Disease
There’s a big crop in the field for many Midwest growers, and it requires fuel. N supplies ears with the energy they need to add kernels all the way to their tips and to pack on weight.
Severely bruised corn stalks can limit the plants’ ability to translocate water and nutrients and even cause the growing point region to die.
When average daily humidity levels reach and stay at 75% or above, that’s a signal your crop could be at high risk from the disease.
Ken Ferrie outlines various treatment scenarios, depending on what farmers find in their fields. He cautions that severe infections can easily cause 60-bu.-per-acre yield losses.
As of mid-June, nearly 20 counties across four states have already reported fields with tar spot. Timing fungicide applications will be critical to keep the disease from getting out of control.
Abiotic stressors can trigger a response in plants called reactive oxidative species that can impair cellular function and growth. Biological products have shown significant promise in mitigating these challenges.
There are at least 30 fungicides labeled for suppression or control of tar spot in corn with a FIFRA 2(ee) recommendation.
The company is artificially inoculating tar spot in select field test plots this season to study how corn responds. Researchers say the work will help them advance tar spot tolerance for DEKALB and Channel products.
Just because tar spot was mostly a no-show in 2022 and 2023 doesn’t mean that will be the case in 2024. Charting humidity levels can help predict if the disease will strike.
In a year with razor-thin margins, at best, corn and soybean growers can use a variety of new technology and tried-and-true agronomic tools to score higher yields this season.