Written by: Dr. LeAnn Lux
Disease Risk Before and After Tropical Storm Debby
At the beginning of the season there were many questions about when fungicide programs should begin. June was abnormally dry with severe drought-like conditions, leading many growers to question whether the start of their fungicide program could be delayed and whether an application was necessary during that period.
As we moved into July, however, rainfall increased considerably, leading to higher humidity across the region. Some locations throughout the Coastal Plain received rain almost every day. Heat and humidity are the primary factors driving disease pressure, while rain and wind help spread disease throughout the canopy and from plant to plant. Although the season began extremely dry, conditions can change quickly. The pathogens responsible for peanut diseases are opportunistic and remain dormant until favorable environmental conditions develop.
One of the best tools available for making decisions about when to begin fungicide programs and evaluating disease risk throughout the season is the Peanut Disease Advisory system.
The disease advisories provide daily information including favorable infection hours, Last Effective Spray Dates (LESD), overall disease risk (high, moderate, or low), and recommendations on whether a fungicide application is needed based on the LESD.
Below is a map showing the number of “Spray Today” recommendations generated by the Leaf Spot Advisory during the month of July for each monitoring location (Red = 16–18 days; Yellow = 10–12 days; Green = 5 days or fewer).
To me, these data suggest we experienced relatively high disease risk throughout much of July, particularly across the northern Coastal Plain.
As we moved into August, frequent rainfall and Tropical Storm Debby created additional challenges in making timely fungicide applications. Increased moisture elevated disease risk while saturated field conditions delayed applications, creating gaps in fungicide programs and allowing additional opportunities for disease infection.
Many growers have asked about using more curative fungicides under these circumstances. While fungicides provide the greatest benefit when applied preventatively, there are situations when field conditions simply prevent timely applications.
Research conducted within the Virginia-Carolina region has shown that when a more curative approach is needed, prothioconazole + tebuconazole (Provost Silver) tank mixed with micronized sulfur has been effective at slowing disease progression.
If you are interested in receiving the daily Peanut Disease Advisory email updates, please contact Dr. LeAnn Lux at lrlux@ncsu.edu.
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