An early fungicide application gives farmers another tool for safeguarding plant health and yield potential. “A fungicide application doesn’t add yield. It protects the yield potential that’s there,” explains LG Seeds Agronomist Jed Norman. “The goal is to make sure the corn plant doesn’t have a bad day. Applying an early-season fungicide at the V4 to V8 development stage extends your plant protection.”
An early fungicide application isn’t a silver bullet, nor should it be viewed as a replacement for a fungicide application when the crop is tasseling. Norman emphasizes Midwest farmers will still likely get their most significant return on investment from an application when the crop is tasseling. But there are scenarios where an early-season fungicide application can pay off.