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Review AccountWeather Extremes and an Encroaching Disease Mark the Year
Dec 26, 2024
Wet and wetter, then dry and warm. It was a year of extremes, Kevin Carlson, Federated’s agronomy sales manager observed. The result? Crop challenges, especially on corn.
“We saw above average drown-out, and significantly above-average loss of nitrogen (N) on corn,” he said. Where farmers typically deal with leeching N, this year growers saw denitrification. When it’s wet for extended periods, denitrification occurs, and that’s not typical in Federated’s geographies.
In the end, stand loss was evident, and nitrogen depletion when and where it couldn’t be addressed, took its toll on yield.
“Yields were good, but could have been better,” Carlson concluded.
When it came to N management, split applications proved helpful, but, in hindsight, even more than normal N should have been applied. “We should have increased the total N to 50-60 lbs./ac.,” Carlson said. That’s not normal, but that would have helped yields in the wet year.
The wet weather significantly contributed to the other notable challenge in 2024: tar spot.
There was low to moderate pressure from tar spot in Federated’s geographies last year but the above-average rainfall this year, especially in August, created the perfect environment for the disease to spread.
The disease resides in crop residue, and “prolonged humidity (75% at times) in the canopy with a disease presence makes tar spot spread and disburse,” said Carlson.
Once tar spot is in the field, in the residue, it’s there, and it can overwinter quite well. “A cold winter doesn’t seem to matter,” he said.
“This is the most significant disease in my career thus far,” said Carlson. Plant pathologists believe it’s here and it’s not going away. It is particularly challenging for corn-on-corn and/or irrigated fields.
The fact that the disease doesn’t go away signals growers to consider their crop management techniques. Your Federated Agronomists are doing the research and getting the training to develop the best crop management recommendations for fields with tar spot. This video offers perspectives and how to ID tar spot.
The one thing that growers can do--with or without tar spot—is to focus on bushels. “Bushels solve a lot of issues,” said Carlson, acknowledging that commodity and input pricing, and interest rates add to the “issues.”
Hybrids that provide a good return on investment (ROI) are a great option (but “picking a hybrid is not a silver bullet,” Carlson cautioned.) Fungicides, such as Miravis® Neo, are critical when diseases such as tar spot threaten yields. Developing a solid crop management plan for nutrients, disease mitigation, and weed control leads to a strong ROI.
At the end of a year like 2024, it’s clear that production ag is all about managing through the challenges. Your Federated Agronomists are ready to help you meet the challenges and make good plans. Let’s meet the challenges and succeed together in 2025!
“We saw above average drown-out, and significantly above-average loss of nitrogen (N) on corn,” he said. Where farmers typically deal with leeching N, this year growers saw denitrification. When it’s wet for extended periods, denitrification occurs, and that’s not typical in Federated’s geographies.
In the end, stand loss was evident, and nitrogen depletion when and where it couldn’t be addressed, took its toll on yield.
“Yields were good, but could have been better,” Carlson concluded.
When it came to N management, split applications proved helpful, but, in hindsight, even more than normal N should have been applied. “We should have increased the total N to 50-60 lbs./ac.,” Carlson said. That’s not normal, but that would have helped yields in the wet year.
The wet weather significantly contributed to the other notable challenge in 2024: tar spot.
There was low to moderate pressure from tar spot in Federated’s geographies last year but the above-average rainfall this year, especially in August, created the perfect environment for the disease to spread.
The disease resides in crop residue, and “prolonged humidity (75% at times) in the canopy with a disease presence makes tar spot spread and disburse,” said Carlson.
Once tar spot is in the field, in the residue, it’s there, and it can overwinter quite well. “A cold winter doesn’t seem to matter,” he said.
“This is the most significant disease in my career thus far,” said Carlson. Plant pathologists believe it’s here and it’s not going away. It is particularly challenging for corn-on-corn and/or irrigated fields.
The fact that the disease doesn’t go away signals growers to consider their crop management techniques. Your Federated Agronomists are doing the research and getting the training to develop the best crop management recommendations for fields with tar spot. This video offers perspectives and how to ID tar spot.
The one thing that growers can do--with or without tar spot—is to focus on bushels. “Bushels solve a lot of issues,” said Carlson, acknowledging that commodity and input pricing, and interest rates add to the “issues.”
Hybrids that provide a good return on investment (ROI) are a great option (but “picking a hybrid is not a silver bullet,” Carlson cautioned.) Fungicides, such as Miravis® Neo, are critical when diseases such as tar spot threaten yields. Developing a solid crop management plan for nutrients, disease mitigation, and weed control leads to a strong ROI.
At the end of a year like 2024, it’s clear that production ag is all about managing through the challenges. Your Federated Agronomists are ready to help you meet the challenges and make good plans. Let’s meet the challenges and succeed together in 2025!