I'm not sure if it is the same for growers, but it sure seems like the growing season flies by a lot quicker than in previous years.  Spring wheat harvest is already a memory, edible beans are coming off already and sugarbeet pre-harvest is almost done for the season.  Now, growers are commneting that soybeans are maturing fast in the warm temperatures and corn husks are starting to open up already on some corn hybrids.  Phosphate fertilizer applications have already started, mainly going wheat stubble which will be soybeans in the next growing season.  There have been numerous seed kick-off meetings already and we have even seen some soybean seed pricing out already for 2011.

With what may be the last issue of the season, for the Crop and Pest Report, in our hands, we have very little to discuss. We seem to have gotten by with minimal applications made for soybean aphids.  Nothing seems to be bothering the corn.  Sugarbeet growers continue to make applications for cercospora leaf spot.  With nothing of great urgency, growers should now be inspecting fields to plan potential harvest schedules and to get an idea of what products look good for this season.  Soil testing plans can also be organized at this time.  With maps for testing in place ahead of time, growers can make a simple phone call to have a field tested, once harvest is complete.  This will allow enough time for test results to get back for accurate fertilizer applications to be made.   

Remember, for further information about pest issues, you can access the NDSU Extension Crop & Pest Report from the links page on our website.  There you have access to the most current issue and archived issues from previous seasons that contain valuable information to help keep pests under control for your crop production operation.