Latest News From Disease

Certis Biologicals Acquires Two New Fungicides From AgBiome
Certis Biologicals Acquires Two New Fungicides From AgBiome

These will add to the current Certis portfolio of more than 40 pest, disease and weed control products.

You Can't Afford to Be Complacent About Tar Spot
You Can't Afford to Be Complacent About Tar Spot

Just because tar spot was mostly a no-show in 2022 and 2023 doesn't mean that will be the case in 2024. Charting humidity levels can help predict if the disease will strike.

10 Easy Ways to Take Your Crop-Scouting Practices to the Next Level
10 Easy Ways to Take Your Crop-Scouting Practices to the Next Level

In a year with razor-thin margins, at best, corn and soybean growers can use a variety of new technology and tried-and-true agronomic tools to score higher yields this season.

4 Tips To Identify The Best Aerial Applicator
4 Tips To Identify The Best Aerial Applicator

The National Agricultural Aviation Association shares what indicates a professional aerial applicator.

8 Field Activity Data Types You Need to Collect Now
8 Field Activity Data Types You Need to Collect Now

Data — a word that packs a punch but can be hard to define. From planting to irrigation, it's necessary to have a digital record of these field activities to participate in sustainability and crop traceability programs.

Belchim USA Acquires Exclusive Rights to Minerva Fungicide
Belchim USA Acquires Exclusive Rights to Minerva Fungicide

Minerva is formulated to control Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), powdery mildew and Ramularia on sugar beets.

Syngenta Introduces Victrato Seed Treatment
Syngenta Introduces Victrato Seed Treatment

The product has an active ingredient of Tymirium to protect plants against nematodes, sudden death syndrome and cotton root rot.

Agtrinsic Expands Pathogen Detection Network Ahead of 2024 Season
Agtrinsic Expands Pathogen Detection Network Ahead of 2024 Season

Agtrinsic has expanded for the 2024 growing season to create a contiguous disease monitoring network from border to border in Illinois and Iowa as well as in parts of Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Spornado Data Now Available To Agtrinsic Customers
Spornado Data Now Available To Agtrinsic Customers

The partnership will allow readings from Spornado’s device, Spornado Sampler, to be integrated into Agtrinsic’s Broad Scale Disease Model.

New Biofungicide Offers Disease Control and Plant Health Benefits
New Biofungicide Offers Disease Control and Plant Health Benefits

Convergence can be used in corn, soybeans and peanuts.

New Gene Discovery Will Help Combat Soybean Cyst Nematode
New Gene Discovery Will Help Combat Soybean Cyst Nematode

As the costliest pest in the U.S. for soybeans, this breakthrough means there will finally be options to develop varieties with enhanced SCN resistance.

New Research Finds Hope for Battling Tar Spot
New Research Finds Hope for Battling Tar Spot

Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service have identified several different species of fungi and bacteria that can stop tar spot from developing.

Broader, Stronger, Longer: BASF’s Revylok Fungicide
Broader, Stronger, Longer: BASF’s Revylok Fungicide

The company says it has three-fold benefits: long-lasting yield protection, premium disease control, and effective resistance management. 

New Profit Calculator Reveals How Much Soybean Cyst Nematode Costs You By Field
New Profit Calculator Reveals How Much Soybean Cyst Nematode Costs You By Field

The online tool from the SCN Coalition is free and easy to use. It’s backed by research done on more than 25,000 university soybean research plots across the U.S.

Plants, Not People, May Fall Prey To The Next Global Pandemic
Plants, Not People, May Fall Prey To The Next Global Pandemic

Lack of genetic diversity in crops may lead to an outcome worse than COVID-19.

Risk–Reward: Tar Spot Tolerant Versus Susceptible Hybrids
Risk–Reward: Tar Spot Tolerant Versus Susceptible Hybrids

Now's the time to start making notes of tar spot pressure, field by field and hybrid by hybrid, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal field agronomist.

Ferrie: Corn Top Dieback And Lack of Uniformity Are Contributing to Unrealistic Yield Estimates Now
Ferrie: Corn Top Dieback And Lack of Uniformity Are Contributing to Unrealistic Yield Estimates Now

Some farmers in central Illinois are making yield estimates of 250 to 270 bushels per acre. Ken Ferrie says in many of those cases a more realistic estimate, though disappointing, would be in the 170 to 220 range.

New Soybean Fungicides Target White Mold and Phytophthora Root Rot
New Soybean Fungicides Target White Mold and Phytophthora Root Rot

Corteva Agriscience introduces Viatude and LumiTreo to address tough disease issues and protect soybean yield potential. Both will be available for use in 2024. There are limited supplies of Viatude this season, as well.

Split, Pinch And Push Stalks If Tar Spot Strikes Now
Split, Pinch And Push Stalks If Tar Spot Strikes Now

Conditions are right for the disease to break loose in parts of the Midwest. If it does, agronomists recommend three steps farmers can take to prioritize affected cornfields for harvest to minimize yield loss.

Ugh. Tar Spot Moves In After Drought Leaves
Ugh. Tar Spot Moves In After Drought Leaves

Corn growers in 13 states have confirmed tar spot outbreaks now. Iowa leads the pack with the disease reported in at least 36 counties. Indiana is a close second. "It’s starting to explode," one agronomist says.

High Humidity a Contributing Factor in Tar Spot Outbreaks
High Humidity a Contributing Factor in Tar Spot Outbreaks

Farmers can use humidity charts for their area to assess when the disease could hit their corn crop as well as the optimum time to make a fungicide application, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Associate Field Agronomist.

Shake the Disease? Plant Reduced Soybean Pops
Shake the Disease? Plant Reduced Soybean Pops

In Bob Lindeman’s soybean rows, planting populations are on a general decline, and the reduction is not about saving dollars up front, but on combatting mold and rot.

Tarspotter App Could Help Shield Corn from a Tar Spot Invasion
Tarspotter App Could Help Shield Corn from a Tar Spot Invasion

“This is the earliest we’ve reported tar spot in Iowa,” says Robertson, Iowa State professor of plant pathology. She says the early detection could be due to the Tarspotter app. Here's how it works.

Red Crown Rot Reaches Illinois Soybean Fields, Suspected in Other Midwestern States
Red Crown Rot Reaches Illinois Soybean Fields, Suspected in Other Midwestern States

Double-digit yield losses are not uncommon. To date, 14 Illinois counties have confirmed the disease, and it's being scouted for elsewhere by seed company and Extension pathologists and agronomists.

Homegrown Tar Spot Is Showing Up Now Thanks To Inoculant From 2021
Homegrown Tar Spot Is Showing Up Now Thanks To Inoculant From 2021

Farmers with cornfields affected two years ago need to be ready this season, based on a corn-soybean rotation. Fields with high levels of residue are more susceptible, and beware heavy rains just prior to canopy.

Technology Unlocks The Door to New Modes of Action for Controlling Insects, Disease and Weeds
Technology Unlocks The Door to New Modes of Action for Controlling Insects, Disease and Weeds

Bayer Crop Science has unveiled a novel approach to the discovery and development of crop protection solutions, called CropKey. Company officials say it is helping them bring new products to the marketplace faster.

4 Sprayer Tricks to Keep Your Rig Rolling
4 Sprayer Tricks to Keep Your Rig Rolling

From lubricating booms to cleaning and replacing spray tips, ace mechanic Dan Anderson emphasizes the importance of prioritizing upkeep during the spraying season.

Farmers Edge Satellite Image
NASA’s Newest Mission is Focused on Helping U.S. Farmers

The agency recently launched a new initiative called Acres. Scientists plan for the data gathered through the program to help farmers with all kinds of decisions, from water use to what crops to plant and when.

Disease and Insects are Attacking Your Wheat Crop. Here's How to Know Whether to Make One Treatment or Two
Disease and Insects are Attacking Your Wheat Crop. Here's How to Know Whether to Make One Treatment or Two

Similarly, Ken Ferrie says to time your post-herbicide application in corn based on weed size and to address cutworm based on the level of damage you find. One pass in the field could work for both, but don't bet on it.

Tar Spot Found to Thrive on High-Humidity Days
Tar Spot Found to Thrive on High-Humidity Days

Before planting even starts, diseases are likely on soil residue. That includes tar spot. While many believe rainfall and temperatures are key tar spot drivers, Agronomist Missy Bauer says there's a third indicator.

How to Tackle Tar Spot In 2023
How to Tackle Tar Spot In 2023

As you pencil out your crop management plan for this year, assess your risk for tar spot. Then, be proactive.

Corn Seedling Diseases Don't Seem Dramatic, But The Yield Losses they Cause Sure Are
Corn Seedling Diseases Don't Seem Dramatic, But The Yield Losses they Cause Sure Are

Problems like tar spot get tons of attention because of the highly visible yield loss they cause in-season. Seedling diseases can pack the same punch. Some experts claim Pythium is the No. 1 disease issue in corn.

Ferrie: Assess Your Risks for Tar Spot this Season
Ferrie: Assess Your Risks for Tar Spot this Season

Cornfields hit by the disease in 2021 are at risk from a homegrown infection in 2023, if you're in a corn-soybean rotation. Hard rains prior to crop canopy are an added concern. They splash inoculant onto corn plants.

 Ferrie: Stop Top Kill to get Better Kernel Depth and Heavier Test Weights
Ferrie: Stop Top Kill to get Better Kernel Depth and Heavier Test Weights

Are your corn hybrids undergoing stress 10 to 15 days before black layer and experiencing top kill? That's going to hurt kernel depth and knock off those top-end yields you want to combine.

Is it Too Late to Control Tar Spot Now Spreading in Your Fields? Purdue Expert Provides Answers
Is it Too Late to Control Tar Spot Now Spreading in Your Fields? Purdue Expert Provides Answers

Unlike the early tar spot problem farmers experienced in 2021, the disease wasn't first reported in Indiana until August this year. Darcy Telenko studies the timing of fungicide applications in battling tar spot.

Boron helps ensure healthy crops. The micronutrient plays a role in many growth processes, including cell division, nitrogen metabolism and water absorption.
Is Your Operation Prepared for a Tar Spot Outbreak?

With tar spot’s ability to rapidly spread, agronomists fear another wave of the disease will hit the Midwest again this season.

Want More ROI from Fungicide Use in Corn? Fine-Tune Your Strategy
Want More ROI from Fungicide Use in Corn? Fine-Tune Your Strategy

If your traditional approach to fungicide applications in corn is to wait until you see signs of disease pressure, it could be time to rethink your strategy.

How to Conquer the Cornfield Wrecking Ball of Tar Spot
How to Conquer the Cornfield Wrecking Ball of Tar Spot

Evaluate your crop’s vulnerability to the destructive force of tar spot.

AgWeb_Dupont_FungicideJune2016_400x300
You May Get Just One Fungicide Application. Line It Up Now

Availability could be a challenge this season. If you can only make one application, pull the trigger between tassel and R3 in corn and between R2 and R3 in soybeans, advises Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

SCN Makes Planting Beans after Beans Financially Questionable
SCN Makes Planting Beans after Beans Financially Questionable

Yield losses of 5 percent are par for the course in second-year soybeans. Pest problems can boost those losses to 50 percent or more.

Tar Spot 2022: Get Ready for a Lion, Hope for a Lamb
Tar Spot 2022: Get Ready for a Lion, Hope for a Lamb

There's plenty of disease inoculum in cornfields across the Midwest. It's just a matter of whether Mother Nature will unleash the devastation this season that many farmers saw in 2021.

Tar Spot Found In New States, Severe Infestation Slashes Yield
Tar Spot Found In New States, Severe Infestation Slashes Yield

This late season disease is nothing to hit the snooze button on. “This is a disease you have to pay attention to,” says Dr. Nathan Kleczewski, plant pathologist with Growmark.

crops
Biostimulant Use gains Traction on U.S. Crop Ground, Report Says

These biological products have the ability to increase germination, improve nutrient uptake, enhance nutrient-use efficiency and increase tolerance to and recovery from abiotic stresses.

Ferrie: Tar Spot is ‘Causing the Wheels to come off the Bus’
Ferrie: Tar Spot is ‘Causing the Wheels to come off the Bus’

The disease is shutting down corn crop growth prematurely in parts of Illinois, especially in fields with D hybrids. You may need to harvest those fields sooner than later.

Ferrie: Disease Pressure is Bringing Corn to its Knees
Ferrie: Disease Pressure is Bringing Corn to its Knees

Check the stalk quality of D and L-1 hybrids. One has been hit by late-season disease, while high winds have taken a toll on the other.

Ferrie: Severe Tar Spot is Shutting Down Corn, Encouraging Top Leaf Dieback
Ferrie: Severe Tar Spot is Shutting Down Corn, Encouraging Top Leaf Dieback

Cornfields that had promised above-average or record yields, prior to being affected, are now more likely to produce average results at harvest.

Ferrie: Southern Rust is in some Illinois Corn at R4 Stage, 30 Days from Finish Line
Ferrie: Southern Rust is in some Illinois Corn at R4 Stage, 30 Days from Finish Line

Crops across much of the state look good heading into the home stretch but still need to be monitored for insects and disease.

New Corn Herbicide and Soybean Insecticide Under EPA Consideration for 2022 Season
New Corn Herbicide and Soybean Insecticide Under EPA Consideration for 2022 Season

Corteva Agriscience has a robust number of products it expects to introduce to U.S. farmers between now and 2023 for use in more than 10 crops.

Biofungicides Can Fill A Role In Conventional Crops
Biofungicides Can Fill A Role In Conventional Crops

Such products can help prevent or ward off pathogenic fungi and bacteria and, in some cases, be paired with conventional disease-control measures.

New Seed Treatment Offers Novel Active Ingredient To Address Pythium and Phytophthora
New Seed Treatment Offers Novel Active Ingredient To Address Pythium and Phytophthora

The fungicide is based on picarbutrazox and will protect corn and soybean seedlings from blight and damping-off diseases.