Below is a “checklist” of options and opportunities for establishing strong disease and nematode control for the early part of the season and for laying a foundation that helps to insure successful control throughout the season.
Prior to Planting
- Use Peanut Rx 2018 to assess risk to tomato spotted wilt, white mold and leaf spot in a field and to develop a plan to reduce the risk, where possible.
- Carefully consider varieties that are available with increased disease and nematode resistance and where planting them may be beneficial.
- Consider what fungicides and nematicides may be needed during the season and insure the availability of the products. Also, consider what products are likely to provide the most effective control of diseases and nematodes and if they should be incorporated into your program.
- Plan to incorporate debris from a previous crop that could harbor disease-causing pathogens as early as possible so that it can break down/rot.
- Where Telone II is to be used, insure that sufficient time is allowed between application and planting to avoid issues with phytoxicity. Also, insure that soil conditions (temperature and moisture) are appropriate at time of fumigation
At Planting
- Consider conditions at planting (temperature, moisture, weather forecast) to ensure that seeds will germinate rapidly and uniformly and with subsequent vigorous growth to reduce risk to disease losses.
- To the best of your ability, insure that seed is of high quality with good germination.
- Insure that seed has been thoroughly treated with a fungicide seed treatment.
- Consider the need/potential benefits for use of an in-furrow fungicide to supplement the seed treatment and to offer further protection for disease like Rhizoctonia seedling blight and Aspergillus crown rot. In-furrow fungicides are also used as management tools for Cylindrocladium black rot and early-season white mold.
- Assess need for use of a nematicide such as Velum Total or AgLogic 15G. If a root-knot-nematode variety has not been planted and Telone II not used, then growers may want to consider these other products. Both Velum Total and AgLogic 15G are effective in managing nematodes and in controlling thrips. Velum Total also helps to manage seedling diseases as well.
- Thimet 20G is not the only product that is effective in the management of early season thrips on peanut, but it is the only product that reduces risk to tomato spotted wilt. Use of Thimet 20G is one-way growers can reduce their overall risk to this disease.
After Planting
- Use of irrigation to cool soils may help to reduce threat from Aspergillus crown rot, a seedling disease, when dry weather and high temperatures affect the early season.
- Banded applications of Proline over the peanut rows from 3-5 weeks after planting can help to reduce losses from early season white mold.
- Growers can also initiate early-season white mold control with broadcast applications of tebuconazole + chlorothalonil approximately 45 days after planting, or Elatus at approximately 30 days after planting. Depending on the rate, Priaxor at 40-45 days after planting may also help in early season white mold control.
- Growers should begin their leaf spot program within 45 days after planting. The first part of the season is a critical time for the management of diseases and nematodes. Growers should take special care to take advantage of the opportunities and tactics available; successful management early often has impact season long. Failure to manage diseases and nematodes early in the season certainly will have season-long implications.