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Timing key when applying fungicides in corn

Agronomists are looking at the timing of fungicide applications in corn to maximize effectiveness.

 

Winfield United regional agronomist Mark Glady says corn farmers typically apply fungicides at tassel.

“I’ve had questions this year though on backing that off 10 days to two weeks after tasseling, more of a brown silk time.  The way I explained it is the grain-fill period of corn is approximately eight weeks long (so) a good, solid rate of a fungicide application will probably give you four weeks of coverage.”

He tells Brownfield farmers need to determine whether they want coverage the first or second half of that eight week period.

“Or do you want it to be weeks two through six?  It’s hard to predict when diseases move in, but some of the differences in yields from the different timings have to do with when the fungicide was applied relative to when the disease actually comes in.”

He says fungal diseases are weather dependent and most common in damp conditions with temperatures generally in the 70’s and 80’s.

Brownfield interviewed Glady at an Answer Plot field day near Santiago in central Minnesota.

 

 

 

 

 

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