When the crop comes under stressful conditions and the forecast looks dry it can be easy to think about pulling back. The story on productivity and bushels has not changed, and in the current commodity cycle there is great opportunity.

Last year there were great lessons from the driest parts of south central Iowa. Those that stayed the course on their fungicide plans were handsomely rewarded with increased bushels and the ability to sell those incre

ased bushels at incredible prices. A very different outcome from those that gave up.

Below is an easy ROI calculator for corn and soybeans using an estimated $32/acre cost of product + application. The results on Miravis Neo and Trivapro continue to be strong which provides some great returns for growers.

It may seem odd to think that fungicides in a dry year could impact yields since they are designed primarily to control fungal diseases, however many higher end fungicides have a level of crop stress mitigation as well. Under stress, plants will produce the larger amounts of hormone ethylene which is the same hormone that leads to fruit ripening in plants. Fungicides that contain additional plant health components such as Veltyma, Revytek, and Miravis Neo can help reduce this stress hormone and therefore assist the plant when dealing with in season stress. 

Contact your Agronomist to discuss crop stress fungicide options.