This information was summarized from a June 29 teleconference with the 14 ISU extension field specialists in crops located statewide.

• Fieldwork progressed rapidly this past week and many producers were able to finish replanting soybeans and applying postemergence herbicides. Rainfall was spotty with some localized heavy storms in the northwest, central, and north central areas of the state. Wind and hail caused damage to corn from greensnap and bruising. George Cummins (north central) reported up to 30 percent greensnap in some fields.
• Crop appearance and growth has improved, but there are still areas where corn and soybean fields show yellowing and height variability. Fields in the southern third of the state are showing the most problems. Some causes of yellowing include denitrification in wet spots, corn roots have not reached the nitrogen zone, shallow or poor root development, and compaction. Additional causes in soybean include diseases and cyst nematode (see the June 29 ICM article, Soybean diseases in a rainy season, pages 121-122, and the June 22 ICM article, SCN females on roots: it's time to scout, pages 113-114). Reports of brown spot and bacterial blight on lower soybean leaves are common.
• First-generation European corn borer larvae were reported as below the economic threshold from the field specialists' scouting reports.
• Spray drift continues to be a problem. Concerns about Roundup drift are common. Some aerial applications of herbicides are drifting off-target and causing complaints from neighbors (see article by Mike Owen on pages 131-133).
• Joel DeJong (northwest) and Virgil Schmitt (east) reported that grasshoppers are moving from grassy areas into crop fields. Joel mentioned that the problem was mainly in Osceola and Emmet counties.
• Potato leafhoppers in alfalfa were reported to be above the economic threshold in most of the state.
• Wheat is ready to harvest in some areas, but the yield is expected to be lower than normal. Some of the oat crop is being harvested for forage.
• Brian Lang (northeast) and Virgil Schmitt (east) reported slug damage on soybean. Virgil reported replanting in heavily damaged fields. (see the June 29 ICM newsletter, Slime trails in the moonlight, pages 125-126).