444 articles tagged "Agronomy Tips".

thumbnail image

Survey link: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Xid0TER5lkf4jk Survey QR Code: The 2026 growing season started and continues with intense rain events that dropped 3 to 6 inches in a single day, which was impressive in its own right. Unfortunately, these intense storms have continued all season long. Historic rains and floods settled across many counties of Indiana in the past few weeks with single events dumping 8 to 15 inches of rain. The effect on corn and soybeans at this point of the season is unchartered waters. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey to provide insight to the impact to your fields/area and distribution of the extreme weather in August 2026. We welcome all responses from those who were fortunate to get timely rains to those affected by straight line winds to those in the epicenter of historic floods. We would like to partner with you to track crop response[Read More…]


thumbnail image

During the week of August 11, much of Indiana received excessive to record-setting rainfall (Figure 1). Portions of eastern Indiana, for example, received more than 13 inches of rainfall, setting local rainfall records and producing conditions rarely or ever experienced in the region. The 2026 growing season continues to be characterized by highly variable and extreme weather events, particularly during the latter half of the growing season. These conditions have introduced questions about how excessive rainfall, saturated soils, and also extended cloudy weather may influence corn grain fill, yield, stalk quality, and harvestability. Therefore, this article helps to provide insights on the late-season impacts of these weather events and also what Indiana corn farmers should be paying attention to as harvest season approaches. Excessive Rainfall and Saturated Soils One small sliver of hope is that corn is generally less susceptible to waterlogging and saturation during reproductive development than during early[Read More…]


thumbnail image

Throughout July in Indiana, tassels begin to emerge above the corn canopy, signaling the start of pollination. Although pollination lasts only about one to two weeks, it is one of the most critical stages of corn development because it determines kernel set and largely establishes the crop’s yield potential. Corn is also highly vulnerable during this period, often experiencing its greatest yield loss per day when exposed to stresses such as drought or hail. Corn is a monoecious species, meaning each plant produces both male (tassel) and female (silks) flowers. Therefore, successful pollination depends on pollen being released from the tassel and reaching receptive silks at the right time. Any stress that disrupts the synchronization between pollen shed and silk emergence can reduce kernel set and ultimately decrease grain yield. One of the most recognizable structures during corn pollination is the anther or the small, dangling structures that hang from[Read More…]



thumbnail image

The phrase is an old folk proverb that entered the written record gradually in the mid-1800s. The phrase has a historical agronomic basis, it’s just not relevant today. Public interest in the phrase can be filed under the category: “Perennial Folksy Questions About Corn That News Media Like to Write About”. If I had a penny for every time someone asked me about the popular Corn Belt adage “Knee-high by the Fourth of July” over the 40+ years I spent as Purdue’s Extension Corn Specialist, I would have a lot of pennies and no where to spend them in today’s economy. The news media especially love to publish folksy articles this time of year on this well-known “metric” of growing corn and have been doing so for well over one hundred years. The most rigorous tracing of the origin of the phrase (etymologist Barry Popik’s 2012 article) finds the saying[Read More…]







Pest&Crop newsletter - Department of Entomology Purdue University 901 Mitch Daniels Blvd West Lafayette, IN 47907

© 2026 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by Pest&Crop newsletter

If you have trouble accessing this page because of a disability, please contact Pest&Crop newsletter at luck@purdue.edu.