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By Elwynn Taylor, Department of Agronomy
An area of warm sea surface temperature has formed off the Peru coast. Watch this to possibly “kill” La Nina. By March 3 the water north of Australia was cooling and west of Peru was warming.Two signs of a La Nina about to fade (and with it the risk of serious Midwest drought diminishes somewhat).
By Roger Elmore, Department of Agronomy
The decision of whether we should apply a fungicide to corn in mid-season will depend on two sets of factors. First are the main economic drivers: the value of the corn produced, and the costs of the fungicide and its application. The second factor that balances these is the degree to which yield is actually affected.
By Elwynn Taylor, Department of Agronomy
Corn yield has been less variable during the past 12 years than the previous 20. However, the yield of the past 5 years in Iowa exceeded trend. The national yield has a run of 5 above-trend years; this is an historical record. A run of 4 above trend years occurred in 1984-87 (with a major drought at each end).
