By BASF Agricultural Solutions
Summer might have just officially begun, but Midwest corn and soybean growers have been grappling with intense heat for weeks. At the BASF Showcase Plot tours held at their Midwest Research Station in Seymour, Ill., discussions about the early heat and impending disease prevalence took center stage. Over 250 growers and retailers gathered for the two-day event, engaging with agronomists and field experts about the challenges faced this season. The event also offered a sneak peek at the latest products and innovations in the BASF pipeline, highlighting the ongoing advancements in agricultural technology.
Key takeaways from BASF’s Showcase Plot Tour
- Losses from tar spot this year could rival those in 2021, which was estimated to have reduced yields by 231.3 million bushels. It’s still early in the season and Tar spot has already been reported in parts of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Indiana. Any areas that experienced tar spot previously should expect a recurrence, and growers need to be on the lookout for additional disease spread due to the humid, wet weather. Mike Probst, Illinois-based Technical Service Representative, says to expect tar spot to show up in Illinois any day. “If you find tar spot, it’s time to take action. You can’t afford to let it go unchecked.”
- Scouting is not a dirty word. Whether digging up roots or sending in soil samples, Nick Tinsley, Technical Field Respresentative for Seed Treatments encourages growers to pay more attention to what’s happening in their fields this year. Soybean cyst nematode and corn rootworm continue to challenge midwest growers. “The corn rootworm numbers we’re seeing are high across Iowa through Minnesota and moving into Illinois.”
- Genetic diversity on horizon for soybean growers. For the first time ever, the Xitavo® soybean seed portfolio will feature new germplasm developed and sold exclusively by BASF. This soybean seed germplasm delivers the genetic diversity needed to reduce risk from the increased climate challenges and disease pressure growers have experienced in recent years.
- Early season weed control for corn growers is here. Surtain™ herbicide is the latest non-HPPD-inhibiting innovation for corn acres from BASF. With novel solid encapsulation technology, it brings powerful PPO residual chemistry into a pre- through early post-application. With Surtain herbicide, growers can attack 79 broadleaf and weed grass species before they have a chance to emerge and help preserve existing chemistries from resistance.
Later this summer, BASF is hosting additional plot tours in Story City, Iowa, on July 30 and in Beaver Crossing, Nebraska on August 6 and 7. Additional local plot tours may also be happening in your area. For more information, please reach out to your local BASF representative or visit the BASF website.
