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Fungicides could help stalk integrity

An AgriGold agronomist says fungicide applications could help with stalk integrity later in the season.

Brett Leahr tells Brownfield corn growers should consider the impacts to stalk quality when making fungicide application decisions.

“It’s going to help keep that plant alive and healthy and maintain that stalk. We don’t know what fall is going to look like now, but it could be wet, we could have harvest issues. So keeping that stalk to where we can go get this crop, I think it’s very important.”

He says some farmers in his central Illinois coverage area were in the path of last month’s derecho and have concerns about stalk strength as the season progresses.

“I really think to keep stalk integrity we need fungicide on those acres. I think we need to look at the pollination too. So go out, look at it during brown silk and make sure pollination is happening. And I think a fungicide will definitely help our harvest and getting all the crop we possibly can out of those acres.”

Brownfield interviewed Leahr during the AgriGold Specialty Products Conference near Champaign, Illinois Wednesday.