Mid July Check-in
It seems the weather pattern has shifted from cool and dry, then warm and dry and now cool and wet. It's enough to make your head spin keeping pace with the season. But with the change in weather comes a change in strategy when considering disease control.
White Mould is now a very real concern in soybeans, edible beans, and canola for most areas. The last year with widespread white mould was 2014 and we have very similar conditions now at this point in the season. Temperatures ranging from 15-25 C and sustained wet soils are at high risk for white mould development. Other risk factors include dense canopy, open flowers, repeated or consistent wet canopy, heavy dew, high humidity, susceptible variety, manure/fertility, and white mould history. There are many areas that can check off numerous factors in this list. It is important to apply the fungicide early when soybeans are between R1-first flower and R2-full flower. There is a wide range of stages in bean fields currently due to the variable emergence conditions back in May. The flowers and stems are the target for the fungicide so higher water volume-20 gallons is recommended. If similar conditions persist for another 2 weeks, there may be a benefit to a second application. But hopefully we will see some sun and heat before then.
Products to use in Soybeans: Stratego Pro, Delaro Complete, Acapela, Viatude, Cotegra.
Products to use in Edible beans: Allegro, ProPulse, Cotegra.
Products to use in Canola: Proline, Propulse (Proline Gold), Cotegra.
There is a range of effectiveness and price across these products. Give me a call for further discussion on the best product for your specific situation.
Soybean Aphids can be found across the region. The first fields crossed the threshold for spraying late last week and insecticide applications have begun. As a reminder the threshold to spray aphids is 250 aphids per plant on 75% or more plants with numbers increasing. A few things to keep in mind: aphids are found on the underside of the newest leaves at the top and within the canopy, aphids can double in number in 48-72 hours under optimum conditions, aphid numbers can crash quickly when fungal pathogens kick in. On the plus side we do have better Insecticides now that are more effective, target only the aphids and keep the beneficials in the field. Currently the product of choice is Sefina from BASF. You can tank mix this with a fungicide if warranted. The team is rechecking any fields that were at higher numbers at their last visit, and we will continue to monitor for aphids as the season progresses. If you would like your fields checked sooner give me a call.