Welcome to the first edition of the igronomist report. You're probably wondering what The igronomist Report is all about and who the heck is Jim Schwartz. The igronomist Report is a periodic newsletter that addresses new and evolving products and services in the field of agronomy. As for Jim Schwartz, I'm a Certified Crop Advisor with a degree in Plant Pathology from Purdue University and 14 years as an agronomist for companies like DeKalb, Callahan and LG Seeds.
New seed treatments Prescribe® and Gaucho® (article in Farm Industry News, July/August 2000)
New source of SCN resistance (article in Soybean Digest, August 2000)
Learn more about The igronomist Report - what to expect, what not to expect and how it works
New seed treatments Prescribe and Gaucho
This past spring, early season insect damage service calls were probably more frequent than any time I can remember. In Illinois, Grape Colapsis calls were common. In Ohio and Indiana, seed corn maggots and wireworms caused considerable headaches, and across all three states flea beetles were probably as heavy as I have ever seen them. Why was it so bad this year? More than likely the warm winter played a key role. I have also heard entomologists speculate that increased residue from no-till and more plant matter (weeds) from Roundup Ready soybean fields may be contributing. Whatever the causes, damage was significant and in many cases led to replanting. With the renewed vigilance toward early season insect damage, many growers have inquired as to what their options are to help control the problem. A couple of new products have recently been approved and released (how lucky is that timing) that should help battle the problem. Although these products do not represent new chemistry, they are new for the corn market. Imidacloprid, which is the active ingredient in both Gaucho and Prescribe has been used for years on Sorghum in the U.S. and was only recently, approved for use on corn.
Gaucho is applied on the seed at a lower rate and targets Seed Corn Maggots and Wireworms among others. If you are currently using a hopper box compound, Gaucho seed treatment is a good alternative. Control is good and you don't have to spend the time during planting season stirring in the compound in each box. Cost may be a factor since most hopper box treatments run from $1.50 up to $2.25 per acre and Gaucho will run about $3.50 - $4.00/per acre. Yes, it's more expensive than traditional hopper box treatments, but it does have a broader spectrum of control and is very systemic. So, if you are too busy or don't like fooling around with mixing in your planter boxes each spring, Gaucho is a good alternative.
Prescribe is a higher rate of the same active ingredient which is targeting Rootworm and flea beetles, as well as those insects covered by Gaucho. Prescribe has three big advantages right now:
One caution I would make is that although early data clearly indicates control similar to Lorsbanä and Regent®, my feeling is that if you deal with Rootworm damage on a consistent basis and/or experience heavy pressure, I'm not certain this product will hold up compared to the newer synthetic pyrethroids. I have a lot of respect for the Gustafson people and will openly tell you that they do a good job of testing and researching their products. But I just can't be sure Prescribe will provide enough full season protection under heavy pressure, especially when compared to some of the newer soil insecticides. Cost of Prescribe will be in the $14 - $16.00/acre range, which is an outstanding price considering you don't have to handle it or worry about proper calibration of your planter. One other note, I was surprised to see in some trials this summer that Prescribe really did improve the plant health when the same hybrid was compared side by side with and without Prescribe. It was easily visible to the eye. That was very important this year when health and stalk quality was a big concern. My guess is that this health improvement came from a healthier root system. When you consider that most stalk rotting organisms enter through dead or dying roots, this makes good sense
So to sum it up, not every seed company will offer this technology. At icorn.com®, we currently do not offer this technology although we may next year. It is a sound and proven compound that offers a real convenience in not having to handle insecticides. I've seen seed treated with the product and it looks pretty good and shouldn't present a plantability or dust-off problem. My only concern would be whether or not Prescribe could hold up and give enough season-long protection under heavy rootworm pressure. More time is needed to be sure in my opinion.
New source of SCN resistance
Scientists have recently identified and isolated new germplasm from the Hartwig source that appears to confer outstanding resistance to a wide range of SCN races. It's called CystX. Up to now, breeders have relied on two sources of resistance; PI88788 and Fayette; however, breeders have tried for years to work with Hartwig as a source, but felt like there was too much of a negative yield drag associated with it. Some companies have begun to offer varieties with a Hartwig background that seem to have good yield and agronomics ( LG Seeds for example has one new variety)
I think that down the line, CystX may have some excellent utility in battling the Cyst Nematode problem. It may even prove to be a breakthrough. Only time will tell. My concern at this time is that the germplasm in which CystX is currently being offered is older germplasm that really can't keep up in yield with the newer lines coming out today. If you think about most fields with cyst problems, the density of cysts in any one part of the field can vary dramatically; thus, you may have some areas with low levels and other areas with high or very high cyst levels. Also, not everyone has high SCN levels in their fields. So here is my take on CystX. If any of your fields have a high level of cyst pressure on a large percentage of the field, then try some CystX next to your favorite Cyst Bean with a full R (not MR or less) to Races 3 and 4 (14) and see how they do. If cyst levels in your fields are moderate or low, even across the whole field, then use a high yielding variety with R or MR because I feel comfortable that even though they may experience some cyst damage, they will still out-yield the current CystX germplasm. Over time this may change, but right now I feel that's the way it will probably be.
Learn more about The igronomist Report - what to expect, what not to expect and how it works
Using the power of the Internet and the speed of email, The igronomist Report is the perfect communications tool to share my timely thoughts, comments, and suggestions on agronomy related topics, products, and services that can make a difference to you and your operation. During the cropping season, when I see situations occur that require some management actions, this emailed report will serve as the vehicle to help me alert you of those situations and provide some meaningful, valuable thought to the impact and consequences they may bring. While this is intended to be helpful and insightful, I want to encourage you to continue reading from your other trusted sources. And since I probably won't have the time to give you what other newsletters and crop updates do, I'll make sure the information I do include in The igronomist Report is worthy of your time.
What not to expect in The igronomist Report? No B.S. or fluff. When I don't know the answer, I can usually find someone who does. One of my favorite sayings is, "Every day I live, I learn how much I didn't know the day before." And that keeps me wanting to wake up the next day.
How will The igronomist Report work? As I said earlier, I would like to focus on new and emerging products and services in the industry. To do this, I'd like your help. When you see an article in a magazine or hear about something that interests you, please email me so I can do a little research and consult with some of my igronomists to see what they think. And I'll report my findings along with the possible impact it might have on your farm in a future issue of The igronomist Report.
If you have any thoughts, comments, questions or corrections please feel free to call me at (800) 240-0101 ext. 22. Or send me an email at jschwartz@icorn.com.
Icorn.com is a registered trademark of iCorn LLC.
Prescribe is a trademark of Gustafson LLC.
Gaucho is a registered trademark of Bayer AG, Germany
Lorsban is a trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC
Regent is a registered trademark of The Aventis Group
Back to Top | Ask the igronomist | Link to icorn.com
© 2000 icorn.com® All rights reserved.