Economists at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University have issued a new policy brief that measures the revenue impacts the COVID-19 outbreak is having on some of Iowa's largest agricultural industries. Estimates show overall annual damage of roughly $788 million for corn, $213 million for soybean, over $2.5 billion for ethanol, $658 million for fed cattle, $34 million for calves and feeder cattle, and $2.1 billion for hogs.

This spring has been called the wettest on record in the Corn Belt and other major growing regions of the U.S. and the pace of planting would seem to verify this claim. As of Sunday, May 26, corn planting in the U.S. is 32 days behind the 5 year average and soybeans are 37 days behind the 5 year average.

USDA data indicates that corn planted after the middle of this month (May) tends to produce lower yields than corn crops planted in April or early part of May. This isn’t good news for anyone involved.

Knowing key pests is just the first step; developing an insect-management strategy for crops based on scouting, use of crop rotation and field history are critical next steps that enable you to choose the right product for the job.

While off-target dicamba injury to soybean has dominated the news the past year, it is important to recognize that dicamba is not the only Group 4 herbicide (HG4) capable of injuring soybean. HG4 products can induce plant responses at lower doses than most other herbicide groups.

One major consideration before deciding to plant a double crop or cover crop after wheat is the potential for herbicide carryover. Cover crops can be challenging in this regard.

With multiple modes of action against all nematode species and activity on many soil-dwelling insects, Nemasect is a powerful tool to protect yield in corn and soybeans.

If it's induced by environmental conditions, the yellow or purple appearance should turn green after a few sunny days with temperatures above 70 F. If plants remain yellow, then closer inspection and assessment is needed.