Fungicides
“This is the earliest we’ve reported tar spot in Iowa,” says Robertson, Iowa State professor of plant pathology. She says the early detection could be due to the Tarspotter app. Here’s how it works.
Flattened corn can often recover, stand and produce decent yields. Soybeans can shake off a storm and flourish, but beware spider mites in the next 10 days if temperatures stay 85-plus degrees with low humidity.
Row spacing is getting a closer look from farmers who are evaluating the practices that contribute most to soybean yield. Agronomic experts offer their insights here to help growers heading to the field this week.
With nitrogen prices increasing, growers have their minds squarely on fertilizer costs. But perhaps a better consideration for growers is how to maximize the efficiency of the nitrogen they do put down.
Before planting even starts, diseases are likely on soil residue. That includes tar spot. While many believe rainfall and temperatures are key tar spot drivers, Agronomist Missy Bauer says there’s a third indicator.
Unlike the early tar spot problem farmers experienced in 2021, the disease wasn’t first reported in Indiana until August this year. Darcy Telenko studies the timing of fungicide applications in battling tar spot.
“If we cut 20 seconds on every fill, and we do 50 fill ups in a day— we save 25 minutes,” Cody Ray says. “That could be another 10 acres a day.”
Corn subjected to heavy rainfall can still deliver a significant yield response to a nitrogen application -- in some cases, up to 60 bu.
Breeding advances brought an era of advanced disease control. The future of disease tolerance will use advanced breeding with targeted approaches that help maximize corn and soybean yield potential.
With tar spot’s ability to rapidly spread, agronomists fear another wave of the disease will hit the Midwest again this season.