Are you ready for planting? To start the season off right, you need to consider planting depth and rate, soil moisture, weather conditions and historical pest pressure—to name a few factors!
Before you dust off the planter, go through our planting checklist to learn how to recognize the ideal conditions so you’re ready to take advantage of best-case timing. Read on for more corn and soybean planting tips, including the ideal planting depth and temperature.
When thinking about planting wheat, be sure to consider how to help ensure even emergence and plant stand. Factors like early-season insect and disease pressure, soil temperature and uneven moisture levels can affect stand establishment and yield potential. It’s important to help set your crop up for a strong start because inconsistent stands can have consequences.
During planting, it is important to give your seeds and seedlings the best chance to grow while they are at their most vulnerable. There are a few factors to consider to help promote germination and seedling emergence, including soil moisture. A soil moisture of 1.2x the wilting point is needed for the wheat seed to successfully germinate. If the soil moisture falls below that level, germination may stall and damage to the seed could occur.
As plants begin to emerge, they must maintain a high level of photosynthesis to promote optimal growth and development. When uneven plant stands occur, smaller late-emerging plants are unable to receive the sunlight they need which negatively impacts yield potential. The yield lost from the smaller, weaker plants is not overcome by the larger, stronger plants. Less plant-to-plant variation helps increase yield potential.
In areas or fields with poor plant stands, you may need to endure the cost of replanting. Before making that tough decision, you must first assess your crop injury and stand establishment. Consider the existing yield potential based on the remaining plant stand and the additional costs associated with replanting before making your decision.
A quality seed treatment can help defend against early-season pest pressures while helping develop a strong plant stand. A new insecticide seed treatment in cereal and pulse crops will be available for use soon. Featuring active ingredient isocycloseram, an Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) Group 30, this new seed treatment will help crops’ germination potential and plant establishment while managing wireworm pressures in your field.
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.
There are very few constants in farming, especially when it comes to planting. Soil temperature, moisture and disease are just a few variables that influence planting timing. Proper planning prepares you to take advantage of best-case timing and overcome worst-case scenarios.
Soil conditions are an important guide to planting preparations. Soil testing is a great and inexpensive first step as the results can eliminate surprises, like pH fluctuations, and indicate important nutrient levels, like phosphorus and potassium. These results help make economical fertilizer choices. Maximize the accuracy of the test results by choosing a reputable soil analysis laboratory and utilizing resources like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s guide to interpreting soil test results.
While sampling, take note of soil moisture in your fields. It’s tempting to start planting or tilling early despite soil moisture, but working soil that is too wet can lead to compaction and season-long consequences including:
Moist soils also provide a favorable environment to soilborne pathogens including Pythium and Phytophthora. These pathogens can cause seed rot, root rot, damping off and seedling blight, negatively impacting emergence, stand establishment and plant vigor. Seed treatments like CruiserMaxx® APX can help protect crops from these early-season diseases, while also enhancing root health and plant vigor for a faster, stronger, more uniform emergence.
Planting in dry conditions poses a different set of challenges. Inadequate or uneven soil moisture inhibits germination and prevents uniform stands, especially in corn. A deeper planting depth can help increase seed-to-soil contact and moisture uptake for a better stand once the soil warms up. Keep an eye on resources like the U.S. Drought Monitor for regional updates and adjust planting depth accordingly. In very dry or high-residue systems, planting deeper is less risky than hoping for rain.
Similarly, pay attention to the temperature forecast. Even if you plant in warm enough soils, temperature drops within the first two days of planting can delay germination and leave seeds more susceptible to disease. However, waiting too long to plant gives weeds an advantage.
Although early planting may be advantageous for yield potential, planting too early can also be detrimental to your crops and bottom line. Planting occurs as early as March in the South and all the way through May in the upper Midwest. Regardless of your region, decide on planting timing by evaluating soil temperature and moisture — no matter what date the calendar says.
Plant corn when soil temperature reaches a minimum of 50° F. When soil moisture is high, a planting depth of 1.5 to 2 inches is appropriate. In drier soils, plant deeper at 2.5 to 3 inches. Avoid planting depths of less than 1.5 inches to prevent root lodging.
Plant soybeans when the soil temperature reaches a minimum of 55° F at a depth of around 1 to 1.75 inches and no deeper than 2.5 inches. Planting soybeans too deep wastes energy and may inhibit emergence, especially under stressful or compacted conditions.
For both corn and soybeans, wait to plant until you expect the minimum temperature to be maintained for at least two days after planting, after which the risk of chilling is reduced.
Early-season weeds can significantly hinder crop growth, development and yield potential by stealing necessary nutrients and water. Before planting, reevaluate your existing weed management plan. Identify successes and setbacks, historical weed pressure and soil conditions, like flooding, that may have introduced new weed seeds.
A full label rate of a proven preemergence corn herbicide like Acuron® with multiple effective sites of action and strong residual control can help you start with a clean slate. Reach out to experts like your local Syngenta representative or retailer to troubleshoot your existing plan and adjust accordingly. Take this opportunity to ask questions and determine whether the fields have dried down enough to apply preemergence herbicides.
If you didn’t get to it after harvest, carve out some time to clean out your equipment. Weed seeds are notoriously hardy and any stowaways in your equipment can easily reenter the seed bed during planting. Try to accomplish this alongside your regular safety inspections before your anticipated planting window to ensure you are ready to go when the conditions are right.
Whether you choose to plant early or delay planting, waiting for optimal soil conditions often pays off in the long run. In the meantime, take stock of your soil conditions, prepare your equipment, and get in touch with trusted advisors to finalize your planting preparations.
We’ve seen how severe drought conditions can unexpectedly appear and put soybean yields at risk. Drought stress can have several adverse effects on your soybeans, including reduced nutrient availability, leaf roll up and stunted root growth.
Even under drought conditions, disease management is key to retaining your bottom line. A well-timed fungicide application with added plant-health benefits can help protect your yield all the way to harvest.
With drought stress comes slower photosynthesis. This can lead to reduced plant size, decreased standability and lower nutrient levels. In this case, a fungicide can improve plant health by maintaining the leaves’ capacity for light absorption.
Fungicides can help to lower transpiration rates in leaves while maintaining photosynthesis — helping plants withstand drought stress conditions longer — while continuing to pack on potential yield.
Improved water-use efficiency can also help improve pod fill and prevent plants from dying prematurely and pod shattering, which can help you have a more profitable and efficient harvest.
With a plant health fungicide application, you can rest assured that your soybeans are protected from disease and the effects of drought stress. For long-lasting control plus superior plant-health benefits, we recommend a preventive application of Miravis® Neo fungicide so you can see more green in your fields, on your yield monitor and in your wallet.
Miravis Neo is powered by ADEPIDYN® technology — one of the highest-performing SDHI modes of action available — which directly impacts your plant’s ability to transpire and retain moisture, thereby protecting your yield potential from the effects of disease and drought stress.
When you combine higher potential yield and greater harvest efficiency you also gain greater time and fuel efficiency, meaning a lower cost per bushel per acre and a better deal at harvest.
Ready to see more green with your fungicide? See how Miravis Neo performed near you and explore local soybean trial results.
Be on the lookout for a new disease threat: Red Crown Rot. Since it was first discovered in IL in 2017, Red Crown Rot has spread across the Midwest and KY and grown into an emerging disease threat. Unfortunately, you may not even realize it is in your fields because its foliar symptoms looks a lot like Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS).
Red Crown Rot is a soilborne disease that causes stand reduction, pre- and post-emergence damping-off and ultimately reduced potential yield. The USDA says stem symptoms begin as a darkened, maroon/brick red discoloration of the lower stem that typically begins at the soil line and extends up the stem several centimeters. Then, foliar symptoms begin appearing as interveinal chlorosis between R3-R5. It is often found on individual plants that begin to develop into larger patches within a field. Soil tillage from environmental pressures such as windy conditions can lead to the spread of infection.
“We’ve been dealing with SDS for close to 30 years now, whereas Red Crown Rot is somewhat new,” said Phil Krieg, Syngenta agronomy service representative in IL. “One key difference is that SDS tends to infect that seedling in cooler, wetter conditions at emergence time, while Red Crown Rot thrives a little bit better when the soil is warm.”
While SDS and Red Crown Rot both infect seedlings at planting and display similar foliar scorch, one way to scout for it is looking for the stem symptoms. Unlike the red/maroon discoloration at the soil line Red Crown Rot causes, SDS-infected stems have a normal white pith and tan/brown discolored upper roots/lower stems.
Additionally, soybeans exhibiting symptoms of SDS will likely hold their leaves until the yellowed, dead leaf material drop off, leaving only the petiole (the small leaf stem that attaches the leaflet to the main plant stem) attached to the main stem. However, plants exhibiting symptoms of Red Crown Rot will leave leaves crispy, curled and dead while remaining attached.
Saltro® fungicide seed treatment helps protect against SDS, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and Red Crown Rot* in eligible states via a 2(ee) label recommendation for Red Crown Rot suppression. The 2(ee) label recommendation has been approved in AR, IL, IN, IA, KY, MO, OH and TN. For more information about the advantages of Saltro, reach out to your local Syngenta retailer.
*Syngenta supports a FIFRA Section 2(ee) recommendation for Saltro for suppression of Red Crown Rot in AR, IL, IN, IA, KY, MO, OH 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.
Cover image: Red Crown Rot in soybeans. Photography courtesy of Stephanie Porter, Illinois Soybean Association.
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:
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
