July 27, 2025

From the Fields: Cornfields tasseling

Clay Geyer

All of my crops look very good considering the lack of measurable rainfall. The cornfields began tasseling soon after July 4, and the pollination of silks continues to be more visible by the eye as the pollen drifts down to the silks and slowly changes from a light green to brown colored silk.

My 30-inch-row soybeans have finally canopied which has helped with weed suppression and the evaporation of moisture between the rows. I may have to touch up some soybean fields for broadleaf outbreaks of waterhemp and buttonweeds in the coming weeks, but I believe my days of spraying are behind me as I have already maxed out the height of my booms with my pull-type sprayer.

During my last pass, I added some insecticide to decrease the number of Japanese beetles, which had been actively feasting on the soybean leaves. I also sprayed some foliar fertilizer to the remaining fields that had not been covered yet to continue excellent plant health. I haven’t seen too much deficiency of magnesium in the soybeans to justify spraying yet.

Clay Geyer

Clay Geyer

Bremen, Ind.