Will 2019 be a disease year?

It may be impossible to tell with complete certainty where a disease will be an issue, but most people can agree on the conditions that can lead to disease. These conditions, otherwise known as the Disease Triangle, include a susceptible host, a conducive environment and a pathogen. When those three things collide, there will be a disease issue.

disease triangle

Though we can see the triangle forming, we can’t always predict how strong the pathogen will spread or how strong it will be. Because we are unable to make this prediction, prevention and planning are key to stopping the spread of diseases.

Set up for Success

Since a healthy plant withstands stress significantly better than one facing nutrient deficiencies or disease and insect pressure, creating a prevention plan catered to a grower’s specific situation is recommended.

Early planting has a number of benefits including increased yield and the potential to avoid an early fall frost. As many growers aim to get an early start to planting, there are specific challenges to keep in mind. For example, the earlier growers plant, the cooler the soil may be, which can delay emergence, slow plant growth and make seeds more susceptible to disease pressure.

Establishing a crop protection plan

Seed treatment is a valuable tool to protect the seed and young seedling. When used as part of a crop protection plan, seed treatments can add a layer of protection for plant development. As part of that protection plan, utilizing fungicides in the strobilurin family can protect the developing seedling and clean up the soil in the root zone, minimizing disease inoculum throughout the season.

In addition to disease control and cleaning up the soil, strobilurin fungicides provide additional plant health benefits including increased greening, improved drought tolerance and better resistance to later season diseases and insects.

Using a fungicide at plant

Historically, there’s been a challenge putting fungicides down at plant because they either required additional equipment or didn’t mix well with liquid fertilizer, other chemicals or micronutrients. Talk to your local agronomist about fungicides that are fertilizer-compatible.

Original Source: Leaders of In-Furrow Technology, West Central

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