KAY MCGIRT

ROWLOAND, NC

Situation

Kay McGirt had never been one to automatically—year in and year out—apply a foliar fungicide to his corn crop. The Rowland, N.C., grower believed that when corn prices were low, the best strategy for his acres was to minimize production costs, even at the risk of taking a yield hit from disease pressure.

Then late spring corn prices started to nudge above $7 per bushel. McGirt took a fresh look at his crop’s value. He determined that a yield loss to common leaf blight and leaf spot diseases would significantly affect his profit potential. It was time, he concluded, to invest in a fungicide.

Solution

McGirt consulted with his local chemical supplier about the best option to fit his fields. The grower wanted a product that could be applied with a ground sprayer, early in the season, and provide long-lasting control.

The supplier recommended FORTIX® Fungicide, a new product jointly marketed by Cheminova, Inc. and Arysta LifeScience. FORTIX offers a “One and Done” strategy—full season fungicide benefits with one early application. FORTIX combines fluoxastrobin, a fast-acting strobilurin, and flutriafol, the most residual and systemic of all triazoles. The complimentary modes of action provide broad spectrum activity against a variety of plant diseases.

“We put it on the first week in May,” recalled McGirt. “We were able to use the ground application and get it to the plant. We got the coverage to where it needed to be. We treated just a portion of the crop.”

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.

Success

“We did see that yield increase,” said McGirt. The portion of his crop treated with FORTIX yielded 8-10 bushels per acre better than corn that was untreated, he related.

“We are taking better care of our corn,” he observed. “We saw no signs of disease in the acres treated with FORTIX.

“I think the FORTIX gave it an advantage as far as pollination,” said McGirt. “When the corn started to pollinate, we noticed the silks were in better shape. Perhaps the plant was healthier and it just could put more energy into growing the crop.”

McGirt will always weigh anticipated crop price against the cost of growing it. And FORTIX has earned his respect. It delivered more corn bushels to the bin in a year when each bushel held a lot of value.

This year, McGirt anticipates using FORTIX on more corn acres. And, he said, it’ll likely go on some soybean acres, too.

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