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Take action against tar spot

Tar Spot has been confirmed earlier than usual this year in Missouri and regional agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids Jon Skinner says it’s because the weather has been perfect for the disease.

“It’s been in the region in the past and so that’s where we’re getting the infection from is from the spores that over winter on decaying corn residue, and then we get the right environmental conditions (that) we got infected this year.”

Skinner says tar spot thrives in conditions where the humidity is high and plants are wet, and fungicides are required to manage it.

“So you look at some of your STGI’s fungicides and you look at multi-mode of actions fungicides and spray those as we approach tassel.”

He says selecting the right hybrids and making sure plants are healthy can help prevent yield loss.

“If you are suffering from potassium deficiencies that’s going to have more stress on your plant, it’s not going to be able to move water (and) nutrients and have those self-defense mechanisms we need to prevent the infection.”

Stangler recently interviewed Jon Skinner at Beck’s Bash in Columbia, Missouri.