The farming landscape is one that requires constant vigilance and readiness to adapt to ever-changing conditions. From monitoring diseases to market fluctuations, understanding your crop and the economic indicators can make all the difference between an average and a bumper yield.
The webinar was moderated by Andrew McCrea and featured Dr. Jason Bond, a Plant Pathology professor from Southern Illinois University, Kim Tutor, a technical marketing manager at BASF, and Tommy Grisafi, a risk advisor and commodity broker for Advanced Trading Incorporated.
Disease Control and the Importance of Proactivity
Dr. Bond started the discussion by focusing on disease management in row crops. He emphasized how fungal pathogens can cause visible damage to crops like corn and soybeans, leading to a prevalent reduction in photosynthesis, robbing the plants of essential carbohydrates, and ultimately causing a tangible decrease in yield. Pathogens like gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, and Anthracnose were given as notable examples, among others. But more than knowing these diseases, understanding the plant disease triangle and the life cycle of these fungi is crucial for effective management. The pathogens can exist in crop residue and spread via wind or human activity.
Dr. Bond underscored the importance of early detection and disease control through fungicide usage. He highlighted the effectiveness of Veltyma fungicide in reducing pathogenic progress and safeguarding yield. Notably, even resistant hybrids can still show symptoms and cause yield loss, which implies the importance of these fungicides for both resistant and non-resistant hybrids.
Kim Tutor emphasized the role of performance-driven fungicides - Veltyma and Revytek. These BASF products are champions in offering long-lasting residual disease control and protection against a broad spectrum of corn and soybean diseases. They mitigate stress on the plants and promote consistent performance year-on-year. Tutor pointed out the results from several trials where BASF fungicides outperformed other brands because of greater residual amounts of active ingredients. An astonishing case study displayed the visual difference in plant health and yield potential between a field treated with Veltyma and an untreated section.
Tutor highlighted the challenges of managing tar spot in corn and the importance of understanding disease latent period, the duration of time where the disease is present but not yet visible. Thus, she endorsed a proactive approach to disease management, using preventative fungicide applications to protect against these hard-to-detect diseases.
Grains, Marketing, and the Importance of Metrics
Transitioning from disease control, Tommy Grisafi discussed grain marketing and how it’s being revolutionized by technology. He emphasized the utilization of technology in agriculture, from tractors to planters, to improve farm efficiency and crop yield.
In addition, Grisafi brought attention to the volatility of corn prices and the recent upswing in interest rates, which necessitates farmers find opportunities for lower-cost borrowing. The effects of inflation, specifically on younger farmers, were discussed, stressing the need to monitor the Federal funds rate and its implications on grain marketing.
Grisafi provided insights on the importance of grain storage for market expectations, basis appreciation, and managing harvest bushels. He also discussed the crucial nature of keeping track of other key parameters such as basis (difference between cash and futures prices), spread (difference between future prices of different months), and local cash prices.
Agriculture’s path to success is a dual journey into the intricacies of disease control and the complexities of grain marketing. And, as McCrea wrapped up the event, the importance of studying both areas became an irrefutable truth: Understanding your farm’s health and the market indicators can mean the difference between a bumper crop and an average one.
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