Late-season scouting is upon us. Here are four things I would look for now, based on what we've been seeing the past few days.

1. Keep an eye out for sudden death syndrome.

SDS is starting to show up in soybean fields, at least in southern Indiana. It will normally start in stressed areas of a field. That could be compacted end rows, or it might be wet areas within the field. Soybeans get infected early in their life cycle, but the infection does not show up until later in the season. Stress tends to bring it on.

CHECK CORN YIELDS: Now is the time to check cornfields to see how well ears are developing. It’s a great time to formulate yield estimates while you are in the field.

Spraying a fungicide will not control SDS. If a field has a history of SDS, consider planting later next time around. You can also select a variety with good SDS tolerance, and consider a seed treatment for the disease, such as Ilevo.

2. White mold rears its ugly head.

I’m getting reports of white mold in a few areas. If you’re looking to spray a fungicide and have white mold in the field, use a fungicide with some activity on white mold. Many common fungicides do not have activity on this disease. White mold is the disease that produces sclerotia, or small black bodies, and white, cottony mold on the stem and near the lower part of the soybean plant.

3. Make a decision on fungicide applications in soybeans soon.

If you are considering a fungicide application on soybeans in hopes of increasing yield, long-term studies in Beck’s Practical Farm Research plots show that the R3 growth stage will, on average, give you the best return on your investment. Scout now to see what stage your soybeans are in if you intend to apply a fungicide and haven’t done so yet. 

4. Evaluate corn pollination in each field.

Many cornfields have finished pollination. This is a great time to walk fields and check how well corn pollinated. It’s also a good time to start making yield estimates. Will yields meet your expectations? If not, this is the time of year to diagnose why they won’t and look at possible changes for next year.

Gauck is a team sales agronomist for Beck’s. He writes from Decatur County.