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Tar spot ramping up in Western Corn Belt

A tech service representative with BASF says the wet growing season has led to increased reports of tar spot in corn fields.

Kurt Maertens says the Western Corn Belt has been impacted the most. “We’re right at the tail end of that laten period with tar spot, which is like 21 days. I’m getting more and more phone calls of fields where we’re starting to see this tar spot.”

He tells Brownfield some growers have been battling the disease since late May. “Definitely the earliest we’ve ever seen tar spot show up in the entire Midwest.”

Kansas was the first state to have a confirmed detection of tar spot in 2024.

Maertens says there’s still an opportunity for growers to spray a fungicide. “We’ve built up a tremendous crop. If it turns out like 2021 and 2018 with all of the stress and disease pressure and nutrient deficiencies, we’ll start crashing this corn down.”

He spoke to Brownfield at BASF’s recent field day near Story City, Iowa.

AUDIO: Kurt Maertens, BASF Tech Service Representative 7-30-2024