Once sent back into the barn in early May, the sprayer is now quickly becoming one of the most important machines on the farm throughout the season. An increasing number of growers in Eastern Canada have realized that this piece of equipment holds the key to maximizing yields.

"With corn prices being as high as they currently are, more farmers are considering different crop input options, such as using fungicides, in order to optimize yield and gain more profit per acre," says Kim Hessels of Hessels Farm Supply in Dunnville, Ontario. "With corn at $7 a bushel, even an increase of five to seven bushels per acre is significant."

Though long practiced in Western Canada, treating fields with fungicides to increase yields and proactively prevent disease is a relatively new concept in Eastern Canada. But that's beginning to change for corn growers.

"There are exciting possibilities to improve corn yield with new products and technologies," says Crosby Devitt, Manager of Market Development and Research for the Grain Farmers of Ontario. "Our organization is supporting research to understand when farmers will see a return on investment from applying fungicides, and provide farmers with tools to make informed decisions."

Dr. Trevor Kraus, with BASF Canada, says that in his experience, fungicide spraying has been a bit of a culture shift for corn growers in Ontario and Quebec. Typically, they have only used the sprayer to apply fertilizer and crop protection products when crops are a few inches high, yet fungicides are applied later in the season when the corn is almost mature.

"We've found that a lot of corn growers in Eastern Canada are just getting used to the idea of spraying growing fields, because there can be some minimal crop damage during application," he says. "Yet when you choose a fungicide that can improve plant health, the yield increases will far outweigh any losses."

Jim Ford, a corn grower in Dutton, Ontario, used Headline fungicide from BASF for the first time in 2009, and was impressed with his increase in corn yield. "It was remarkable," he says. "The average yield increase from Headline was 18 bushels per acre over the check."

In 229 trials over three years, growers like Ford, who used BASF's Headline fungicide, saw average yield increases of eight to 10 bushels per acre. The company indicates that more than 40 per cent of those trial locations generated more than twice the return on investment.

Kraus says that growers on the Headline trials also reported seeing greener leaves and stronger stalks because of the product's unique AgCelence benefits. "This significantly reduced lodging and resulted in a higher yielding crop with improved harvestability," he adds.

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