By Brian Hefty

A few months ago, I was very concerned about the overall fungicide market.  Here’s what I mean by that.  We’ve applied fungicides in corn, soybeans, and wheat for years, but in order to continue using these products, we need a good return on investment.  With falling commodity prices and the fact that fungicide prices had been going up several years in a row, I didn’t know if we could justify using fungicides in 2015.

One of the fun things I get to do every year is meet with many of the top people in each of the major crop protection manufacturers.  When I did that last summer, I expressed my concerns with all of these companies, and whether I had anything to do with it or not, you will see lower fungicide prices now for 2015.

Getting a lower price is great, but is it possible to also cut the cost of fungicides by using lower rates?  In certain cases, yes, you can lower the use rate.  Let me give you 4 examples:

  1. In-furrow in corn, we have been told by BASF that 4 oz. of Headline is giving similar effectiveness to 6 oz.  This should save you $5 per acre
  2. Applied foliar at R2-R3 in soybeans in drier climates, we have run studies for years seeing half rates work just as effectively as full rates.  Keep in mind that when plants are small, using a half rate of fungicide is equivalent to using a full rate when plants are fully grown.  This likely explains our results.
  3. At herbicide timing in wheat, most farmers in drier areas are using a half rate of fungicide and seeing good control of tan spot and other diseases.  Here again, a small plant probably doesn’t need a full rate of fungicide like a big plant does.
  4. Foliar at V6-V7 in corn, we are getting similar gains using half rates compared to full rates.

I know you may be thinking that using a half rate will contribute to disease resistance, but if it is in a dry climate where diseases aren’t rampant and when you’re only using the half rate on smaller plants, I doubt you’re adding much to any resistance issue.  Plus, if you use a 2 mode of action product, that will certainly help.

Finally, I encourage you to check out the Iowa Soybean Association’s Fungicide Calculator at
http://www.isafarmnet.com/calc/index.php to see the results of farmer trials and whether or not a fungicide might pay for you.  My summary is this:  If it’s a wet year, you absolutely need to use a fungicide, and even a full rate should pay well.  If 2015 is dry, if you can keep your costs down, fungicides should still give you a good return in many situations.