Summer 2020 Region 2 Agronomy Update
Jul 24, 2020
Cameron Alderfer, CCA & Region 2 Agronomy Account Manager
The corn fungicide run is nearing the end. Southern Rust in Nebraska and Kansas were confirmed, and we have continued to observe it here and there across our regions ever since. Farmers need to continue to monitor their untreated corn acres and weigh current crop stage and disease severity as the season progresses.
Soybeans are hovering near optimal reproductive stages - R3(beginning pod or when pods are 3/16-inch long at one of the four uppermost nodes) for making a fungicide and/or insecticide pass. This pass can greatly help retain blooms and pods, resulting in higher yields. When making observations in your field, it is important to correctly identify diseases, insect pests, and accurate defoliation levels. In most of Region 2, we have experienced timely rains and have tremendous crop potential. Field history and variety selection are important to consider with regards to the “Plant Disease Triangle”.
Flower and pod retention are directly related to yield potential. Even in the absence of disease, there are plant health benefits of using a fungicide, including stress tolerance and plant growth/development efficiency, which work together to help plants optimize yield production. The more flowers and pods you can keep from aborting through stressful periods by utilizing the health benefits of a fungicide, the better the chance you have to not only maintain but increase your overall yields. When deciding on a product, consider your specific soybean variety to find the disease shortfalls, like a weak frogeye leaf spot rating. Then, you'd find a fungicide that has excellent frogeye leaf spot control (like Miravis® Neo, Delaro®, Lucento®) that will pick up the genetic slack in that soybean variety. Work with your Seed Advisor/Agronomy Account Manager to pair the proper fungicide to the soybean variety to be treated.
The old adage "you get what you pay for” is true with many things, including insecticides. Pairing your fungicide with an insecticide that has a quick knockdown and extended residual control of key foliar insect pests is important. Not all insects are pests, and when using insecticide, we end up eliminating beneficial insects that may naturally control our target insect pests. Having a residual insecticide (like Endigo®ZC, Leverage 360®, TripleCrown®) will help protect the soybean pods from insect pests that may fly in from adjacent untreated fields to feed directly on the pods.
Please reach out and consult your local Ag Partners Agronomy Account Manager to create a profitable, proactive plan or agronomic solution for your acres!
The corn fungicide run is nearing the end. Southern Rust in Nebraska and Kansas were confirmed, and we have continued to observe it here and there across our regions ever since. Farmers need to continue to monitor their untreated corn acres and weigh current crop stage and disease severity as the season progresses.
Soybeans are hovering near optimal reproductive stages - R3(beginning pod or when pods are 3/16-inch long at one of the four uppermost nodes) for making a fungicide and/or insecticide pass. This pass can greatly help retain blooms and pods, resulting in higher yields. When making observations in your field, it is important to correctly identify diseases, insect pests, and accurate defoliation levels. In most of Region 2, we have experienced timely rains and have tremendous crop potential. Field history and variety selection are important to consider with regards to the “Plant Disease Triangle”.
Flower and pod retention are directly related to yield potential. Even in the absence of disease, there are plant health benefits of using a fungicide, including stress tolerance and plant growth/development efficiency, which work together to help plants optimize yield production. The more flowers and pods you can keep from aborting through stressful periods by utilizing the health benefits of a fungicide, the better the chance you have to not only maintain but increase your overall yields. When deciding on a product, consider your specific soybean variety to find the disease shortfalls, like a weak frogeye leaf spot rating. Then, you'd find a fungicide that has excellent frogeye leaf spot control (like Miravis® Neo, Delaro®, Lucento®) that will pick up the genetic slack in that soybean variety. Work with your Seed Advisor/Agronomy Account Manager to pair the proper fungicide to the soybean variety to be treated.
The old adage "you get what you pay for” is true with many things, including insecticides. Pairing your fungicide with an insecticide that has a quick knockdown and extended residual control of key foliar insect pests is important. Not all insects are pests, and when using insecticide, we end up eliminating beneficial insects that may naturally control our target insect pests. Having a residual insecticide (like Endigo®ZC, Leverage 360®, TripleCrown®) will help protect the soybean pods from insect pests that may fly in from adjacent untreated fields to feed directly on the pods.
Please reach out and consult your local Ag Partners Agronomy Account Manager to create a profitable, proactive plan or agronomic solution for your acres!