With global supply chain challenges present this year, growers are aware of needing to be precise with chemical applications like fungicides. Using the powerful technology in FarmCommand®, growers can maximize their impact while using less in various ways.
Understand and manage risk
The first way is by utilizing crop models and historical data to determine which fields are at the highest risk of disease pressure versus the fields at the lowest risk. These models help you gauge what the current risk is.
Predictive models also consider the upcoming forecast to help determine if your risk will decrease or increase in the immediate future—thereby guiding decisions to reduce unnecessary applications or be proactive when spraying needs to happen.
We can look at our growth stage models to predict the timing of key vulnerabilities, allowing you to apply at the right time to get the most significant effect of the fungicide.
Variable Rate Fungicide application
Variable Rate (VR) application of fungicides is another practice that you can utilize to get the most out of available product. VR is a familiar technology for fertility and planting; however, new technology is available that can open the doors to make even more applications via variable rate. With tight chemical supplies, this may be the opportunity to harness the power of the innovative technology in crop protection. Using VR for fungicide can be optimized further with compatible adjuvants for your fungicide products and determining the right application timing to meet your agronomic goals.
VR Fungicide is now possible due to sectional control becoming more common in sprayers plus the increased access to new imaging technology. Farmers Edge utilizes imagery captured during the season to create accurate zone maps of the growing crop, maximizing the ROI on a fungicide application by putting higher rates in the better parts of the field and lower rates (or a zero rate) on the areas with lower potential.
Some fields will have less variability, and the results can vary from year to year and from field to field. Growers may realize savings of $1-5 per acre on a product using a variable rate application.
What are the steps for VR Fungicide?
- Review disease risk models for the crop.
- Review growth stage models to help time any necessary applications.
- Identify and map field variability using high-resolution, high-frequency satellite imagery.
- Define production zones and rates tailored to each zone using the preferred product.
- Build prescription maps based on the consultation and follow all pesticide labels.
- Send prescription maps via FarmCommand or USB to the monitor of the sprayer.
VR Fungicide benefits:
- Save money on fungicide.
- Improve ROI of fungicide applications.
- Help mitigate disease resistance to fungicide.
- Allow for a tight chemical supply to go further.
With so much uncertainty in the commodity and input markets, you need every advantage you can get this year to ensure that you turn a profit. Get the most bang for your buck by utilizing the high-tech crop management tools within FarmCommand from Farmers Edge, and by purchasing your fungicide and adjuvants from CommoditAg.com.
