Is fear of rust causing farmers to spray?
6+Has fear of rust attacking soybean yields in Iowa and the Upper Midwest driven more farmers to spray foliar fungicide on soybeans? Or was the trend already there for Iowa farmers to explore and try the use of fungicides on their farms. “No doubt, after rust was first confirmed on soybeans along the southern edge of the United States in 2004, more farmers even as far north as in Iowa, went out and looked at the impact of fungicides in soybeans,” says Pedersen. “We have done a tremendous amount of research throughout Iowa on the use of foliar-applied fungicides to soybeans. So have our neighboring states. In general, we get very little infestation of foliar diseases in soybeans this far north.” The economics of using foliar fungicide is so variable in northern states like Iowa, and when you do get a positive yield response it’s usually not enough to cover the cost of the spray and the application, he says. “I still think that’s the way it is going to be,” says Pedersen. “These fungicid
