The just ended season for Midwest farmers was well documented to be one of the toughest in decades. Extreme heat was certainly an issue at times but lack of water was the big problem. Across the Corn Belt Roger Webster at FMC says insect and disease pressure was minimized by conditions this year.
“Really from a disease standpoint there hasn’t been a whole lot although we have had some issues with aflatoxin on an isolated case from time to time,” he told HAT.
“Pest control was really not much of an issue this summer against what we normally think of in a dry year. We did experience some spider mites later on, some Japanese beetles early on, but the dry weather seemed to kind of take care of them. So we just mainly had performance problems with our pre emerge problems early in the season for lack of rainfall.”
Reports have varied about what insect pressure will be like in the spring. Webster says it depends on winter weather.
“There are some years where we have a dry year and a lot of deep cracks in the soil and we experience larger populations the following year because those eggs are allowed to be deposited and hatched deeper in the soil profile. But then again it depends on the winter. If we get a good heavy freeze and a lot of cold weather survivability is not as high, and therefore we don’t have as much insect pressure. So it kind of depends on what the weather is going to be between now and then.”
For insect control in corn fields at planting time FMC offers Capture LFR. And for weeds they’re issuing a full launch of the recently approved Anthem herbicide.
“It will be a multi-crop product but currently we have registration corn. It gives excellent season long grass control, but what we’re really excited about is the control it brings to resistant type weeds whether it be triazine or glyphosate resistant weeds.”
Webster says he thinks of Anthem and other products in the FMC line as crop protection products that are a way for a grower to put his best foot forward to protect the genetic potential of the crop.[audio:https://www.hoosieragtoday.com//wp-content/uploads//2012/12/FMC-review-and-preview.mp3|titles=FMC review and preview]