Corn and soybean disease update on the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series

Madelyn Celovsky<celovsk2@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - June 15, 2026

Field crops pathologist Martin Chilvers will offer tips on staying ahead of tar spot, white mold and more during the Virtual Breakfast Series on June 25.

Side-by-side close-up photos of corn leaves showing disease symptoms. The left leaf has numerous small black tar spot lesions while the right leaf shows orange-brown pustules with yellow halos surrounding some lesions. — The time to scout for tar spot (left) and southern rust (right) is just around the corner. Photo by Martin Chilvers, MSU.

Join the Michigan State University Extension 2026 Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on Thursday, June 25 for a timely update from Martin Chilvers, MSU Extension field crops pathologist. As corn and soybean crops enter critical growth stages, Chilvers will discuss current disease risks across Michigan, including tar spot and southern rust in corn and white mold in soybean. Participants will learn what environmental conditions favor disease development, what to look for while scouting fields, and how to make informed fungicide decisions based on disease risk, crop stage and weather patterns.

This update will provide practical, research-based recommendations to help growers and agribusiness professionals protect yield potential and optimize disease management strategies during the remainder of the growing season.

Immediately following Chilver’s presentation, MSU Extension agricultural climatologist Jeff Andresen will give a detailed weather outlook and report.

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The Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series sessions are held every week during the growing season via Zoom video or phone conference. These virtual meetings take place every Thursday morning from 7–8 a.m. March through September. The Virtual Breakfast Series is flexible, fluid and able to adapt when issues arise due to unforeseen growing conditions. There will be an open 20-minute Q&A session following the presentations with MSU specialists and educators. Participants are encouraged to log into the Zoom meeting 5 minutes prior to the start time for a tech check and to receive announcements.

Restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits and certified crop adviser (CCA) continuing education units are available for participants who attend the live session.

Participating is easy and free! You can join the live meeting via Zoom using a computer, tablet, mobile device or regular phone line. If you are new to Zoom, simply download the Zoom app and you will be ready to join online every week to see visuals shared by presenters. A call-in by phone option is also available but you will only hear the audio portion.

Sign up for the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series

Participants must sign up to receive an email notification with instructions for joining the Virtual Breakfast. You only need to do this once and you will receive the Zoom link and call-in phone number, as well as weekly reminders every Wednesday and Thursday. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.

If you cannot participate in the live session at 7 a.m., you can view the recorded version at any time. However, participants who attend the live session only will be eligible for RUP and CCA credits. Recordings will be closed-captioned and available at the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast webpage and the MSU Extension Field Crops Team social media platforms: Facebook, Spotify,Mediaspace, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter/X.

If you are unable to sign up online, call the Montcalm County MSU Extension office at 989-831-7500.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).