Bugs & Mold

APHIDS:

As of this morning, I can now find them on every plant, in any field, that I check. Conversely, I have yet to see them at the academic definition of economic threshold for spraying. There’s also plenty of soil moisture most places to help the plants deal with the aphid feeding. My opinion is that waiting until next week gives us three advantages.

First: Some spotty aggressive storms are forecast, which have a real effect of washing some off.

Second: Next week has some overnight temps in the 50’s which slow reproduction down.

Third: The beneficial’s can spend more time at the buffet!!

Given that logistics beats agronomy every time……if you are spraying this week / weekend. Put the bug juice in!

The old Lorsban active ingredient is back!!

But seems sold out now already? Check with your retailers.

Ridgeback, from Corteva, is bifenthrin plus Transform.

Transform is a new-ish active ingredient that only affects aphids. They take up the active ingredient when they feed. It causes them to stop feeding. Then over a few days time they starve. It comes with a 21 day respray guarantee. And can be discounted through your TruChoice program if you funded that account over the winter.

White Mold:

While we are in the back end of the window to spray a fungicide for white mold, we still have some time.

If the rows are still open, you’ll get some good plant coverage when you spray, AND the air circulation due to the open rows has likely kept white mold from revving up anyway.

This disease is something of a ghost though.

I don’t personally believe anyone really knows what conditions are best for it to thrive.

BUT WE ARE WET / NOT EXCESSIVELY HOT / HUMID ALL DAY.

Unfortunately with fungicides for white mold, you never get proof positive that you needed to spray it once you do. So this is one treatment everyone is going to have to decide for themselves. Just know that white mold can stay dormant for many many years in the soil. So crop rotation likely is not an effective control mechanism. If the field has any history, I think this is a good year to justify it agronomically. The value of the crop is the other half of the argument right now. To each their own.

Endura: The king of white mold treatments. But for the $$ it really should spray itself!! Not to mention it’s a two pass system.

Aproach: A solid option, that is effective / much cheaper / can be discounted through the TruChoice program if you funded your account over the winter.

Viatude: A new fungicide pre mix of Aproach & Proline. Which can also be discounted through your TruChoice program if you funded your account over the winter. Supply is available, but limited.