A naturally occurring fungus may prove useful in the fight against Palmer amaranth, an aggressive southern weed that can grow at the rate of two inches a day and outcompete corn, cotton, soybean and other crops for resources, potentially reducing their yields.

In the central part of Illinois, the soybeans that have so far survived the extreme temperatures and drought are showing symptoms and signs of charcoal rot.

Weather conditions have been favorable for Aspergillus ear rot development and producers should plan to scout fields to determine if this ear rot is present.

While it’s too late to apply fungicides to soybeans with white mold symptoms, no-tillers can benefit in three ways from scouting their fields before harvest, Daren Mueller, Iowa State University plant pathologist, says.

Technology developed by researchers at The Ohio State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) that will help manage the spread of one of the worst diseases affecting crops such as wheat and barley, has been licensed to Sci Protek, Inc., based in Vista, Calif.