Crops Are Emerging — Now the Focus Shifts to Protection

Planting season is wrapping up across much of Farmward territory, with corn and soybean planting nearing completion in many areas.

After a stretch of favorable conditions, fields have dried out enough to allow growers to push hard and finish strong. At the same time, the first planted corn and soybeans are beginning to emerge—and overall, early stands are looking good.

But as we move into this next phase, a new concern has taken shape:

Cold temperatures.

With lows having dipped into the high 20s and low 30s this week, attention is shifting from planting to emergence, early-season stress, and weed control as fields continue to develop.

What We’re Seeing Across the Region

Southern Region

Soybean planting is moving quickly, with many growers finishing up or very close to done. Corn and early planted soybeans have begun to emerge and are generally looking strong.

With emergence underway, focus is shifting toward:

• Checking stands and emergence
• Watching for frost damage in soybeans
• Managing early weed pressure

Weeds are beginning to show up, especially around field edges and in fields that did not receive a pre-emerge herbicide application.

In these situations, growers are beginning to:

• Consider adding a contact herbicide with their pre-emerge or early post pass
• Evaluate residual options to regain control in fields without a strong pre program

It’s also important to remember that even if a field missed a pre application, there are still options to layer residuals into a post program—just be sure to follow label guidelines closely.

Northern Region

Fields have dried out enough to allow planting to ramp up quickly, with a large portion of corn and soybeans expected to be in the ground by the end of the week.

Soybean treating and planting have been very active as growers push to wrap up the season.

Looking ahead, next week will be a key transition point:

• Scouting early planted corn and sugarbeets
• Getting post-emerge herbicides lined up
• Making sure products are on hand before spraying begins

Growers are also encouraged to return any unused seed to ensure availability for others who may still need product.

Western Region

Field activity is picking back up as conditions dry out, and most fertilizer applications are now complete.

Attention is shifting toward:

• Pre-emerge herbicide applications
• Emergence monitoring
• Preparing for the next phase of the season

With the colder temperatures that came this week, there was concern around potential frost damage—especially in emerged soybeans. Corn should be better protected, as the growing point remains below ground at this stage.

We are recommending:

• Scouting fields closely for emergence and early stress
• Monitoring low temperatures and assessing any potential damage
• Continuing to prioritize layered residual herbicide programs to stay ahead of weed pressure

For growers still on the fence about soybean seed treatments, this is another reminder of their value—especially in cool, variable conditions where early-season stress can impact stand establishment.