In this current economic climate, many growers have posed the question, “why would I use a fungicide on corn when commodity prices are $3.50?”
“The way I look at is I don’t know why you wouldn’t because of the benefits that we’ve seen,” said Eric Tedford, Technical Lead Fungicides, Syngenta.
We had the opportunity to chat with Tedford and take a virtual reality-style view of Syngenta’s new fungicide, Trivapro at work.
According to Teford, it’s called Trivapro because it contains three different active ingredients -azoxystrobin, propiconazole, and Solatenol fungicide. All three ingredients have broad spectrum disease control, work well on corn, soybeans, and wheat, and provide several physiological benefits.
“We talk about Trivapro working harder, lasting longer, primarily because one of the active ingredients in the mix is very potent and it lasts longer so what that means is it provides long lasting residual activity longer than any of our other fungicides or fungicides on the market,” Tedford said. “It provides great benefits to the grower in terms of controlling disease and helping keep their factory going– keeping the plant green and helping it yield.”
Released last year as a co-pack, Trivapro-treated acres across the Midwest and South produced:
- An average of 27 bushels per acre (bu/A) more corn than untreated.
- An average of 8 bu/A more soybeans than untreated.
- Between 11 and 27 bu/A more wheat than untreated and competitive brands.
Tedford also pointed out the added physiological benefits can also help a grower’s bottom line. With stronger corn stalks, growers can have greater harvest efficiency and less problems with lodging, combine jams, etc.
“We have actually run economic models with universities and found that by using Trivapro fungicide we can increase harvest efficiency to the tune of $16 per acre just by getting the combine through,” Tedford said. “Also by keeping the stalk stronger and reducing lodging, you are not returning as much corn — which becomes volunteer corn which will take away the yield of soybeans if you grow soybeans after corn. The other thing is you can keep the corn out there longer and not race against the weather to bring it in — because if you have stocks that are compromised that will blow over with a storm coming in you might bring it in too high moisture just to get in. This way we can actually let the plants dry down naturally and not race against the weather to bring them in.”
