More Corn Roots

I apologize up front for spending so much time on corn roots but I have been working on this since I found the first pink leaves in a Clinton County corn field almost a year ago. Close friends told me there is something wrong with the way we grow and breed corn and I have sought out to see how widespread this is.

One of my younger friends sent me the above picture this morning. He asks if this is the problem I have been talking about. It is and it it is much more. I sent it to one of those close friends and here is his response:

"This is just the start, I have clients in Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota which we are seeing corn root worm feed the 10 of July and there was capture LFR insecticide. Also warrior and Hero. Triple stack corn 2500 acres no roots, what have they done to us 15 years of the same chemical (plant with insecticide and then I trash the soil) I see this become bigger and bigger problem, the only reason Minnesota has yet to see real problem we keep plowing under our problems and Goss's wilt is in the same category."

The sad part is so far I have little acceptance of this idea and NO response from corn pathologists. I don't know what they could be thining! One thing for sure they act as if there is no problem but I can assure you there is!

From the company standpoint, it is defense on top of defense that everything is OK and "they are working on it!" Look at these responses to young Monsanto lady named "Claudia" on Ag Talk regarding RR soybeans this morning:

"Shannon,
I spoke with our weed management team and came up with answers to your questions:

1. Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans had a greater than 5 bu/acre average over LibertyLink soybeans based on third party data in the 2011 University Trials summarized across all locations, maturity groups and institutions.
2. Liberty does have difficulty in controlling a number of grass weeds. Using Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans will allow you to control grasses with Roundup, and add in Flexstar for glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weeds.
3. Liberty will only control small weeds, usually less than 4 inches tall, whether they are glyphosate-resistant or not. Trying to control larger weeds than labeled can caused reduced control and increase the risk of resistance to Liberty.

Hope this helps!

Cynthia - Genuity Communications Team"

The little and big companies are reading and watching but...

No help!

At least farmers like young Aaron in Illinois see my picture and are working on the problem from their end. They may not know or understand exactly what they are doing, but hey, most of us don't anyway!

That is my update for this morning. Keep me informed and I will do my best to do the same. There is no rain but at least it is 66 degrees this morning and black respiration has stopped or reduced in our corn crop here.

Have a great day,

Ed