Should corn yields depend on fungicides?

PositionFarming - Brief article

Unless a corn crop is at risk of developing fungal diseases, a study by Purdue University, West Lafayette. Ind., shows that farmers would be smart to skip fungicide treatments that promise increased yields. Fungicides used in fields where conditions are optimal for fungal diseases improve yields and pay for themselves. However. applying a fungicide likely is a waste of money in fields where diseases are unlikely to develop.

"About five years ago, we never used fungicides in hybrid corn. Then there was this push to use fungicides for yield enhancement, even without disease problems," points out Kiersten Wise, assistant professor of botany and plant pathology. "We found that you would have to get a substantial yield increase for a fungicide treatment to pay for itself. We didn't see that yield increase on a consistent basis, and it wasn't predictable."

The...

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