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Ideal time to prepare for disease management

A plant pathologist says farmers should get a head start on disease management.

Dylan Mangel with University of Nebraska Extension says the best strategy is to know what diseases were prevalent last year. “The best way to set yourself up for success no matter what the year is to know your field history.  Verify what you had in the past and if you had a disease, get a proper diagnosis.”

He tells Brownfield treatments are disease specific. “When you make those future investments, make sure you pick something that is going to work specifically for that.”

For example, Mangel says, “If you’ve had major phytophthora issues, consider a seed treatment to help with those in your areas if you’ve had a problem. Fungicides often are going to be disease specific as well, so make sure you select a fungicide that is going to work well on that.”

He says timing and weather conditions are important to maximize fungicide applications.