Fewer Disease Issues So Far Vs. A Year Ago

By Tom Bechman

One year ago by this time, there was lots of chatter about disease across most of the east-central Corn Belt. There are some reports this year, especially of northern corn leaf blight in some areas. But based on the Crop Watch ’16 field, located on the same farm and a mile away from last year’s location, the striking difference so far is the lack of disease lesions. A trip through the field just a few days ago, walking through corn that is tasseling by now, failed to turn up even a single lesion. That wasn’t the case a year ago.

The time to make fungicide decisions is here for many fields, and coming soon for late-planted fields. Here are two key points related to that process.

1. Keep scouting, whether you have seen lesions or not.

Dave Nanda, crops consultant for Seed Consultants Inc., sponsor of Crop Watch ’16, believes whether or not there are disease lesions in the field is important in deciding whether or not to apply a fungicide. Even though a walk through this year’s field a few days ago showed no lesions, it’s important to keep scouting regularly during this crucial period, he notes.