Tar spot showing up in the Midwest earlier than usual.
A University of Missouri plant pathologist says that the disease is not usually confirmed until late August or September, but farmers should be on the lookout now.
Mandy Bish says that cooler-than-normal air temperatures at night have cases popping up in northern Missouri and parts of Iowa.
Fungicides are an option to treat tar spots, but it must be applied between corn tasselling and blistering.
While tar spot hit fields early, corn rust is showing up later. It was discovered along the Florida-Georgia line last week.
UGA Cooperative Extension says that is about two weeks later than average.
An ag climatologist with the University says that it is due to the wind direction and cooler-than-normal temperatures in the spring.
Bob Kemerait says that even just a two-week delay was a big win for producers as it allowed the corn crop to inch closer to the hard dough stage where the rust becomes less impactful. He credits this to good scouting by producers.
