About Your Fields July 5, 2018
In This Issue:
1. To Spray or Not to Spray? That is the question
2. Field View
3. What's Next
To Spray or Not to Spray? That is the Question
As we enter into July we start to assess the crop and see whether we should invest additional dollars into it this year. As I look at fields I feel that there is tremendous yield potential in both corn and soybeans this year. For most of you there has been adequate rainfall from the start and we have had more than enough heat units to get the crop off to an excellent start. One of the biggest hurdles that we need to complete in my opinion is the potential for disease. If you look at the conditions in the field we are set up for a huge disease year due to the moisture and temperatures that we have seen. I was walking in a corn field last week that had not had a significant rain on it for several days and it was still quite muddy. When you look at what we call the disease triangle you will see that we have all of the components necessary for a problem to occur:
When comparing notes with Neil, we have both seen significant amounts of disease present in corn fields, especially Gray Leaf Spot. If you have planted a high yield potential hybrid such as DeKalb 64-34, I would especially be looking at spraying a fungicide because these hybrids will take everything they have from the plant to put on yield. That yield potential is why we plant a racehorse hybrid, but that is also the reason that we need to have a higher level of management to protect them. If you have experienced more than adequate rainfall you might be needing more nitrogen to keep these racehorse hybrids chugging along. One way to do this is an application of CoRoN when you apply fungicide. Plot results from 4 years’ worth of data have shown a 2 plus bushel yield advantage over the untreated check when you apply 1 gallon of CoRoN. When you add in the extra coverage that you get with the fungicide your disease protection is enhanced even more.
In soybeans we were starting to see a little bit of phytophthora and rhizoctonia appear in some spots earlies in the year. But once again we are set up for a whole host of potential diseases due to our environment. This year you might also benefit from adding an insecticide with your soybean pass as we have seen Japanese Beetles arrive a few weeks earlier than we are used to seeing. I have already seen some feeding activity along the edges of fields, not a lot, but some. For around $5.20 you could add Hero and get some residual and a good knockdown of whatever is in the field. Or if you are just looking for a quick knockdown of whatever is in the field spray Province II (generic Warrior) for less than $2. If you have any questions give one of the agronomists at Akron a call and they will discuss your options with you.
Field View
As I drive around looking at fields I have to observe that the majority of the area that Akron works in looks very good. Areas in the south that were struggling at the beginning of the growing season have caught up with the areas that got off to a good start. As we enter into the plant health season I would have to say that we have gotten very good weed control this year, no matter what program a person used. I know that if we get some more rain here in July, we may learn what worked and what didn't as we see if there is some late emerging waterhemp plants that tend to show up in August. As I compare notes with Neil as to what he is seeing out there, we both have been seeing some Gray Leaf spot out in the corn fields. In the soybeans there was a little phytophthora and rhizoctonia in some areas, but it was not wide spread throughout our area. One interesting observation was that the Japanese Beetles have shown up a little earlier than what we have seen in the past. They are not doing a lot of damage but it is something to keep watch on as we see corn plants starting to silk and pollinate.
What's Next?
As corn fungicide spraying starts to slow down many of you will start looking to spray your soybeans and start to think about your options there to enhance your yield. Over the past couple of years there has been a focus on what to add at this trip to raise soybean yields. In fact, there are so many products to look at we have done hardly any applications of early soybean products in our plots, we have just focused our resources on fungicide timing. One product that we have seen consistent results from is called Utilize. This is a bioscience product that helps a plant retain their pods during stressful times. The best way to increase yield is to harvest more beans, and you can't do this if the beans don't stay on the plant. In last year's trials we saw over a 6-bushel advantage from Utilize over the untreated check. Another bioscience product that we saw a good response from was call B Sure. This product had a 5.5-bushel advantage over the untreated check. If you would like any more information about these two products contact one of the agronomists at Akron.