Benefits of Fungicide Application
By: Tyson Miller | ProVantage Advisor
Fungicide applications to corn and soybeans continue to be effective strategies for profitable crop production by providing important plant health and stress relief benefits while also mitigating disease and preventing late-season, yield-robbing pathogens.
Each growing season, crops face a myriad of disease pressures. In 2023, disease reduced corn yield by an estimated 2.9% and soybean yield by 4.8% across the U.S. Stalk and ear rots in corn and stem and root rots in soybeans were some of the top yield reducers across the Midwest. Northern corn states estimated more than 189 million bushel in yield loss for 2023 from corn disease and pathogens that can be controlled with fungicides (Sikora et al., 2024a; Sikora et al., 2024b).
Disease prevention is commonly the most discussed benefit of fungicides, but plant health promotion should not be overlooked. Fungicides work in the plant to create greener leaf tissue, improving and increasing photosynthesis and the plant’s ability to feed itself. Greener leaf tissue and plant strength also lead to more water conservation and efficient energy use to create pods and kernels.
While the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons were considerably drier and saw less disease pressure than prior years, fungicide application to corn and soybeans still improved yield in several of our southeast Iowa fields compared to untreated fields.
In the past 10 years, our ProVantage field data has shown a fungicide treatment around the corn tassel stage has produced a minimum of a 14-bushel and a maximum of a 23-bushel advantage over untreated acres. In the past eight years, a fungicide treatment around the R3 growth stage on soybeans has averaged a 6¼-bushel advantage over untreated acres. Grain markets and fungicide benefits vary from year to year, but in the last eight to 10 years the application of fungicide has generally paid for itself and put more corn and soybean bushels in the bin than fields that didn’t receive treatment.
Important Fungicide Application Factors
- Application Timing: Application timing is important because fungicide products provide a window of plant-health and disease-fighting benefits that can expire after 10 to 21 days, depending on the products used and growing conditions. Application is prescribed at VT though R1 on corn and R3 on soybeans to protect the plant during a crucial developmental period and the stages immediately following. In some instances with strong disease pressure, a second application to finish the growing season is necessary to extend that window.
- Application Method: Ground rig and aerial application with an airplane, helicopter or drone are the most practical ways to apply fungicide in southeast Iowa. This season, Stutsmans is supporting customers with ground rig, airplane and drone fungicide application options.
- Fungicide Product Selection: There are several different fungicide products on the market with unique formulations ranging from one mode, two modes and three modes of action to provide stress relief and fight diseases in different ways. Insecticides and foliar nutrient packages can also be tank mixed with fungicides to control any late-season insects or round out a complete fertility plan. There are also several secondary products to consider mixing with fungicides to improve canopy penetration and reduce off-target movement.
Each growing season brings unique factors to consider with choosing inputs and defending our crops against pests. Fungicide and late-season foliar applications are a proactive way to positively influence your corn and soybeans for what is usually the last time through the field before harvest. Planning ahead is the best way to ensure your product selection, as well as timing and method of application are scheduled to maximize your investment.
Sources
Sikora, E., Faske, T., Meyer, R., Koehler, A., Kemerait, B., Mideros, S., Telenko, D., Robertson, A., Mueller, D., Sisson, A., Onofre, R., Wise, K., Price, T., Chilvers, M., Malvick, D., Allen, T., Bish, M., Jackson-Ziems, T., Broderick, K., Bergstrom, G., … Smith, D. (2024). Corn disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada — 2023. Crop Protection Network. https://doi.org/10.31274/cpn-20240315-0
Sikora, E., Faske, T., Spurlock, T., Koehler, A., Koehler-Betts, A., Grabau, Z., Small, I., Kemerait, B., Mideros, S., Bond, J., Telenko, D., Mueller, D., Sisson, A., Onofre, R., Bradley, C., Padgett, B., Price, T., Watson, T., Chilvers, M., Malvick, D., … Smith, D. (2024). Soybean disease loss estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada — 2023. Crop Protection Network. https:// doi.org/10.31274/cpn-20240315-1
