3 Ways to Help Your Crops Recover After a Stressful June

June 24, 2025 Edition

From hail to humidity, cloudy skies to chemical leaf response — June threw just about everything at our crops. But with rapid growth ahead and fields entering critical development stages, there’s still plenty of opportunity to get things back on track.

Here are 3 ways to help your crops rebound and finish strong this season:

1. Feed the Growth — Especially in Corn

Knee-high corn is finally here (depending on how tall you are), and most fields are in the V7–V8 range. With rapid growth underway, corn is in a stage of high nutrient demand. But after weeks of cool, cloudy weather, uptake has lagged behind. Now’s the time to support this surge with:

A top-dress of nitrogen and sulfur (AMS, urea, or slow-release N).

Foliar applications of micronutrients to correct emerging deficiencies.

A tissue test to help dial in what your plants are really asking for.

Reminder: if your field took hail damage, recovery takes energy. Feeding the crop now gives it a chance to push through with minimal loss.

2. Be Gentle with Beans, but Stay Proactive

Soybeans are starting to push past early stress, but yellowing and speckling are still showing up. Some of what we’re seeing is Cosmetic Leaf Response (CLR) — a burn-like appearance due to cool weather, cloudy skies, and more aggressive tank mixes. While it might look concerning, it’s mostly visual and doesn’t typically hurt yield.

But with IDC still present and sensitive conditions continuing, be sure to:

Lean on proven foliar products that help metabolize chemistry and boost recovery (your agronomist can help).

Monitor for disease and nutrient deficiency — especially in fields showing pale or patchy color.

Consider a fungicide plan for hail-damaged beans to protect new growth and yield potential.

3. Don't Skip Fungicide — Especially in Small Grains and Alfalfa

Fungicide season is closing in fast for small grains, and if you haven’t sprayed yet — now’s the time. We’re seeing:

Emerging disease pressure in small grains + aphids in nearby regions.

Black stem, leaf spot, and nutrient deficiency in alfalfa.

Insect pressure nearly everywhere — weevils, aphids, and leafhoppers are still hungry.

Even if the damage isn’t easy to see, the tonnage loss can be real. Talk with your agronomist to tailor a plan based on your crop and growth stage.

What’s Next?

Weather challenges may have slowed the season, but growth is finally ramping up. Stay tuned for rapid crop changes in the next few weeks — especially if we hit 90°+ heat. That’s when we can expect corn to add a new node every 2 days and beans to flower fast after the solstice.

If your fields were impacted by hail or wind, now is the time to scout and consider rescue applications. Fungicide + nutrition could be the combo that helps them recover and stay on track for harvest.

Contact an ag plus agronomist

Need help assessing damage or deciding on your next move? Reach out to your Ag Plus agronomist — we’re here to help you navigate whatever the season throws your way.

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