It was anything but a typical growing season, with shifting weather patterns and disease pressure forcing farmers to make quick, difficult decisions in their fields. For many, the call was not just about agronomy but also economics, as tighter margins made another fungicide pass a tough expense to justify. The crops may still look good from the road, but behind that picture is the reality that a significant amount of yield potential was quietly lost along the way.
Joining us to dig into those tough end-of-season realities is Mark Storr, Technical Service Representative with BASF. He says fields that did not receive that second fungicide pass often paid the price at harvest, with corn dying prematurely, cobs turning rubbery, and kernels coming in shallow. In some untreated areas, Storr has heard reports of 30-to-60-bushel yield reductions compared to fields that were protected. In the hardest hit spots, some farmers found that two fungicide applications were the only way to hold the line against disease pressure.
Storr adds that BASF will be pulling plot data this fall to learn more about how products like Veltyma, considered a top standard for corn fungicides, performed under this year’s pressure. Their trials look not only at higher application rates but also at the value of sequential treatments. He says the results should offer farmers a clearer picture of how to protect yield when conditions line up the way they did this season.
Looking back, Storr says the speed and severity of this year’s disease pressure came from a “perfect storm” of conditions. Southern rust showed up in record fashion, with first reports on July 16, meaning it had likely been in fields earlier, carried north on southerly winds, and delivered by frequent rains. At the same time, tar spot was also moving aggressively through the canopy. With both diseases fueled by plentiful rainfall and heavy humidity, fields quickly became a hotspot for infection, creating one of the most challenging mid-season environments farmers have faced in recent years.
While it is too late to change the outcome for this year’s crop, Storr says farmers should take stock of what they saw and work with their agronomy partners to plan for next season. That means reviewing fungicide strategies but also building contingency plans with both agronomists and financial advisors to be ready for whatever pressures come their way. The fields may look good from the road, but the reality is they could have been better, and in today’s tough marketplace, every bushel counts, and no one can afford to leave dollars on the table.
