Corn pollination, atrazine herbicide use, and July insect updates

Abstract

Dr. Jeff Coulter, U of M Extension Agronomist, updated us on the current status and outlook of corn pollination. Significant progress across much of the state should be occurring in the next week, though because of variable planting dates, it is difficult to generalize how upcoming hot weather will affect the overall crop across the state. Currently projected highs in the lower 90s should not cause significant pollination issues.Seth Dibblee, Environmental Scientist with the EPA, was on to discuss current news with atrazine. Atazine is a widely used post-emergence herbicide with about 33% of planted acres having an application in 2021. Currently, there are water quality concerns with atrazine that the EPA is proposing to address by adding restrictions to reduce runoff, such as disallowing use on saturated soil. A public comment period is open until Sept. 6, 2022 at: https://www.regulations.gov/search?filter=EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0266. Dr. Anthony Hanson also gave a quick update on insects in early July. So far, soybean aphid hasn't reached economic thresholds across much of the state, but populations are starting to increase in some areas. Whether it's soybean aphid or other insects, be sure to check the insecticides are actually approved. Chlorpyrifos application , even if it's in possession from a previous year, is no longer allowed for any agricultural use.