Selecting the right seed treatment package for your corn crop
February 19, 2023
Introduction
Spring planting environments can be variable and unpredictable. Minimizing damage both above and below ground will help get the corn crop off to a promising start. Seed treatments promote seedling establishment and help reduce loss of yield potential due to fungal pathogens and insects. When choosing seed treatment options, field history is a key component in that decision-making process. Understanding what diseases and insect pests have been problematic in the past is important when deciding which seed treatment to choose to help mitigate these concerns. Acceleron® Seed Applied Solutions offers an advanced portfolio of products for corn that protect against early season insects and disease.
Figure 1: Treated refuge in the bag corn seed.
2023 Acceleron® Seed Applied Solutions Options
High-rate seed treatments
There can be a multitude of scenarios that would contribute to a field being at significant risk for early season pests where the Acceleron® Seed Applied Solutions ELITE offering should be considered. Examples would include fields with a recent incorporation of manure, compost, or cover crop and fields that have been fallow or in pasture/meadow. Diseases such as root rots and seedling blights can often be more severe when crops are planted into these high-residue situations. Also, insect pressure on newly cultivated lands may differ from a typical cropping situation. A third scenario for corn is cool, wet weather. Weather conditions cannot be precisely predicted at the time of planting, therefore seed treatments may offer insurance and peace of mind when conditions are conducive for seed and seedling diseases. Wet and cool soils are favorable conditions for most seedling pathogens, including Pythium spp. Cool soil conditions may also reduce seedling growth rate, providing a longer interaction time between the pathogen and the seed. For corn-on-corn acres, survival of seedling pathogens is typically higher in nonrotated fields. Similarly, no-till fields may have an increased risk of seedling diseases. Acceleron® Seed Applied Solutions ELITE can help seed products with a lower seedling vigor rating get off to a better early start.
Conclusion
The use of seed treatments has long been a widely accepted management practice. Seed treatments continue to be an important tool to get the corn crop off to a healthy, vigorous, and uniform start to help maximize the genetic potential of the corn crop. Always read and follow the label instructions.
Sources
1 2023. Acceleron Corn seed protection. The right level of protection from unpredictable threats. https://www.cropscience.bayer.us/seedgrowth/acceleron/corn.
Web sources verified 1/25/23.
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