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| So I'm always looking for varieties that include good resistance to leaf diseases, but that never seems to be the focus for many seed companies, instead they just add their recommendations for using fungicides for about all of their lineup.
Used to be mainly GLS, then tar spot moved in quick, but luckily some varieties that 1st year had decent resistance just by chance, and now S. Rust looks like it might become to be almost an annual disease for many of us.
Don't know how many disease texts I've rec'd the last few days from seed company agronomist updating disease spread, best timing for spraying, etc.
With trying to select for resistance varieties, feel like I've reduced the yield hit to maybe more in the 20 bu. range loss where I don't apply fungicides, which I don't apply in the irregular tree lined areas of the fields, which is approx. half my acres. Guess I'm still protesting in my own way to an extent versus just accepting this is what you have to do on all acres.
Do I take some economic losses by not having applied? Sometimes yes, sometimes, no, but so far haven't had what I'd consider that significant of yield hits with the more resistant varieties, and also know I'll take some economic hits from using lower rates of N than recommended, somewhat balanced by the times I do get economic benefits from underapplying for both Fung. and N. Would rather miss on the low side of inputs than over apply chasing bragging rights or whatever. | |
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Organic Fungicide?
