It’s been a tough spring for corn planting in Ontario, with the planting season starting in late April and some growers only just getting the last of their land planted in the last few days of June.
The seven-week planting season presents challenges for growers as they assess yield potential, protect their crops from disease and apply fungicides to optimize yields. Real Agriculture Corn SchoolBASF Canada agronomist Ken Kara discusses what producers should consider when managing late-planted or uneven corn, both farm-wide and in individual fields.
When it comes to fungicides, Cara says the first things growers worry about are ear rot, emetic toxins and deoxynivalenol (DON). The application time here is usually between the VT and R1 growth stages. “We want green silk and you want to see at least three-quarters of an inch of silk on three-quarters of the plant,” Cara says.
Cara said growers can expect to reduce DON by 50 to 60 percent if they apply fungicides at the right time. In uneven corn that produces uneven ears, that protection drops to 30 to 50 percent.
As for foliar diseases, growers will need to watch out for northern corn leaf blight and will also have to deal with a new wave of yield-destroying tar spot disease, which has already been seen in the U.S. and is expected to make an early impact on Ontario fields.
In the video, Cara highlights that Ontario farmers have three years of experience managing tar spot disease, with fungicides proven to be effective in lab trials and corn fields across the province, and that the R1 application period continues to provide the best return on investment for farmers.
Carra also stresses the need to think about yield when planning a fungicide strategy for crops in 2024. He says the focus tends to be on how fungicides can reduce DON and protect yield, but with a lot of uneven and late-planted corn this year, the fungicide’s ability to advance the crop later in the season will be a key advantage.
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