Positive results for producers | Many things to consider before making second application
Western Canadian producers are warming up to fungicides as the number of sprayed acres steadily increases since 2006.
“I think it comes down to the fact that the growers are seeing a value in fungicide application on a more regular basis,” said Glen Forster, technical development specialist with BASF.
Forster told the Soils and Crops presentations hosted by the University of Saskatchewan March 13-14 that he has studied field trials over the past 10 years and found consistent year-to-year trends that occur from fungicide application.
For example, studies of Headline applications on field peas since 2003 found an 11 percent increase in yields compared to untreated fields. It comes down to the return on investment.
Read Also
Saskatchewan Co-ops to acquire Blair’s locations
Blair’s Family of Companies will be turning over the operation of six ag retail locations in Saskatchewan to local Co-ops
Fungicides that reduce fusarium head blight increased grain quality, while lentil studies revealed a six percent increase in seed size in 2008 trials sites, which increased marketability.
Improved harvestability was seen in areas with higher disease pressure.
Forster said pulse growers have said that harvesting the crop is a little easier before it lodges.
Flax crops in 2010 under high disease pressure and moisture also produced less lodging as compared to untreated sites during a windstorm.
He said it ultimately comes down to an increase in overall commodity prices.
“You don’t need as many bushels in the hopper in order to pay for that fungicide application, as well as the improved quality that you may have seen,” he said.
“So if one application is good, what about two? Yes, a second application has an impact, but more importantly when we’re making recommendations and when our reps are making recommendations out in the field, it’s got to be both profitable for the grower as well as sustainable and that’s the main thing that we want to look at.”
Forster said the first application is the most important, and farmers need to consider seven factors before making the second application: history of disease in the field, tightened rotation, planting a more susceptible cultivar, wet conditions seven to 10 days after the first application, slight hail damage causing infection points for disease, high commodity prices and a field used for seed production.
“But really, ultimately it comes down to, a grower, when they’re making a decision, it does come down to that return on investment. So if it pays and you have to pay on a two-to-one return on investment for that application, it does provide a chance for a second application to go down,” he said.
“Ultimately, guidelines should be followed and to make sure to look at it from a whole crop approach and not utilized in isolation. This shouldn’t be used to go back to back on a crop, but be able to utilize within a sustainable management system.”
