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Early planting brings damping off considerations

A Pioneer agronomist says wet and cold planting conditions can increase the potential of seedling diseases.  

Matt Montgomery says farmers could see an increased risk of damping off – the rotting of seeds in the soil and destruction of newly emerged seedlings by fungi.

“Those are really ideal situations for pythium and phytophthora to start chewing away at stand.”  He says, “Phytophthora in the case of beans only, and pythium in the case of corn and beans.”

He tells Brownfield appropriate seed treatments can help reduce the risk…

“Make sure that the seed treatments that you’re applying are really going for multiple modes of action.”  He says, “Both pythium and phytophthora tend to be a little bit adaptive, and that means that they have some potential to adapt to single mode of action seed treatment.”

Montgomery says planting in proper soil conditions also helps reduce the risk of stand loss due to damping off. 

AUDIO: Pioneer Agronomist Matt Montgomery