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Despite tight margins, some farmers see fungicide as key to crop protection

Some Illinois farmers are happy about their decision to use fungicides on their corn crop this year.

Ken Franklin, who farms in Christian County in the central part of the state, says diseases like southern rust and tar spot were widespread and affected yields.

“Tar spot came on maybe a little bit late.”  He says, “It didn’t really affect the yield a whole lot. The one that probably killed us was the rust. It was coming pretty hard when I sprayed the fungicide the first time, thought we had a handle on it. It still came in late.”

Brady Holst, who farms in Hancock County on the western side of the state, tells Brownfield he’s seeing above-average yields, which he partially attributes to the use of fungicide.

“It was enough out there still that when harvesting it’s really dusty, you know, the combines are all covered in the stuff from, like the rust or the black from different diseases.”  He says, “So, it was definitely out there even after the fungicide had gotten it through the growing season.”

AUDIO: Brady Holst – Illinois farmer

He says this year’s early onset of southern rust has him considering multiple fungicide passes next year.

“A couple of fields we did a second pass.”  He says, “There was a little bit of a benefit from it, but I think really if we wanted to do two, we should have went out even earlier and got it well before tassel, then put it on a little bit later. So, I think the timing on it is probably a big part of it. It would have been a little bit better to spread them out a little bit more.”

Franklin says, despite the down ag economy, he sees crop protection as vital.

“You gotta protect the crops.”  He says, “You never know when you might get that inch of rain.”

Franklin says the disease impact would likely have been even worse if the late-season drought had not limited the available moisture for pathogens. 

AUDIO: Ken Franklin – Illinois farmer