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Scout fields before applying fungicide

A corn specialist at Purdue University urges farmers to scout fields for disease pressure before applying fungicide on corn.

Bob Nielsen tells Brownfield some farmers in the Eastern corn belt are applying fungicide in places where it isn’t needed.

“There is some gray leaf spot in some of the fields I’ve walked in but it’s very low in the canopy and it’s minor in severity,” he says. “What I’m seeing so far is very little evidence that there is a wide spread need for applying fungicide at least at this point.”

Instead, he says farmers should wait a little longer and continue to evaluate crops.

“I would just wait another week, see how the disease progresses, and as long as that disease stays below the ear leaf then the consequences on yield are relatively minor.”

Nielsen says now is a time to scrutinize input decisions because of low commodity prices.

Audio: Bob Nielsen, Purdue University