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Corn maturity key to assessing late-season disease risk
An extension plant pathologist says while corn disease risk is lessening growers should keep their guard up.
Dean Malvick with the University of Minnesota tells Brownfield.
“We do (need to keep our guard up) in the sense that we still want to know where it’s developing and how much. Although in many places now we are far enough along in corn maturity that the risk is getting very low.”
He says corn at dent stage or beyond should be in the clear.
“So that’s the first thing to figure out, where we are (in maturity). And generally speaking, after that R stage, that dough stage, any applications (of fungicide) really provide minimal benefit.”
Malvick says most fungicides are actually better at preventing pathogens like tar spot and southern rust, rather than curing the disease.
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