Team members were away on vacation last week, so Crop Alert had to take a week off too. Riding across the region yesterday you can really see who is getting the rain and who is not. It is too wet in parts of the Finger Lakes and too dry in the western counties. I drove from Batavia to Wilson in Niagara County and every corn field in between showed signs of drought stress. Some were just pineappled up trying to conserve what little water was out there. It does not help that some plants were starting to tassel and even silk. Now is not a good time to start pollination. The soybean crop is not showing the drought effects like the corn. To make matters worse, not only do we have hot days we also have hot nights. Corn does not like it when it stays above 70 degrees overnight as it increases respiration.
Wheat Update
I know some wheat started to come off on July 7. Moistures were between 13 and 15% with good yields. Many fields have just not been drying down this last week. I have not seen as many fields harvested as I had expected to see. Those that are coming off this week are between 14% and 18% moisture. I know there is rain possible the rest of week. I would encourage those that can dry their wheat to get it harvested. Grain quality will only continue to decline as we move further into July. I have not heard any falling number or vomitoxin numbers yet.
Stressed Alfalfa and Pea Aphids
I have been getting calls of really stunted and stressed third cutting alfalfa. The culprit is pea aphids not the usual suspect, potato leafhopper. We have been seeing pea aphids since spring but now they are a major problem. Alfalfa plants are not growing, and the leaves are warped and curling. The lack of rainfall in certain areas is not helping either. There are many different thresholds out there but when you see physical plant injury, it is time for an insecticide application.
The NY Corn Yield Contest is Back
After a one-year hiatus, the corn contest is back to join the soybean contest again. Sign up for the contest here, https://nycsga.memberclicks.net/2025YieldContest#/.
Entries must be received and paid for by August 15.
NWNY Soybean Weed Tour
When: August 4, from 10-11am
Where: 2862 Leader Rd., Seneca Falls
Glyphosate-resistant (GR) weeds including waterhemp are an increasing concern for NY field crops. Growers and Industry representatives will have an opportunity to tour and observe effective pre-emergence and postemergence applied herbicides for controlling waterhemp in Enlist soybeans. Dr. Vipan Kumar, Cornell weed scientist, will lead the tour through the small plot treatments and discuss the impact of these integrated herbicide strategies, with multiple modes of action, from a resistance management standpoint. There is no charge or registration for this event. One DEC certified applicator credit is available.
Next report will be July 23.
Assisting Mike Stanyard and Jodi Letham is Field Support Staff – David Bechtel
From Mike Stanyard: PLH do not overwinter here in NY and we get them from the southern and Gulf states every year where they do spend the winter. We can see them arrive in NY anywhere from June 6 to July 6. It really depends on when the stormfronts carry them up here. We have them every year, some worse than others. They are pretty heavy right now and some new seedings and 3rd cut alfalfa fields are over threshold and being sprayed with an insecticide. PLH are native to the US so we are not seeing any influxes from other countries.
I was wondering if it is odd to have potato leafhoppers here on the pea or alfalfa plants this year?
Do they normally appear at this time every year? Can they come from other countries, not just down in the southern part of the U.S.?