ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) weekly crop progress report states that 65% of corn and 49% of soybean acres are planted. The 2023 corn planting progress is 20% ahead of last year at this time and 6% ahead of the five-year average (2018–2022). Soybean planting progress is 22% ahead of last year at this time and 13% ahead of the five-year average.

Crop progress in Stine’s regions

With a reach spanning across the country, Stine’s grower customers are busy in the field. Whether they’re still waiting to get soybeans in the ground or are already enjoying the growing season, reports vary from region to region. Here are the latest updates from some of our regional sales agronomists (RSAs) throughout the country.

Dustin Ellis, Region 4 RSA (central, northwest and northeast central Iowa)
Region 4 is about 98% to 100% done with corn and 80% to 90% done with soybean planting. We have had some rain the last few days delay things, but it looks like everyone will be back at it this week. Corn and soybeans both look good for the weather conditions. Even our earliest crops, which were planted in mid-April, look good and have good stands. I attribute this to great genetics and good soil conditions at the time of planting. It seems like our mid-April crops were sitting in cold but dry soils, which I believe is one of the reasons they stayed healthy and emerged with warmer, moist conditions. The early- to mid-planted April crops are the same height as crops planted at the end of April and the first part of May. It will be interesting to see if there’s a yield advantage with early-planted crops. We won’t know until the combines start up in the fall, but I will say that if growers would have waited, in some cases, they would be farther behind now with the later rain events, which could have caused planting corn and soybeans into late May or early June. 

Chad Kuehl, Region 5 RSA (southeast Nebraska)
Things are moving along in southeast Nebraska. We have a good number of growers starting to finish up. Corn is around 90% finished, and soybeans are around 70% complete. Overall, the region is still really dry and in need of a good rain.

Jake Anderson, Region 12 RSA (western and central Illinois)
Planting season is mostly wrapped up, and the growing season is underway here in Region 12. The first run of planting in April saw seeds sitting in cold soil for two weeks or more. We've seen some replant situations in the early round of planting due to tough emergence conditions. Overall, things are looking good, and the weather has been mostly favorable. A lot of corn is at the one or two-collar stage, and we’re seeing soybeans put out their first trifoliate leaves.  

Kevin Krabel, Region 13 RSA (central Illinois)
We’re around 80% done planting corn and soybeans in Region 13. We just received some much-needed rain that helped soybean emergence in areas where we were on the verge of massive replant needs. Corn emergence seems to be pretty good across the region. Although due to a good portion of the corn being planted in cooler ground temps, it didn’t all come up as evenly as one might like. We’ll have to keep an eye on that throughout the growing season. So far, it’s been the smoothest and quickest planting season in the last four to five years, and everyone should be done in the next few weeks. 

Darrin Petty, Region 20 RSA (southwest Iowa, northwest Missouri, northeast and north-central Kansas)
In my region back in April, everybody started planting, and it was nonstop. It wasn’t raining, so everyone kept planting until about a week or so ago when we got some much-needed rain. It was a good break for everybody to get caught up. Most everyone in my region is done planting corn. For soybeans, it varies because some are just starting planting and others have completed. I would estimate we’re about 60% done.

We’ve had an ideal planting season for the most part; the soil has been great! Everybody needed rain though, so it was very welcomed a few weeks back.

Emergence has been going well, but we also received quite a bit of rain in some areas. Some of the popular corn products planted in the region this year are Stine® 9808E (one that always works in our region), 9817-30 and 9752-32. One we’re really excited about is the new 9818-32, so we’ll keep a close eye on it throughout the season. We’ve also spent time working with our agronomy department and sales reps to plant corn and soybean plots, so we look forward to seeing the new products in the pipeline that will be available to growers next year. 

Todd Oliver, Region 27 (Texas and Oklahoma)
Corn is in full tassel in south Texas, and planting is complete in central and north Texas. West Texas and the Texas Panhandle are in the process of planting, but dry weather is making it a challenge. In Oklahoma, they are finally getting first-crop beans in the ground, and second-crop beans should start going in the next week or so. Dry weather has also plagued Oklahoma. The last two years have been the driest on record in West Texas and Oklahoma. We are hoping that a shift in weather will be in the farmers’ favor.

What is the USDA Crop Progress Report?

The USDA NASS Crop Progress Report is released every week throughout the busy planting, growing and harvest seasons. The report tracks crop progress by state and includes the 18 states that planted 92% of the corn acreage and 95% of the soybean acreage in 2022. The USDA NASS crop progress report features current week-ending results, the year prior results, and the five-year average for planting, emergence and crop conditions for primary crops throughout the U.S., including corn, soybeans, cotton, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sugar beets, sunflowers, wheat and more.

For more crop progress updates in your region, contact your local Stine RSA.

Stine^® is successful thanks to the efforts of our employees, representatives and agents out in the field who work tirelessly to make sure Stine genetics are living up to their full potential.

“We at Stine are extremely proud to be entering our 45th year in sales,” says David Thompson, national marketing and sales director for Stine. “Through the years, we have grown from a small regional seed company to a national brand, and in doing so, our field team has grown from 10 Midwest regions just over a decade ago to 36 regions all across the United States.”

It takes a lot of people to manage a national seed brand and to meet the needs of our grower customers. Along the way, those grower customers may interact with multiple Stine ambassadors. Some of the players in the field represent our agricultural sales and agronomy teams who are essential in helping our customers make the right decisions for their operations.

WHAT DO OUR AGRICULTURAL SALES AND AGRONOMY TEAMS DO?

Independent Sales Representatives

In terms of front-line agriculture sales professionals, Stine has independent sales representatives (ISRs) and corn sales specialists across the United States. ISRs serve as the designated brand ambassador for Stine corn and soybeans within an assigned territory. ISRs are tasked with leading our agricultural sales efforts, including managing existing accounts, finding new business, and developing and enhancing direct relationships with growers and potential customers. Corn sales specialists’ responsibilities are similar, although their primary focus is on Stine’s corn portfolio. Corn sales specialists develop and maintain a thorough agronomic and technical knowledge of our corn products and services and develop and manage Stine corn data plots throughout the territory. They also manage their own accounts and recruit new accounts. 

Regional Sales Agronomists (RSAs)

Stine regional sales agronomists (RSAs) are the primary regional lead for agricultural sales, agronomy information, and support for the area sales team. RSAs are responsible for understanding the agronomic requirements, needs and issues of their assigned area and providing ISRs, dealers and customers guidance on determining the strengths and proper placement of Stine seed products.

Agronomists

Stine employs a team of skilled technical agronomists to help our sales team understand and place our products for best performance. Our agronomy team implements our plot program to better understand the new corn and soybean genetics coming from Stine and is available to assist with grower questions.

HOW DO I START A CAREER IN AGRICULTURE WITH STINE?

Stine’s plans are for continued growth. Because of this, Stine is always looking for good people to add to its team. If you or someone you know might fit the profile for any of our open career options in agriculture, whether it’s a family member, friend, someone you have worked with in the past or whom you would want to do business with, please direct them our way.

To learn more about our open positions, view our ag career finder on our website or visit AgCareers.com or AgHires.com.

With 26% of the nation’s corn crop planted — twice the rate at this time a year ago — it’s not too early for growers to consider common corn diseases that might impact their crop this growing season. It’s important to understand what diseased corn looks like, when and why diseases occur, and how to stop or slow the spread once a field has been infected.

“Throughout the growing season, corn must fend off several diseases, such as northern corn leaf blight and tar spot, to thrive,” says Tom Larson, Stine’s director of agronomy. “Knowing what corn disease looks like, what type of disease it is and how to treat it is crucial to your corn crop’s survival and ability to reach its maximum yield potential.”

WHAT CAUSES CORN DISEASE?

For a corn disease to take place, three factors must coexist: a pathogen, a susceptible host and favorable environmental conditions — otherwise known as the disease triangle. Common corn diseases can include seed rots and seedling blights; later in the season, foliar diseases and stalk and ear rots can occur. Planting corn on corn can increase the risk of disease as many can overwinter in infested corn residual.

“There are a number of fungal and bacterial diseases of corn represented across the country,” says Larson. “Your corn crop is always vulnerable, so it’s important to research and understand the factors causing the disease in your field and how to move forward and mitigate it this season and into the next.”

WHAT ARE THE COMMON DISEASES OF CORN?

As a grower, you’re likely familiar with most corn diseases and how they can damage your production year after year, especially if not treated accordingly. The four most common types of corn disease are gray leaf spot, tar spot, northern corn leaf blight and common rust; however, it’s important to note there are still other less common diseases.

Gray leaf spot is caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis and occurs nearly every growing season. The gray leaf spot disease cycle begins when the fungus overwinters in corn residue and then spreads via rain and wind. It thrives in warm, wet environments and has symptoms similar to other foliar diseases. Spores germinate and infect leaves, causing lesions on the leaves that impact the lower part of the corn stalk and then move to the higher leaves as the disease progresses. Gray leaf spot can be detrimental to yield, and disease severity depends on hybrid susceptibility and environmental conditions. According to Purdue University Extension, the lesions on an infected plant can reduce the number of photosynthetic areas on leaves, which leads to fewer carbohydrates available to the developing grain. Scouting for gray leaf spot should take place a few weeks before and after tasseling around the V15 to R4 stage.

Like gray leaf spot, tar spot overwinters in corn residue. It is caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis, and hot, wet conditions accelerate its spread. If left untreated, tar spot can cause leaf deterioration, poor grain fill, comprised stalks and even plant death. A severely impacted field can reach yield losses upwards of 60 bushels per acre. Tar spot symptoms include small, raised black spots that resemble fisheyes scattered on both sides of leaves. Scouting for the disease is recommended between the R3 and R6 growing stages.

Northern corn leaf blight is a common corn disease caused by the fungus Setosphaeria turcica. The disease thrives in cool, wet conditions and has a disease cycle similar to gray leaf spot and tar spot as it overwinters in the ground in corn residue. Northern corn leaf blight can be detected by tan streaks or lesions that are parallel to the leaf structure. Symptoms usually first appear on the lower leaves. The best time to scout for northern corn leaf blight is from V15 through R4.  

Common rust in corn is caused by the fungus Puccinia sorghi and occurs every growing season. It is environmental and prolific in cool, wet conditions. It is rarely harmful to yield compared to grey leaf spot, tar spot and northern corn leaf blight. Common rust symptoms occur between V12 and R4 and include sporadic rust-colored pustules, which can be detected on both sides of the leaves.

HOW TO CONTROL COMMON DISEASES OF CORN

Proper corn disease management involves selecting corn products with genetic resistance to these diseases, using best management practices, such as tillage and crop rotation, and timely application of seed fungicides. Planting corn after corn is discouraged due to diseases lurking in crop debris. Additionally, avoiding poorly drained soils can prevent some diseases from taking over your crops. Planting at the right time and when the weather outlook is favorable can help keep diseases at bay. Early planting is recommended unless soils are excessively cold and wet.

Stine offers high-performing seed corn with the industry’s most desirable trait packages to help combat disease and yield loss. Reach out to your local Stine agronomist or sales rep for more information on how to treat common corn diseases and prevent them from infecting your crops next year.