Field experiments were conducted on producer's fields in
Southwest, North-Central, and East Arkansas to evaluate
the effect of a single preventative foliar fungicide application to two high
yielding glyphosate resistant hybrids with varying
foliar disease resistance (Dekalb 69-71 and Pioneer
31G96). Crop rotations of corn after
corn and corn after soybeans were evaluated at each location. Preventative foliar fungicide treatments of
Quilt at 14 fl oz/acre were applied near silking and brown silk using a modified Co2 backpack
sprayer. Foliar diseases did not develop
in any of these experiments and Quilt applications had no impact on corn yield. Three application timing experiments were conducted
on the Pioneer 31G96 (RR + Herculex) hybrid. Experiments were located in Southwest Arkansas near Foreman and at the Cotton Branch Research Station
near Marianna in Eastern Arkansas. At Marianna, a typical planting date (April
12) and a late planting date (May 26) were evaluated. Quilt was applied at 14 fl oz/acre to corn
from 40 inches tall to near black layer (depending on location) Foliar diseases were not present in
experiments at Foreman or the early planted experiment at Marianna. However, in the late planted (May 26) corn
experiment, Southern rust was found late in the season at high levels. Quilt applications made prior to silking provided little or no control of southern
rust. Quilt treatments applied after silking and particularly near brown silk provided the
highest level of control. Corn yields
however were not increased with any of the Quilt applications due to the late
occurrence of the disease in the growing season. Visually the later Quilt applications
maintained plant greenness, which may reduce plant lodging. Plant lodging was high for all treatments
due to a thunderstorm which resulted in approximately 30% plant lodging across
the experiment.