Growers in the Midwest recently reported on Twitter that they’ve seen northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) in their fields, with the University of Wisconsin-Extension recently confirming disease presence in the southern part of the state.

NCLB can cause significant yield loss if it develops prior to or during silking.

Identifiers:

• Olive green or black fungal spores
• Long, narrow lesions down the leaf
• Oblong lesions on the leaf tissue

Damon L. Smith, extension field crops pathologist at the University of Wisconsin, says fungicides should be applied at the early onset of the disease and only if the epidemic is expected to get worse.

While fields in some regions have reached or surpassed the recommended R1 fungicide application timing, it’s also important to survey today’s disease pressure to help plan for next season. For those who have corn approaching R1, you still have the opportunity to combat harmful and yield-limiting foliar diseases such as NCLB.

For protection against this disease, Syngenta recommends growers apply Trivapro^® fungicide for harder-working, longer-lasting preventive and curative disease control to maximize yield and profit potential this season.

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