Summer Fungicide Time

The crops in this area all look good. Beans are starting to turn dark green, and most corn fields are tasseled. So far, I have found very few diseases in corn and the weed control has been excellent in two pass systems. There are some areas in the beans that have received too much water, but overall they look very good.

I have been getting some calls on fungicide applications on beans. Adding a fungicide application on beans is an effective way to get some more bushels out of your crop. Over the years we have found that by adding a fungicide on your beans at the R3 stage will usually give you a 3-to-5-bushel increase. We have even seen cases where we have seen a seven-to-ten-bushel increase.

Adding insecticide seems to give another one-to-two-bushel increase. Markets are low right now, but the best way to survive low markets is to out-bushel it. We need just 3.5 bushels of extra yield per acre on soybeans to cover the cost of adding a fungicide like Priaxor with an insecticide. We have seen over the last several years that we usually get well over that mark.

Fungicide applications will be starting in the next 10 to 14 days. Take the time to call your SFG agronomist to discuss some fungicide options for your beans!