Author: Kiersten Wise
Planning Unit: Plant Pathology
Major Program: Plant Disease ID
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
The widespread adoption of fungicide application to corn has led to improved yields by better control of foliar diseases. This adoption has created a paradigm shift in the farmer approach to in-season corn management and ever-increasing opportunities related to application technique, fungicide product options and now, short-stature corn hybrids which increase the number of acres ground-driven spray equipment can navigate. An on-farm trial was established in Daviess County in 2023 in cooperation with Clint Hardy, Daviess County agriculture agent, and with the support of Bayer CropScience. The Daviess County farm business hosting the trial was one of only two research locations in the United States for this trial comparing the efficacy of ground-applied fungicide applications to helicopter and drone-applied fungicides in traditional “tall” corn and the new short-stature corn from Bayer CropScience. Research indicated that all application methods effectively reduced foliar disease and increased yield compared to a non-treated control in all hybrids tested. Spray deposition variability was observed among application methods and will be further investigated through University research trials. Yield data indicate that over all hybrids tested, fungicide application resulted in a 9 to 12 bushel per acre gain over the non-treated control, resulting in an approximate profit of $10 to 25 per acre from a fungicide application. These data were presented at a Daviess County extension meeting on June 20 and will be distributed further through extension channels in 2024.
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