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Beck’s agronomists discuss fungicides during webinar
 
By Michele F. Mihaljevich
Indiana Correspondent

ATLANTA, Ind. – When thinking about the use of fungicides, farmers should keep in mind such things as the growth stage of the plant and the disease they’re trying to fight, according to Mike Blaine, Beck’s field agronomist and technical training lead.
Blaine, along with two other members of Beck’s agronomy team, hosted the “Not Your Average Fungicide” webinar June 27.
“There’s a number of resources, make sure you use them. As far as growth stages, if you’re not familiar with it and confident in it, that’s the most important thing,” he explained. “Knowing where you’re at is critical to the success of those products. Too early, too late, you can miss the mark completely.”
As for which disease a farmer is targeting, Blaine said, “Even post-mortem, anytime through the growing season, knowing what diseases you have in your field you’re trying to manage is very important for the decisions you make the next year.”
Farmers should know about the crop they’re managing, he noted. With soybeans, for example, it’s important to know the development and timing of vegetative growth, flowering, pod development and seed filling, Blaine added.
Fungicides, he said, are a part of our efficient food production. “The loss of a fungicide to agriculture through disease resistance is a problem that affects us all.”
Matt Montgomery, Beck’s agronomy education lead, opened the webinar by explaining how fungicides work.
“Whenever I’ve talked to people about modes of action, be it herbicides or fungicides, I’ve tried to stress this point – cells are really delicate pieces of hardware, and really with our pesticide tools, the tools we have in our toolbox, be they herbicides or fungicides, what we tend to do is take advantage of the delicate nature of the cell. We remove one little tiny thing and that cascades into the cell not being able to survive.”
Mode of action (MOA) refers to the specific cellular process inhibited by a particular fungicide, Blaine said.
Using the correct fungicide MOA matters, he noted. “When I think about weeds, insects and bacteria, where we have very high levels of resistance, it really comes down to if we continue to use the same products without regard to the crop we’re managing or potentially the pest we’re managing, it doesn’t lead to a good situation.
“We’re really not saying not to use fungicides, but we want to continue to preserve the effectiveness so that we as growers, advisers, farmers – that we maintain control of the decision of how and when we use fungicides.”
Understanding and managing fungicide MOA matters, Blaine pointed out. It’s important that farmers are in a position to make correct decisions when it comes to disease management, he said.
It matters due to resistance diseases such as Cercospora and Brown Spot, Blaine said. It matters in every crop, every year, and in every field on every farm, he said.
Blaine said diseases can occur if three factors are present – a plant is susceptible to the disease-causing organism(s); a pathogen (organism) to infect the host; and a proper environment for the crop and pathogen to grow.
Clayton Stufflebeam, Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR) agronomist, discussed what has been learned from PFR field testing the last few years regarding the best methods of fungicide application to ensure a good return on investment (ROI).
He compared the ROI for such things as growth stage, timing and carrier rate for corn and soybeans, based on PFR trials.
In corn, testing showed the ROI was highest when fungicide was applied during the R1 stage. Application at R4 showed a loss, and application during the other stages wasn’t profitable, Blaine said.
For corn and soybeans, the highest ROI occurred when applications were done beginning in the morning, he said. When he sprays on corn, he starts at 8 a.m. and works until noon or 1 p.m.; he suggested starting as early as 6 a.m.-7 a.m. on soybeans.
Higher carrier rates using a ground machine for application on corn and soybeans led to better ROIs, Blaine said. He recommended a rate of 15 gallons an acre for corn, and 20 gallons an acre for soybeans.
In summary, Stufflebeam reminded webinar attendees to “spray in the morning when the humidity is high and temperature is low if possible. (The) carrier rate for a ground machine application should be at least 15 gallons per acre. (Farmers should remember to) pay attention to pH for longer droplet survivability.
“Don’t give up on reduced stands and later planting dates. If your application method has worked for you, stick with it.”
7/15/2025