Crop Talk by IAS – 08/12/26

Send us Fan MailAs corn and soybean crops move through grain fill, agronomists across Iowa are keeping a close eye on late-season disease development, insect pressure, nutrient deficiencies, and decisions around potential second-pass fungicide applications. While overall crop conditions remain favorable in many areas, conditions still matter field-by-field as disease risk and pest activity continue to evolve.In this week's Crop Talk by IAS, the team shares boots-on-the-ground insights from across the region, including what we're seeing in the field right now and what growers should watch next as we move deeper into August.In this episode, the team discusses:Current disease pressure across Iowa corn fieldsTar spot outlook as fungicide residuals begin to taper offGray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, common rust, and bacterial leaf blight observationsJapanese beetles, corn rootworm beetles, aphids, and other insect activityHow growers are evaluating second-pass fungicide decisionsCrop stage considerations when assessing fungicide return on investmentLate-season nutrient deficiencies showing up after a wet growing seasonBenefits observed from nitrogen stabilizer programs in 2026Why tissue sampling and field scouting remain valuable late in the seasonFertility planning opportunities heading into fallUsing this year's observations to prepare for the 2027 crop seasonAs harvest planning approaches, now is a good time to be in the field identifying deficiencies, documenting problem areas, and discussing fertility strategies with your agronomist. The information gathered today can help guide decisions for next season.Featured this week:Nicholas Giesseman - Host and Eastern Region Agronomist Nick Thompson - Southwest Region Agronomist (Ellsworth) Owen Heetland - Northwest Region Agronomist (Cleves)Erin Ricker - Eastern Region Agronomist (Masonville) 🎧 Listen nowHave a question for the team? Send it to [email protected] learn more about Innovative Ag Services and our agronomy services, visit InnovativeAg.com/Agronomy.Produced by IAS Communications in partnership with My Four Creative.