Del Voight Lebanon, Pa Crop and Ag Updates Penn State Extension

08/15/2026

So blessed to have this kind of support for Agriculture. I’m biased but after getting out to many Counties I believe ours is unique with a vision way before my time that has come to fruition!

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08/07/2026

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08/05/2026

Sorry for the late crop report! Between fair season and actually taking a vacation, time got away from me. (Yes, I know... I never did get the farmers of Lebanon County's approval to take time off, but I did it anyway! 😄)

🌽 Drought Continues Across Lebanon County

For many fields in the southern part of the county that were planted in mid-April, moisture remains well below what's needed. Much of the county has been in drought conditions since last October, and the impacts continue to mount.

Corn pollination has been extremely variable. Unfortunately, some fields have barren plants with little to no ear development, forcing growers to chop corn early for forage. Livestock producers are already feeding winter hay, many never harvested a second cutting of grass, and now the third cutting is also suffering from the lack of rainfall.

The one bright spot has been the lack of any major insect or disease outbreaks... except for deer! 🦌

During a recent field visit, we counted 70 deer in one study area (see the photo below, courtesy of Lancaster Farming). It's no surprise many growers are reporting significant crop damage.

Farmers have several options to help manage deer damage:
• File a crop damage claim.
• Utilize the Agricultural Deer Management Assistance Program (Ag Tag).
• Participate in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP).
• Continue working with local hunters to help reduce deer populations.

If you're experiencing significant deer damage and aren't sure which option is best, our local Game Warden, Zach, can help explain the available programs and determine the best course of action.

Let's hope Mother Nature delivers a soaking rain soon. Our crops—and our livestock producers—could certainly use it.

07/11/2026

07/09/2026

Just got done rolling beans down thought I would update you on the simulated hail, rolling and molasses demonstrations. I like to do video so I can show when snow is flying in winter when you’re not busy and we have yield data to go with visuals! Takes 6 reps to get a decent statistical set.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

07/07/2026

🌽 Lebanon Crop Report – July 7, 2026 🌽

Tassels are here! Corn has entered one of the most critical growth stages of the season, and protecting pollination should be every producer's top priority. We have 1200 heat units from April 24th and that corn is right on schedule to pollinate.

⚠️ Avoid unnecessary stress during pollination.
If possible, avoid applying products that can increase plant stress, including foliar fertilizers, surfactants, herbicides, or other tank mixes. If a fungicide application is warranted, my recommendation is to apply only the fungicide and avoid adding other products during this sensitive period.

🌧️ Rain arrived just in time.
Early-planted corn experienced approximately 9 days of leaf rolling due to drought stress. Based on research, that level of stress could reduce yields by about 10%. The focus now shifts to achieving excellent pollination, which will play a major role in determining final yield.

🌽 Watch the Anthesis-Silk Interval (ASI).
One of the best indicators of stress during flowering is the Anthesis-Silk Interval (ASI)—the number of days between pollen shed and silk emergence.

Modern corn hybrids have been bred to minimize this interval, helping maintain pollination even under stressful conditions. Ideally:
✅ Pollen shed and silk emergence occur at nearly the same time.
✅ Pollen is shed over 5–8 days.
✅ Silks remain receptive for 7–10 days.

If drought delays silk emergence while pollen shed continues, kernel numbers and yield potential can decline. With this year's wide range of planting dates, take time to evaluate how well pollen shed and silking are synchronized across your fields.

🦠 Disease Update
• Gray Leaf Spot (GLS): Risk remains high.
• Tar Spot: Risk is low but were hight the last few weeks. This makes sense as I have recieved reports from Berks and Franklin counties have confirmed tar spot on corn leaves. Scout fields frequently, especially susceptible hybrids.

🐞 Insect Update
As silks emerge, begin scouting for silk clipping by beetles. While I am not expecting populations to reach economic thresholds, regular scouting is still important during pollination.

🌱 The next two weeks will largely determine the yield potential of this year's corn crop. Continue scouting, minimize stress, and hope for favorable weather during pollination.

07/07/2026

⚠️ Livestock Producers: Watch for Cherry Trees After Recent Flooding & High Winds

With the recent flooding and strong winds, many wild cherry trees have been blown over into pastures. As you begin turning cattle back out to graze, be extremely cautious. I learned this lesson several years ago and it happens quickly. Due to my personal experience, my cattle are secured into an area during storms well away from cherry trees. I also continually remove any and all cherry trees that might even come to grazing range over the fence. If I get a tree down, I won't graze that after removal. I use poly fence to keep them out of the area where the tree even fell for fear of getting the loose leaves into their system. It's that serious, folks!

🍃 Wilted cherry leaves can contain toxic levels of cyanide, especially if the leaves remain attached to fallen branches. Veterinarians indicate that once leaves have completely fallen from the branches, cyanide levels generally begin to decline as the toxins break down. However, leaves that are still attached to branches can continue drawing toxins from the woody tissue, making them especially dangerous.
Get out today and check your pastures and take appropriate actions.

✅ Recommendations:
• Remove downed cherry trees from pastures as soon as possible.
• Rake up and remove as many cherry leaves as you can before grazing livestock.
• Carefully inspect fence lines, wooded edges, and flood-damaged areas for fallen trees.

Unfortunately, this is not just a theoretical concern. I have personally been involved in investigations where dairy cows died after consuming wilted cherry leaves from a fallen tree. In another case, livestock losses occurred after animals gained access to ornamental yew shrubs. In both situations, laboratory testing confirmed plant toxicity.

Taking a few hours to inspect and clean up your pastures now could prevent devastating livestock losses.

🌳 If you're cutting down cherry trees, remember to treat the stump immediately after cutting. Stump treatments are most effective when applied before the cut surface begins to dry, which can happen within minutes during hot, dry weather.
related facts
Wild black cherry, choke cherry, jetbead, peaches, plums, apples, apricots, almonds (Prunus Family)
The prunus family contains many plants have may have poisonous parts to both livestock and humans. All plants parts including the pits and berries contain cyanide and HCN and discarding of ornamental and waste produce has lead to the death of livestock as well as those deaths associated with the grazing of these species in stressed pastures. Cyanide poisoning interferes with respiration and blood circulation; death is often swift (Kingsbury 1964, Cheeke 1983, Cheeke and Schull 1985). The lethal dose of HCN for cattle and sheep is about 2.0 mg/kg of body weight (Kingsbury 1964). Other signs of toxicity may include a short period of stimulation followed by slow pulse, dilated pupils, spasms, staggering, loss of consciousness, and death, which results from asphyxiation. Postmortem findings include bright red blood and congestion of internal organs (Kingsbury 1964, Scimeca and Oehme 1985).

For more information, review the Penn State fact sheet on poisonous plants and cherry toxicity.

07/07/2026

🌽 Cornfields Damaged by High Winds? Here's What Producers Should Know

The remnants of this past weekends storms have left many cornfields across southeastern Pennsylvania with significant wind damage, including root lodging, leaf shredding, and some flattened corn.

If you're assessing storm damage, remember don't panic—prioritize fields based on the severity of the damage.

✅ Fields with broken stalks or corn lying on the ground

These fields have the greatest risk of ear molds, poor grain quality, and low test weights.
In many cases, harvesting for silage may be the best economic option. In the pictures below you will note the corn is down or leaning however the roots are intact. The plant typically will respond by righting itself in the coming week. However it you get into the corn and its snapped off below the ear then decisions will need to be made quickly.

✅ Fields that are leaning or partially lodged

Many of these fields can recover and continue to mature, although development may be slower.
Continue to scout for ear mold development during grain fill and drydown.
If ear molds become significant, plan for an earlier harvest. Otherwise, allow the crop to reach the appropriate moisture for grain or silage harvest.

📋 Don't Forget Crop Insurance
If your crop suffered severe storm damage, contact your crop insurance agent before making harvest decisions to ensure you understand your coverage and claims process.

Storm damage is never welcome, but careful scouting and timely management can help minimize losses. Stay safe, monitor fields closely, and don't hesitate to reach out to your local Extension office with questions.

07/04/2026