Indiana Prairie Farmer publishes a column written by Tom Bechman with the help of CCAs for CCAs and their clients. With permission from Prairie Farmer we are posting these Soybean and Corn Pest Beat articles on the CCA website. Many thanks to the authors and the support of Indiana Prairie Farmer.
Corn Pest Beat Articles
Lessons you can apply to 2026 corn crop plans
Answers are from the Indiana certified crop adviser panel: Danny Greene, Greene Crop Consulting, Franklin; Bryan Overstreet, soil conservation coordinator, Rensselaer; Dan Quinn, Purdue Extension corn specialist; and Dan Ritter, Dairyland Seed agronomist, Plymouth.
My biggest takeaway this year was that fungicide pencils out vs. yield hits from diseases like tar spot and southern rust. What is another takeaway
I should consider for next year?
Greene: Here are two takeaways with implications for 2026: First, spend fertilizer dollars wisely. Invest where soil tests show you need it, but don’t overspend where you don’t need it. Talk with your crop consultant about strategic areas to focus on when managing fertilizer dollars.
In our area, the spring of 2025 reminded us that forecasts sometimes overpredict or underpredict expected precipitation. Be ready to move when conditions allow, because every window matters. Early planting often translates to higher yields. Remember, crop insurance is a risk management tool. Use it to provide you with confidence to act decisively instead of waiting for near-perfect conditions.
Overstreet: Two things stood out. First, southern rust hit harder across the state more than in the past. Be diligent in scouting for it and tar spot. Fungicides that work well with one may not be your best option for the other. The Crop Protection Network has a useful tool to track ongoing disease and insect issues.
Second, your farm must be resilient. Depending on where you live, you dealt with either continuous wet soils or hardly any rain. Going in with a resilient operation helps on both fronts. You can’t change this overnight, but the goal is to work over time to make your farm more sustainable.
Ritter: One lesson is that there will always be some other production and/or pest concern to monitor. This year in certain areas across the Midwest, we were hit with southern corn leaf rust.
The other key lesson is that weather has a big impact on disease infestations. That’s just in case you weren’t listening at just about every winter agronomy talk that addressed disease before the 2025 crop season began. Depending on where you were located this year, we saw various levels of certain diseases.
Many new tools are available to monitor and predict foliar disease outbreaks. Typically, they are available through agricultural company websites, data software sites and e-newsletters. Take advantage of those tools where available.
Quinn: A key takeaway from this year is setting the crop up for success from day one. Corn that emerges quickly and evenly; avoids early and critical growth-stage stress; and receives the right protection, nutrition and weed control is far more likely to reach its yield potential. Poor emergence or early-season stress can limit performance before the crop ever has a chance.
Each year, experiment with new practices and products, evaluating what works and doesn’t work. Adjust accordingly. Identify specific yield-limiting factors in your environment, whether that’s disease, nutrient availability, soil conditions or weather patterns. Develop targeted management strategies for them. Finally, remember that hybrids respond differently to management and environmental conditions. Careful hybrid selection and placement remain critical for maximizing returns.
