Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Organizer/Moderator: James P. Mueller, Dow AgroSciences
Sponsoring Committees: Public Policy Board; Office of Industry Relations
Strobilurin fungicides are registered in maize and soybeans, for yield enhancement in the absence of significant foliar diseases. Large scale commercial testing across multiple locations provides evidence of yield benefits. Smaller scale, replicated field trials intended to document these effects have been inconclusive. Yield responses are attributed to the cumulative effect of managing multiple secondary pathogens, and to direct effects on plant metabolism such as changes in photosynthetic efficiency and transpiration rate. Some researchers have expressed concern about potential unintended consequences such as selection for fungicide resistant pathogens or suppression of beneficial fungi. This session will review the data and provide a balanced discussion representing both sides of the topic.
