From the Week of July 10, 2023

The one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about what’s happening this week in your fields.

This week’s featured agronomists are:

Ben Wagner– Le Center

Hannah Hernke – Goodhue

Zach Hinsch – Wanamingo

Kenny Loftus – Lewiston

Brady Kinneman – Ellsworth

 

Scroll down to hear from your local agronomist, and click for contact info!

---

WEST 
Belle Plaine – Le Center – Le Sueur

Ben Wagner

Corn is starting to tassel and that means one thing, fungicide season! Even with the late planting and lack of rainfall across our trade area our AYS data shows that fungicide is helping save your yield. So, let’s not give up on this crop quite yet! Applying fungicide on corn at tassel in dry conditions is critical for safeguarding the crop and maintaining its productivity during its most crucial time. Dry weather conditions, in combination with high temperatures and limited moisture, can create a stressful environment for corn plants. Give your Ag Partners Agronomist or AYS Specialist a call to find out how much yield you could be leaving on the table without a fungicide application.

AYS Long Term Corn Yield VT Fungicide Response by Planting Date Range

---

EAST
Pine Island – Cannon Falls – Goodhue – Lake City

 

Hannah Hernke

Fungicide. To Spray or Not to Spray?

 

In the last week we have seen a lot more flag leaves and tassels emerge. Listening to the chatter around the countryside, the number one concern has been “will the fungicide pay even if we don’t have any disease pressure?”.

While fungicide is used to help suppress disease there are many overall plant health benefits we see, which can help when the crop is strained. The lack of water in many areas has been a large worry. A fungicide application can improve water use efficiency and keep the plant focused on filling out the ears or pods.

Under stress, the crop will produce ethylene which is a hormone that induces senescence. The last few dry years we have seen the corn senesce and cannibalize earlier in the fall. Fungicide has shown to decrease the amount of ethylene in the plant therefore keeping it greener longer, which in turn can improve grain fill and test weight.

---

CENTRAL
Morristown – Wanamingo – Kenyon

Zach Hinsch

From one step to the next, in our area we are finishing up spraying our post pass on the soybeans and moving into fungicide spraying. Corn fields are starting to tassel and soybeans are moving into the R2 stage (have an open flower at one of the two uppermost nodes on the main stem). As we are scouting fields for fungicide timing, let’s be sure to keep an eye on insect pressure in both corn and soybeans. Corn rootworm beetles and soybean aphids (pictured below) will be the primary insects we will see, but if it stays dry two spotted spider mites might start to show up. Over the next three weeks most of the corn and soybean fields in our area will be at ideal timing for fungicide application. Reach out to your local Ag Partners agronomist to discuss and finalize spraying plans. Thanks & have a great week!

---

SOUTH
Elgin – Lewiston – Stewartville

Kenny Loftus

With the limited amount of rain this year, VT tassel fungicide is a great way to mitigate stress and help with stalk quality. AYS data shows from 2016-2022 rainfall totals from April 1^st to September 30^th will add more bushels (see chart below).

 

AYS Long Term Corn on Corn Fungicide Yield Data by Growing Season Rainfall

Stalk quality issues can be amplified by the lack of potassium taken up by the plant. Potassium is not very mobile in the soil but is highly mobile within the plant. When deficiency is sensed, potassium is moved from older plant tissue to new growing leaves which may compromise lower stalk strength. Spraying fungicide can help alleviate this.

There has been Gray Leaf Spot and Northern Corn Leaf Blight found locally last week which are diseases we cannot forget about, as Tar Spot took the “spotlight” in 2022. Speak with your agronomist about minimizing yield robbing diseases and gaining those extra bushels.

---

WISCONSIN
Ellsworth

Brady Kinneman