To Use A Fungicide, Or Not Use A Fungicide?

These are the weather conditions to watch for to help you make your decision.

By: Ag Partners Agronomy Department

When it comes to farming, the agriculture community is used to Mother Nature dictating a lot of what we do throughout the growing season. Weather conditions play an important role in the health and yield of farmers' crops. These weather conditions can include, but not be limited to, experiencing too little or excessive rain, extreme temperatures, damaging winds and hail. Depending on the weather in the spring and summer months, if the conditions are right, growers will need to decide if they will make a foliar fungicide application to protect their crops from disease.

While each year brings its own set of challenges, the one thing growers can’t control is the weather. However, one thing growers can control is their crop protection plan and being proactive is key to having a successful growing season. Being proactive can put you ahead of some diseases that are known to rob yields, which can lead to fewer bushels in the bin at harvest. Below are the weather conditions to watch for to help determine if you need to include a fungicide in your crop protection plan:
 

• Wet Conditions.  Wet weather fosters diseases that can potentially cause growers problems throughout the growing season. If the conditions are exceptionally wet, growers have an increased chance of facing Gray Leaf Spot and Anthracnose in corn, and Frogeye Leaf Spot and Septoria Brown Spot in soybeans, amongst other diseases. 

• Dry Conditions. While dry weather creates a long list of stressors for growers, it does bring reduced disease pressures. Even though there are not as many diseases due to the dry conditions, rust species can be more prevalent in drier environments and growers may still see some common diseases like gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight. Also, a fungicide can reduce stress on the plant and help it get through a dry spell which can result in reducing yield loss from heat and drought stress. 

• Severe Weather. Extreme wind and hail can wreak havoc on crops. Besides helping to ward off diseases, fungicides can also increase growth efficiencies and improve stalk standability.

At Ag Partners, we have several options for growers to choose from when it comes to selecting the right fungicide for their acres. Contact your Ag Partners Agronomy Account Manager to learn more but our crop protection portfolio.