It’s hard to believe the 2010 growing season is almost over. Most of the corn across the state is nearing or at black-layer, which means it is time to scout fields for stalk rots in an effort to evaluate standability and plan a successful harvest. Stalk rots are likely to be an issue this growing season. We have seen significant blighting of the leaves in the upper canopy predominantly from Goss’s wilt, northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot and anthracnose top dieback. When significant leaf blight occurs in the upper canopy, the risk of stalk rots increases. Furthermore, overcast conditions, such as we had throughout most of the grain filling period, favor stalk rot development. Since stalk rots reduce standability, fields in which greater than ten percent of plants are affected by stalk rots, should be scheduled for an early harvest.