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Tight margins highlight the value of fungicides in protecting corn yield potential

A senior manager with BASF says corn growers across the country saw firsthand the benefits of fungicides in 2025.

“There were up to 20 to 60 bushels lost, which translates to a lot of money being left on the table.”

Amy Pawlick says protecting the crop against diseases like southern rust and tar spot was vital to a successful season.

“This ended up being a really perfect example of how much yield can be left on the table if you’re not proactively planning to apply a fungicide,” she says.

She tells Brownfield, “It can be really easy to slip into the mindset when margins are tight, that I don’t know if I want to invest in this last product on the acre, and that usually ends up being a fungicide.”  She says, “Seasons like this just really kind of underscore the value of planning proactively and using the right fungicide.”

Pawlick says each season is different, but she notes that fungicides provide added protection for the investment in the crop during vital growing stages.

More than 1,800 farmers and 300 retailers across 30 states participated in BASF’s 2025 Real Results Yield Challenge, testing BASF fungicides. Three farmers, Danny Schnexnayder, Barry Stauffer, and John Thevis, were selected as winners, each receiving a two-year lease on a 2025 Ford Super Duty F-250 Lariat. 

AUDIO: Amy Pawlick – BASF