Crop Report – Week of July 22, 2024

Soybean Cyst Nematode on Roots

Corn Diseases, Fungicide Timing, Fungicide Resistance and Nematode Surveys!

Corn diseases such as tar spot, northern corn leaf blight, common rust, gray leaf spot are easy to spot this year especially in areas which have had considerable rain events.  The good news is the incidence and severity has still been low as many corn fields are or will be tasseling over the next 2 weeks. 

When it comes to fungicide applications, two of the most important disease management decisions a farmer can make is what fungicide to use and when to apply! The research continues to show the most significant yield benefit is a fungicide application at VT-R1 (tassel to silking) growth stages. In terms of Gibberella ear rot and DON mycotoxin management, the VT-R1 timing is also the most effective timing.

When it comes to making the decision to spray consider:

  1. Disease history in the field and region – your specific diseases of concern!
  2. Selecting the appropriate fungicide for your on-farm disease risk.
  3. Hybrid susceptibility or resistance to those diseases which are a risk.
  4. Environment conditions up to Vt-R1 and future long-term forecasts.
  5. Rotational history and residue levels.
  6. The VT-R1 timing provides an opportunity to assess disease risk through scouting, disease forecasting prediction models (ex. Field Prophet) and real-time disease monitoring (Figure 1) prior to application.   

Useful OMAFA and Crop Protection Network resources:

Crop Protection Network (cropprotectionnetwork.org)

Figure 1 - Tar spot distribution as of July 24, 2024  (https://corn.ipmpipe.org/tarspot)

Help Needed! Fungicide Resistance and Nematode Surveys!

One of the only sure things in agriculture is that things change and no matter how hard we try to manage “Mother Nature” she is always throwing us a curve ball and the latest example is the development of fungicide resistance in soybeans in the US.

The story began in 2010 in Western Tennessee where a grower noticed he was not getting control of the soybean leaf disease “frogeye leaf spot” (Cercospora sojina) even after two applications of the strobilurin fungicide Headline.  This field had a history of frequent soybeans and strobilurin fungicides in the past.  Samples were collected and the first case of fungicide resistance in North American soybeans was confirmed against the strobilurin class of fungicides which includes many popular products such as Headline, Quadris, for example.

It has become apparent that the strobilurin resistant populations exist naturally and is the predominant cause of frogeye in the US (Figure 1). A preliminary study conducted by Dr. Owen Wally (AAFC-Harrow) and Albert Tenuta (OMAFA-Ridgetown) found 15 of 16 frogeye isolates from Ontario contained the mutation conferring strobilurin resistance!

So why are strobilurin fungicides high risk for fungicide resistance development?  First they work on only a single site of action which can be bypassed by a pathogen with a simple mutation in a gene.  There have been over 20 fungal species which have developed strobilurin resistance mostly in horticulture but with this finding we are starting to see a similar occurrence in field crops.  The fungus which causes frogeye is similar to these others in its ability to produce a large quantity of spores multiply times or cycles in a year which results in a diverse or non-uniform population with many mutations.

So what can you do? First if have or are going to use fungicides always evaluate their performance.  Did they do the job and if not why not?  As you prepare for 2025 select varieties or hybrids with good disease resistance as well if you are going to use a fungicide product with more than one chemistry or mode of action as it will help slow down resistance.

Through Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (Sustainable CAP) funding, OMAFA is working with the University of Guelph Pest Diagnostic Clinic to test additional isolates and we would appreciate your help in collecting frogeye leaf samples.  If you have or suspect frogeye, please contact Albert Tenuta at albert.tenuta@ontario.ca.

Figure 2- Frogeye fungicide resistance in US

Figure 2- Frogeye fungicide resistance in US

Ontario Nematode Survey Can Help Track SCN!

One important way to get Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) populations down or delay shifts is to take a SCN soil test to monitor nematode populations. Another OMAFA Sustainable CAP funded nematode survey project targeting field crop and horticultural crop fields across the province can help. Nematodes present a significant and ongoing threat to plant health in Ontario and can result in significant economic and production losses. The primary project objective is to update provincial nematode distribution maps as well as establish baseline data, for six different nematode species including soybean cyst nematode, root lesion or other nematode species. These results will support the enhancement of current nematode Best Management Practices for field and horticultural crop farmers, helping to improve the economic and sustainability of crop production in Ontario.

Participating in the nematode survey is FREE, easy and soil samples can be collected specifically for nematode testing such as SCN (Figure 3) or alternatively, soil samples collected for soil fertility can be split, with subsamples submitted for nematode testing. If you would like more information on the Nematode Survey, please contact Albert Tenuta (albert.tenuta@ontario.ca)  or your local agronomist.

Figure 3 - Soybean Cyst Nematode on Roots

Figure 3 – Soybean Cyst Nematode on Roots

Weather Summary: Thursday, July 18 to Wednesday, July 24, 2024

LocationHighest Temp (°C)Lowest Temp (°C)Rain for Week (mm)Rain Since April 1st (mm)GDD0C April 1stGDD5C April 1stCHU May 1st
HARROW       
202427.411.60.3319.0200914372046
202328.914.016.7289.2179412351815
202230.719.021.1301.0186413231972
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.916.312.1353.5186312891982
RIDGETOWN       
202427.49.71.5433.0190113331927
202327.812.031.3374.7170211521689
202232.217.55.9209.8175012161814
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.313.817.5302.0175111821847
SARNIA       
202428.311.50.7374.4188613201889
202328.913.024.5271.2166111121610
202234.216.813.4190.2173512071760
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.915.815.8319.4170811411797
LONDON       
202428.510.42.2465.2187513041909
202327.512.216.4331.1169611471687
202233.515.925.2225.9169911741764
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.114.618.4324.8172811631826
BRANTFORD       
202428.810.618.7408.5182012551857
202328.011.78.6277.4168611351676
202233.616.329.3229.6170311681722
WELLAND       
202427.211.80.7392.3188213131942
202327.113.814.8282.9170311461691
202230.217.544.3248.7174912051821
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.515.116.1307.5173411671835
GODERICH       
202427.19.21.0262.5169911371714
202326.911.920.7230.2155410211525
202230.815.614.4178.4158310601616
10 YR Norm (11-20)26.613.917.9269.1155810011636
ELORA       
202427.38.54.2346.1169511371735
202327.410.138.1293.8155610201537
202231.813.417.2196.2155710331576
10 YR Norm (11-20)28.012.210.0315.8155310001627
MOUNT FOREST       
202426.28.32.8332.6167611211716
202327.111.05.7288.5155410231539
202230.614.131.8238.2155710401602
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.513.223.7323.215339871623
BARRIE       
202426.19.94.7501.4163810831691
202326.911.024.0375.2154310071533
202231.514.636.4261.5152710001570
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.713.013.3287.915149711598
PETERBOROUGH       
202428.89.55.5352.1168811301713
202327.89.039.5293.8158410381533
202231.114.834.2261.7157010331609
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.211.710.6282.8157510201632
KEMPTVILLE       
202428.411.97.4382.6177812201855
202329.311.213.8300.7170111601670
202230.717.037.8383.3167911241734
10 YR Norm (11-20)29.512.919.5317.0165110981736
SUDBURY       
202424.810.238.0416.415159831587
202326.79.139.9401.514629641485
202229.415.536.8247.614129141500
10 YR Norm (11-20)27.012.818.4299.114079131528
EARLTON       
202426.67.720.9356.214929671559
202327.57.78.4255.214459451464
202231.714.042.4250.914099201493
10 YR Norm (11-20)26.310.919.5270.713098381426
SAULT STE MARIE       
202423.610.012.1386.413878411380
202326.110.320.2240.613888881369
202225.512.830.5280.411987041185
10 YR Norm (11-20)26.110.321.9301.212587661307
THUNDER BAY       
202427.36.20.6278.112927681274
202326.77.012.9198.712747971319
202232.411.723.9387.711847231220
10 YR Norm (11-20)26.010.910.7297.712267441294
FORT FRANCES       
202428.16.26.4345.213608261375
202326.66.732.6230.514419571526
202228.511.630.6505.312678081372
10 YR Norm (11-20)26.210.419.6295.713548531454
Weather Summary compiled by OMAFA using Environment Canada weather station data provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Data quality is verified but accuracy is not guaranteed and should be used for general information purposes only.