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As you plan for next season, don’t overlook early-season diseases like Phytophthora. In 2021, 36 University Extension Plant Pathologists estimated an annual average of over 25 million bushels of soybean yield loss due to the disease1. This year, MN, OH, IA and other states reported high Phytophthora pressure, which could increase the risk of infection next year.

Phytophthora is one of the most destructive early-season pathogens and significantly limits plant stand establishment in soybeans. It not only reduces potential yield by killing seedlings and reducing the root efficiency of mature plants, but it can infect plants at any time during the planting and maturing stages, if the conditions are right.
Here are some tips to help you protect your soybean crops from heavy Phytophthora pressure:

  • Be aware: Knowing what to look for can help you minimize the damage Phytophthora causes in soybean fields. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends looking for symptoms at each season stage since the infection can occur from the beginning to the end of the growing season.
    • Early-season: Infected seedlings and plants will have stems that will likely appear bruised with yellowing leaves.
    • Mid-to-late season: Brown lesions may start to appear on the roots as they begin to rot. Leaves will continue to yellow and wilt, staying attached to the plant even after it begins to die.
  • Incorporate Phytophthora-resistant varieties: Planting Phytophthora-resistant varieties will set the foundation for managing the disease and protecting your soybean yield.
  • Review your field history: Relying on the historical data of your fields can significantly help you prepare for the yearly threats you face.
  • Use a robust seed treatment: Selecting a seed treatment that contains effective modes of action against Phytophthora and allows the establishment of seedlings and inherent native gene resistance will protect your investment.

CruiserMaxx® APX seed treatment protects against Phytophthora and other early-season insects and diseases, like Pythium. It has two highly effective Phytophthora protection active ingredients and combines proven protection with picarbutrazox (PCBX), a powerful Pythium and Phytophthora-fighting molecule.

Alt text: A bar chart showing the yield advantage provided by CruiserMaxx APX seed treatment.
Caption: 2018 Syngenta internal and external trials (TNA054A3-2018US); n=7: OH, IL, MI, KY, IA, NE, MN.

In an Ohio State University Phytophthora trial, CruiserMaxx APX was the only seed treatment to deliver a statistically different five-bushel yield advantage compared to the check treatment; the competitors included Lumisena™ and ethaboxam compounds, which did NOT beat the untreated check2.

For more information about the advantages of CruiserMaxx APX seed treatment, reach out to your local Syngenta representative.

1 Plant Health Progress 2021 Vol. 22 No.4 pp. 483-495

2 2018 Ohio State University Phytophthora trial; α = 0.05

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Warmer conditions and cooler evenings are the ideal conditions for two of the most significant lettuce diseases: powdery mildew and Sclerotinia rot. Early intervention with fungicides with multiple modes of action can reduce potential yield loss.

The University of California IPM Program cites powdery mildew, which damages leaves and reduces yield potential, as a serious threat to lettuce growers. Powdery mildew is easily identified by its characteristic white, powdery appearance on leaves, but by the time symptoms are exhibited it is often too late to prevent significant damage. Eryisyphe cichoracearum, the pathogen that causes the disease, thrives in warm, humid, and poorly lit environments. Greenhouses and lower leaves are particularly susceptible to powdery mildew. Early disease prevention is key to protecting lettuce early in the growing season.

Sclerotinia rot, commonly known as lettuce drop, may be caused by Sclerotinia minor or Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. S. minor thrives in moist conditions and infects stems at the base of the plant, causing a soft decay that destroys crown tissue. Crops infected by this pathogen will often wilt near maturity, so early intervention is essential. S. sclerotiorum, the more common pathogen, also causes lower-leaf infection but has aerial spores that infect upper leaves in cool and moist conditions. This rot occurs along with visible white mycelial growth in upper leaves. Under moist conditions, both pathogens can survive in soil for several years. The most effective protection against these diseases is a disease prevention program including multiple modes of action to fight disease resistance.

A bar chart shows improved control of sclerotinia rot in lettuce with Miravis Prime fungicide compared to untreated.
Miravis Prime fungicide offers strong control of Sclerotinia rot compared to other fungicides.

Miravis® Prime fungicide contains two active ingredients, fludioxonil and ADEPIDYN® technology, for difficult-to-control diseases in leafy vegetables. These powerful active ingredients distribute evenly across leaf surfaces to provide protection from powdery mildew, Sclerotinia rot and other yield-robbing diseases.

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The warm, humid climate in the Southeast can be a mixed bag for growers. On one hand, these conditions are ideal for producing high-yielding peanut crops. On the other, many diseases favor these conditions, creating an ongoing management challenge.

While their arrival time may vary, you can count on many of the same peanut diseases to show up year after year. Crop rotation plays a key role in white mold management, as Sclerotium rolfsii, its causal agent, remains in the soil between plantings and can quickly infest the next season’s crop. Leaf spot complex (early and late leaf spot) and Rhizoctonia are frequently found in fields as well. Without proper management, these diseases can cause poor stands and drastically lower yields, especially together.

When planning disease management programs, weather conditions are an important consideration. Tropical conditions like hurricanes can keep you out of your fields for days at a time and delay fungicide applications. Flexible solutions are necessary to produce high-yielding peanut crops in these dynamic conditions. Proven fungicides with long-lasting protection are a must.

Miravis® fungicide, powered by ADEPIDYN® technology, provides long-lasting preventive protection from disease, offering 21-28 days of control. Elatus® contains active ingredients SOLATENOL® and azoxystrobin, both of which provide preventive protection against soilborne and foliar diseases, including white mold.

When used together, Miravis and Elatus provide growers with one of the strongest long-lasting, broad-spectrum disease control options available. The ideal application time is around 60 days and again around 90 days after planting. This is the window when peanut plants are achieving their full growth potential and putting down pegs which will become pods.

Miravis and Elatus also help reduce trips across the field. A five-spray fungicide program with Miravis and Elatus provides better disease control and significantly helps increase yield potential compared to traditional six- and seven-spray programs.

A bar chart showing the value and performance delivered by Miravis and Elatus five-spray programs compared to seven-spray programs with other products.
Data based on 2019 UGA and consultant on-farm trials.

For added insurance, Alto® 100 SL fungicide is a good choice to follow a Miravis and Elatus program. A powerful triazole, Alto provides curative control of a variety of plant diseases. Alto also offers flexible application timing and is tank-mix friendly, making it a convenient option that can be used under a variety of conditions.

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Powdery mildew remains an annual issue for sugar beets. This yield-robbing disease is caused by the fungus Erysiphe betae and overwinters on Beta species, including sugar beets or swiss chard. The fungus grows over the surface of leaves and produces spores which give it a powdery appearance. These spores can be carried by wind over considerable distances and infect other plants.

The disease prefers dry, warmer weather: temperatures of 60-86oF. Temperatures exceeding 100oF can arrest disease development. If left untreated, it can yellow and kill leaves, reducing the plant’s photosynthetic capabilities which can threaten yield and sugar content. Infected leaves are also more susceptible to light freezes. Growers have seen as much as a 35% loss in sugar yield in infected fields.

It’s important to scout for the disease to catch it before it is too late. Leaves can become entirely covered in the fungus’ spores within a week of infection, so frequent scouting is key. The infection has a higher chance of taking hold and spreading during summer months, particularly in late July and early August. Here are a few tips on scouting for powdery mildew:

  • Keep the sun behind you/over your shoulder.
  • Scout the edges of the field, as this is where it typically first appears.
  • Start with the lower leaves of the canopy.
  • Pull a leaf and wrap it over your finger.
  • Look for leaves with a white to silver-gray color and the noted powdery appearance – this is how the infection first appears.
  • A musty basement-type odor in a field may be present in severely infected fields.

If you notice signs of powdery mildew, review the susceptibility of your beets to powdery mildew and recent or upcoming weather. If your beets are rated as moderate to sensitive and you’re experiencing ideal disease development temperatures, prevent powdery mildew from spreading in your field with Inspire® XT fungicide on a 10-day schedule using alternating modes of action. If your beets are resistant to powdery mildew or weather conditions are unfavorable to the disease, you can go up to a 21-day interval. Your local Syngenta sales rep can help you find the right solution for your crop.

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One of the biggest challenges you’ll likely continue to face in cereal crops this season is pest management. Overwintering insect pests like wireworms can wreak havoc on cereal and pulse crops’ seeds and seedlings. According to Washington State University, when wireworms are not controlled, they can lead to increased weed pressure and reduced stands, yields, and profit potential.

Cool, wet climates, like those common to the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains, along with low or no-tillage practices can create an environment where wireworms thrive. Wireworm larvae can live in the soil for two to five years and feed on germinating seeds and seedlings before developing into adult click beetles. A single female can lay between 50 and 350 eggs at a time before emerging from the soil and flying to nearby fields to repeat the process.

Wireworms are attracted to CO2 that is produced when seeds begin to germinate and grow. The pest can then damage seeds and roots, which has a ripple effect of poor and uneven plant stand loss, stunted growth, wilted leaves and, at the most extreme, plant death. Wireworms can cause a crop loss of 5-25%, making it vital to manage this pest to protect your crop and bottom line.

To manage wireworms, routinely scout your fields so you’re aware of the level of pest pressure. Once you identify an area you believe has wireworms, you can try using bait traps which release CO2 into the soil, similar to germinating seeds, and will attract the wireworms.

For protection against wireworms, a new insecticide seed treatment will be coming soon. Featuring active ingredient isocycloseram, an Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) Group 30, this new seed treatment will act by contact and ingestion and has no known cross resistance to other insecticides. Once available, isocycloseram will protect cereals and pulses from wireworm pressure to help support crop emergence and plant establishment.

Are you interested in learning more about isocylocersam once it is available for use? Sign up to be one of the first to learn more.

All photos are either the property of Syngenta or are used with permission.

Isocycloseram is not yet registered for sale or use in the U.S. and is not being offered for sale.

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Cropwise™ Commodity Pro, a new offering within the Cropwise digital portfolio, was created with growers in mind to address market volatility and mitigate risk.

While Syngenta crop protection products provide long-lasting residual protection and application flexibility, growers may be concerned over making the investment because of market uncertainty. Cropwise Commodity Pro can help protect the value of the premium product purchases against a drop in the commodity price during the growing season. There is no additional cost to participate in Cropwise Commodity Pro after the Syngenta products are purchased. The offering is only available through participating retailers and is applicable to corn and soybean crops grown in the Midwest and South.

Growers should feel confident in their Syngenta product purchases and how they can help crops realize their yield potential. “However, if the market should work unfavorably, meaning it takes a downward turn, then we will share in some of that risk in the form of a cash back payment with the grower,” says Eric Honeycutt, digital ag solutions marketing lead at Syngenta . “In most cases, that means up to 15% cash back if commodity prices drop.”

How Cropwise Commodity Pro Works

Syngenta conducted pilots over two years prior to the launch, according to Honeycutt. Here’s how the program works:

  1. Certain qualifications are required, such as acreage and products used. “Many products that qualify are going to be Better Yield is the Better Deal™ brands like Acuron® GT herbicide ,” Honeycutt says. Growers should check with their Syngenta representative or retailer to see if they meet offer qualifications.
  2. At the end of July, growers will be locked into the commodity price for corn or soybeans, based on their product purchases.
  3. The locked-in price will then protect qualified purchases against a drop in the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn or soybean commodity price later in the season.
  4. If the late-season average commodity price from August to October declines in price, participating growers will receive cash back for the percent difference in the two prices on their qualifying products, up to 15%.

It’s important to note that Syngenta is not marketing the crop on the grower’s behalf. This is an additional commodity price protection that comes with purchasing specific Syngenta premium products. Those enrolled will have access to an online portal to track their potential payout and what the market is doing.

“This is an exciting opportunity within our Digital Ag Solutions portfolio to help growers who are investing in Syngenta premium brands,” Honeycutt says. “They not only reap the rewards of the agronomic benefits in their fields, but when they take their crop to market, they can receive a potentially higher premium and higher price.”

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As more soybean growers begin planting earlier and earlier, you may be considering it for your own operation. However, the benefits of increased yield potential also bring an increased risk of disease. One to watch out for: Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS).

If SDS infects your soybeans, you may find yourself on the low side of the ROI spectrum. The University of Minnesota reports severe SDS infection can cause over 50% yield loss. And because SDS commonly infects soybeans planted in cool and wet conditions, early-planted soybeans are more susceptible to yield loss.

Regardless of your choice to plant early or later, we want to help you protect what matters most: your bottom line. While there are currently no in-season options available for treating SDS, here are some tips to protect your soybeans from it.

  • Plant in fields without a history of SDS to help limit the risk of disease infection from the cool, wet conditions.
  • Test your soil for Soybean Cyst Nematodes (SCN), a small parasite that feeds on roots and can open the door to SDS.
  • Plant SDS and SCN-resistant varieties.
  • Use a SDS seed treatment.

To help set a strong foundation for protection and growth, we recommend Saltro® fungicide seed treatment.

Saltro delivers upgraded SDS protection and robust SCN activity, without causing early-season stress, which could mean better protection for your early-planted soybeans. It also protects against Red Crown Rot**, in eligible states via a 2(ee) label recommendation for Red Cown Rot suppression. The 2(ee) label recommendation has been approved in AR, IL, IN, IA, KY, MO and TN.

Under moderate-to-high SDS pressure, Saltro delivers a four bu/A yield advantage over ILEVO®*. Talk to your retailer or Syngenta representative or visit WhySaltro.com to see local trial results and product reviews.

*U.S. trials with SDS pressure; 2015-2020. Trial locations: AR, IL, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, TN, WI. Trials with significantly different disease incidence/severity rating between Check and SDS treatment.

**Syngenta supports a FIFRA Section 2(ee) recommendation for Saltro for suppression of Red Crown Rot in AR, IL, IN, IA, KY, MO and TN. Please see the Section 2(ee) recommendation to confirm that the recommendation is applicable in your state. The Section 2(ee) recommendation for Saltro should be in the possession of the user at the time of application.

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Tyler Harp, Ph.D., technical product lead for row crop fungicides at Syngenta , was recently interviewed by Joel Penhorwood, farm broadcaster at Ohio Ag Net, to share his tips for corn and soybean fields in 2024.

Here is a summary of Harp’s recommendations:

  • The days of making situational decisions about fungicide applications are over, no matter how wet or dry the season becomes.
  • Instead, plan on applying a fungicide with long-lasting disease control and plant-health benefits, like Miravis® Neo, Miravis® Top and Trivapro® fungicides, each year. This practice will help protect your corn and soybeans regardless of factors like anticipated weather conditions or the severity of diseases, like tar spot.
  • Years of data from across the corn belt show that yearly fungicide applications are one of the best ways to protect your investment potential.
  • Evidence from dry years like 2020 and very wet years like 2021 show that fungicides support yield preservation in both wet and dry conditions.
  • In 2023, growers who used Syngenta fungicides saw excellent results at harvest.

Steady growth in the number of fungicide-treated corn acres over the last two decades is a testament to the consistency and value of plant-health fungicides.

For more information about the benefits and tips for the proper timing of fungicide applications, listen to the full interview here.

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Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a wide variety of weather patterns at planting and throughout the season, which go hand-in-hand with yield-robbing diseases. 2023 marked a difficult year with many experiencing either heavy rainfall from El Nino or abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. This increased the risk for early-season diseases limiting plant stands and ultimately potential yield.

While we don’t know what conditions will be like this year, consider how you can best protect your seed investment, reduce replants and help your soybeans reach their full yield potential. Here are a few possible scenarios to consider:

  • Cool and wet soil conditions: You’ll likely battle soilborne pathogens like Pythium. This pathogen can cause seed rot, damping off and seedling blight and often result in reduced emergence, compromised stand establishment and poor plant vigor.
  • Warm and wet soil conditions: You’ll likely face Phytophthora, one of the most destructive early-season pathogens and a significant cause of limited establishment in soybeans. This pathogen reduces potential yield by killing seedlings and reducing the root efficiency of maturing plants.
  • Dry soil conditions: You may see more Rhizoctonia pressure. This could limit root mass, stand establishment and seedling vigor.

No matter when you plant or what conditions you face, the best way to protect your soybeans is with a powerful broad-spectrum seed treatment. That’s why we recommend CruiserMaxx® APX to protect your soybeans and help them emerge stronger and healthier with the most yield potential.

Watch how CruiserMaxx APX performs under Pythium pressure in an inoculated thermogradient trial in varying temperature environments:

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When you spend about $80 per bag of seed, you likely expect some won’t emerge or will have weak plant stands. So, right off the bat, you’re losing potential ROI. But what if you could expect more seeds to emerge and have consistently stronger stands than what you’ve historically seen?

When looking at the numbers more closely, it’s clear emergence rates and plant vigor tie directly to what you’ll see on your yield monitor at harvest. And, contrary to what you may think, your seed treatment choice makes a big difference.

“Seed treatments are the bridge between early-season benefits and late-season ROI,” says Dale Ireland, Ph.D., Syngenta Seedcare technical product lead. “As soon as seeds go in the soil, insects and diseases begin attacking while abiotic factors, such as weather, begin stressing the young seedlings. Seed treatments provide immediate protection for your seed investment, establish strong plant stands and limit your replant risk, which ultimately boosts your potential yield.”

Beyond disease and insect protection for your seed investment, seed treatments have an added two-fold benefit. They limit the added cost and time associated with replanting and can increase the ROI potential of a field by helping seedlings emerge stronger, faster and healthier. Though not all seed treatments perform the same.

To help set a strong foundation for growth, nutrient uptake and potential yield, we recommend CruiserMaxx® APX and Saltro® seed treatments.

“CruiserMaxx APX protects soybeans against yield-robbing insects and diseases, like Pythium and Phytophthora, while enabling faster, more uniform emergence, stronger plants and roots and quicker speed-to-canopy,” Ireland says. “By adding on Saltro with CruiserMaxx APX, you can get superior Sudden Death Syndrome protection and robust Soybean Cyst Nematode activity.”

Talk to your retailer or Syngenta representative about adding a seed treatment to your portfolio. You can also visit SyngentaUS.com/CruiserMaxxAPX or WhySaltro.com to see more local trial results and product reviews.