Tillage not answer to reducing tar spot risk

Story by Marcus Mues, Tom J. Bechman

September 7, 2023

Contributing to another article for the Indiana Prairie Farmer, Dr. Dan Quinn, Extension Corn Specialist for the Department of Agronomy, weighed in on potential methods of prevention for tar spot. He joined a panel of Indiana certified crop advisors in answering the question:

Tar spot was here this year. Should we till fields to turn infected residue under? We’ve been leaving some stalks for no-till beans and running a vertical tillage tool. Will running a VT tool control tar spot?

Dr. Quinn is working with Dr. Darcy Telenko, Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, to look at planting shorter-maturity hybrids early as an alternative. The goal is to have the crop mature ahead of disease development so yields are not hurt as much.

"Unfortunately, most tar spot research hasn’t found additional benefit in tar spot control from tillage.", said Dr. Quinn. "Therefore, more aggressive tillage or the use of a VT tool likely won’t provide any additional benefit. Once tar spot is found, it tends to persist in those fields moving forward. Better control of tar spot will come from hybrid selection, crop scouting and proper fungicide timing when needed."

Hear answers from the other panelists in the full article on FarmProgress.

Featured Stories

a tractor spreads gypsum across a field and a soil probe has a sample of six inches of a dark brown soil in the metal tube

How Purdue researchers and the USDA are finding ways to bury carbon beneath our feet

Soils are a rare win-win when it comes to burying the carbon released from burning fossil fuels....

Alumni Spotlight: Olivia Schoentrup

Olivia Schoentrup is an alumna of Purdue Animal Sciences who travels the country to visit small...

The sound of the world

It’s summer, but Bryan Pijanowski is as busy as ever. He’s working on several grant...

Trey Malone named as Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness

“A business newspaper published an interview with me a few years ago titled, ‘Ag...

Virtual Tour Brings Forest Management for the Birds to Life

How does forest management affect wildlife, specifically birds? Which birds prefer which types of...

Students on the Sweden study abroad trip stand in front of a church

FNR Field Reports: Lucas Cacula Offers Week 2 Update from Sweden Study Abroad Program

Throughout the 2024 Sustainable Natural Resources study abroad course in Sweden, FNR...