Crop Conditions
Farmers and aerial applicators tell Randy Dowdy and David Hula some of the key considerations for effective fungicide applications are timing, droplet size and product reach in the crop canopy.
As big yield estimates are being thrown around so early, it’s stoking an intense debate. However, that’s not stopping the trade chatter. With talk of a new national corn yield record, it’s pressuring prices, with many farmers staring at cash corn with a $3 handle.
Unlike most leaf diseases, tar spot starts impacting the crop at the bottom of plants. That means fungicides you apply must penetrate and get deep into the crop canopy to provide effective treatment. If you opt to not treat the disease, consider making plans to harvest early and pre-booking some dryer gas.
That percentage doesn’t tell the complete story, however. While farmers in the West and southeast Texas have endured weeks of dry conditions that’s not been the case in the central Corn Belt where growing conditions have been excellent.
Wheat streak mosaic virus decimated some fields this season, say K-State Extension specialists. The problem is also showing up and expanding in other key wheat-producing states. What farmers do this fall will determine whether the disease is reined in or takes off again next season.
With product and application costs totaling between $30 and $40 per acre, farmers will be taking a harder look at where they make the investment this season.
David Hula believes a high-quality carrier is so critical to the performance of his crop protection products that he loads and hauls all the water to the local airport that his aerial applicator uses.
The silver lining, meteorologists say, is many farmers and livestock producers in the central and eastern U.S. have had sufficient moisture this spring and milder temperatures headed into summer. For some, that’s about to change.
Iowa corn quality leads the nation currently, with 83% of the state’s crop rated good to excellent. North Dakota is on the struggle bus for both corn and soybeans.
In some cases, the sulfur deficiency can be traced back to last fall when ammonium sulfate and DAP were taken out of fertilizer programs to reduce costs. In other scenarios, the corn just isn’t getting adequate sulfur — but the problem can be corrected.