unfortunately, these wet conditions also favored infection of soybean seed by fungal diseases. Learn to identify a commonly observed organism associated with seed issues — Phomopsis seed decay (PSD), a common, residue-borne fungal pathogen.