Kick'N Dirt with Mike and The Kevins

Fungicide Timing, Disease Pressure and Tar Spot Insights

Episode Summary

If you’re asking “should I spray now, or wait?” - this episode is for you.

Episode Notes

The team digs into disease dynamics in Nebraska cornfields during a year of high humidity and timely rains. Pioneer Field Agronomists Mike Wardyn and Kevin Keller are joined by Dr. Tamra Jackson-Ziems, Extension Plant Pathologist with the University of Nebraska, for a critical conversation on fungal and bacterial disease trends, with a focus on southern rust, tar spot, gray leaf spot, and bacterial leaf streak.

From fungicide timing and efficacy to scouting strategies and drone vs. aerial applications, the team shares boots-on-the-ground insights and long-term management tips. Tamra also discusses the emerging threat of tar spot in fringe counties, the importance of hybrid selection, and what new research is revealing about disease progression and control.

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Find more information about the University of Nebraska plan diagnostics lab here: https://plantpathology.unl.edu/