Keith Harris
Heathsville, Va
“One and Done” Fungicide Strategy Fits Humid Growing Conditions for Virginia Corn
Situation
In 2013, rainy weather set up the perfect storm for diseases to cut corn yields for Heathsville, Va., growers Keith and Matthew Harris, father and son. Typically, they average about 140 bushels of corn per acre.
The two growers regarded corn disease as an every year, inevitable challenge. And 2013 seemed especially severe. “It rained a lot,” recalled Keith. “We were late getting the corn planted and that’s one of the factors to consider about foliar diseases such as northern blight and rust. When it’s hot, humid and rainy, that is perfect weather for diseases.
“It’s very important that we protect the crop’s yield potential with fungicide,” he added. The problem, he recognized, was selecting the best product for the job—one that could go on early and would last a long time.
Solution
Harris learned about a new product called FORTIX® Fungicide. It offers a “One and Done” strategy—full-season fungicide benefits with one early application.
FORTIX combines fluoxastrobin, a fast-acting strobilurin, with flutriafol, the most residual and systemic of all triazoles. The complementary modes of action provide broad spectrum activity against a variety of plant diseases. In corn, FORTIX provides season-long control against Gray Leaf Spot, Southern and Northern Corn Leaf Blight, Northern Corn Leaf Spot, Anthracnose Leaf Blight, Common and Southern Rust and Eyespot.
Harris was concerned about disease pressure cutting yield potential. “You’ve got to protect yield or the diseases will rob you. When it gets wet in July and August, you won’t know you have a problem until it shows up in the field,” he said.
Growers can apply FORTIX early in the season. It is rain-fast within two hours of application and lasts long enough to keep corn healthy right through to harvest. So, he applied FORTIX at six ounces per acre on corn and then waited out the humid, rainy season to see if the new fungicide would meet his expectations.
Success
“I used FORTIX to see what kind of yield response I would get, but now I’m starting to look at fungicides for the plant health aspects,” Harris said. “Anything you can do to help corn stay healthy in the field is going to benefit you at harvest time.”
At season’s end, FORTIX met the Harris team’s high expectations. Keith measured a three-bushel per acre yield advantage with FORTIX, when compared to untreated acres. They are thinking about expanding its use in 2014. The FORTIX-applied corn yield was 181 bushels per acre compared with the 178 for the check strip.
“Yes sir, I’ll use again,” Harris said. “We like the way FORTIX performed and we’ll be putting it on our irrigated corn next year.”