Fungicides

[seedman]

Maybe we will get hit hard one day on our farm but on our fields we only use a foliar application of copper prior to heading when we apply our micros and melted N. Have done that for the past 5 years. Our agronomist claims that if the plant is given every nutrient it needs, Brix levels are significantly raised and it can fight many of it's own battles on its own. 1 litre of Cu is about $5.90, so it works out to approx. $4.43/ acre to put it on. He claims that many of the fungicides are Cu based anyway, that is where they get much of their efficacy from. Chem reps vehemently oppose this with their facts and figures, but time will tell. We have only successfully done this for 4 harvests, so too early to tell, but I do see a trend. When I worked in the medical field it became obvious that pharmaceutical companies would rather "manage" a problem with their "solution" (pills) rather than deal with the underlying presenting issue that caused the symptoms in the first place. Better to have a client for life using their meds, than address the issue and have it go away for the patient. Job stability and looks good to the shareholders.
There seems to be a parallel between crop nutrition (or lack of)relating to overall plant health and that of human health. Chemical companies seem to be quick to offer a "solution" to manage the condition that presents, rather than perhaps look deeper as to what created this situation in the first place.

[Braveheart]

Who created the problem. Well they've found fossilized fusarium spores in Manitoba so . . .

I like your approach seedman. Giving plants what they need to combat disease on their own should be the goal. I'm not sure about late applied Cu. I thought that could harm yield.

Where we are may not be the birthplace of fusarium, but it's for darn sure the nursery. We do all we can including variety selection, foliar nutrition, and fungicides. Without fungicides we are heading to a wreck our customers wouldn't want.

But where we are is high humidity, heavy canopy, wet mornings. If you farm where the climate is different you may not get the value from fungicides.

[tweety]

Goodness, lets not let facts and figures get in the way of an agronomists opinion.

[Braveheart]

What's an agronomist?

[biglentil]

Totally agree seedman. Giving young children antibiotics is frowned upon because it can damage a childs immune system for life, crops are no different. In my experience the problems start with seed treatment.

[bucket]

If the rain events continue, all the spray used will still have your durum downgraded.

It takes about 48 hours of ripe 1cwad with rain to become a 3cwad or lower.