Essential Strategies for a Successful 2024 Growing Season
As we transition from planting and weed control applications, it’s crucial to focus on the next yield-limiting factors in our growing season: pests and diseases. Timely intervention and strategic management are key to mitigating these challenges and ensuring a productive harvest. Some of the diseases we can agronomically minimize are fusarium head blight in wheat, white mold in soybeans and edible beans, and Cercospora leaf spot in beets.
As for our bug issues, each crop has its specific pests but timely scouting and communication with your AgriMAX agronomist will limit damage and help recommend the warranted product for treatments.
Fusarium Head Scab in Wheat: Treatment Options
Miravis Ace
- Use Rate: 13.7oz/acre.
- Effectiveness: Most effective treatment.
- Application Timing: From heading through flowering.
Prosaro/Prosaro Pro
- Effectiveness: Both provide excellent control, with Prosaro Pro closely matching Miravis Ace, followed by Prosaro.
- Additional Benefits: Controls many leaf diseases except bacterial leaf streak (BLS). Healthy plants treated with these products may better manage BLS.
Sphaerex
- Composition: Combination of Caramba and Proline.
- Effectiveness: Similar head scab control to Prosaro.

Image Source: University of Nebraska – Lincoln
All these treatment options effectively manage various leaf diseases that can significantly reduce yields, with the exception of bacterial leaf streak (BLS) in wheat, which is primarily controlled by the plant variety. However, applying one of the previously mentioned products to a healthy plant can improve its resistance to BLS and aid in preventing infections in some instances.
White Mold in Soybeans and Edible Beans: Control Options
Endura
This has been the go-to option for many years and continues to be the gold standard in white mold control.
- Use Rate: 5.5 oz/acre in soybeans, 8 oz/acre in edibles.
- Application Timing: Apply when first flowers begin to die but prior to falling off and infection setting in (R1-R2) growth stage
Propulse
- Use Rate: 8 oz/acre.
- Application Timing: Will give us control similar to Endura and apply at same timing (R1-R2) timing
Topsin/T-Methyl
- Use Case: In extreme cases, a second application 10 days later may be warranted, especially in irrigated or high rainfall areas.
Cercospora Leaf Spot in Sugarbeets: Numerous Options
Refer to the attachment below from American Crystal for detailed information on controlling cercospora leaf spot in sugarbeets.

Bug Management Across Crops
Wheat Pests
All pyrethroid products have been broad-spectrum for our common insects including (aphids, and grasshoppers, and have helped repel armyworm moths). We can also use a generic Chlorpyriphos (lorsban) product that has no known insect resistance to control seen and unseen pests (including armyworms, and large grasshoppers and aphids, wheat midge).
- Vantacor – for armyworms and grasshoppers exclusively
Soybean Pests
Soybean aphids are the most common pests in soybeans. Many of the pyrethroid products are not effective anymore so we have moved to a few of the following products:
- Generic chlorpyriphos (lorsban) – Again, effective on all soybean insects and non-selective. No residual so insects can reinfest in a few days after application.
- Sefina, Transform – Newest class of chemistry for soybean aphids have worked well but are mostly specific to piercing/sucking insect class. So not broad-spectrum if multiple problem insects are present.
- Bifenthrin products – numerous brand names but are inconsistent with soybean aphid control
- Ridgeback – a mixture of transform and bifenthrin – has worked well for aphids and provides some residual
- Tempest – a mixture of imidacloprid and bifenthrin – has worked well for aphids and other insects and has residual to reduce re-infestation.
Image Source: UMN Extension
Soybean spider mites – options
- Generic lorsban – info same as above
- Bifenthrin – same as above but has worked for mites in prior years
- Ridgeback – same info as above get control from the bifenthrin active ingredient in the premix
- Tempest – same info as above
- If other insects are present, visit with an agronomist to identify and discuss treatment options.
Other Crops (Sugarbeet, Sunflowers, Corn)
Discuss specific pest identification and treatment options with your agronomist.
Crop/Weed Desiccation and Harvest Aid for Edible Beans and Sunflowers
Crop and weed desiccation are standard practices for certain crops, aiding in easier harvests and promoting uniform crop maturity. At AgriMAX, we provide this service to our growers to help them time their crops accurately, ensuring they do not lose yield and facilitating a timely harvest. Failure to desiccate can lead to complications during harvest, with weeds causing issues and the crop being stubborn to dry down, prolonging the harvest process.
Most common applications are:
- Gramoxone 3.0, Sharpen, Valor or Diquat – all these products work well and many times are in a tank mix combination with 1 or 2 products together.
- All applications are improved with the addition of Ammonium sulfate (AMS) and Fire-zone (very hot MSO)
Additional Consideration: Nitrogen Loss Due to Heavy Rainfall
Heavy rainfall can lead to nitrogen loss, causing yellowing of crops and potential yield or protein losses in wheat and corn. This is primarily due to denitrification and leaching of nitrogen and sulfur, which are highly mobile in soil. Most other crop nutrients are stable and less affected by rainfall.

Image Source: Purdue University
Don’t Wait: Optimize Your Growing Season with AgriMAX
A successful 2024 growing season hinges on proactive and strategic management of pests and diseases. By staying vigilant and employing the right treatments at the optimal times, we can mitigate the impacts of fusarium head blight, white mold, Cercospora leaf spot, and a variety of pests across different crops. Close collaboration with your AgriMAX agronomist ensures timely interventions and tailored recommendations to safeguard your yield. Additionally, managing crop and weed desiccation can significantly enhance harvest efficiency and crop uniformity. Remember, maintaining healthy plants not only combats current issues but also fortifies crops against future challenges. Reach out to your AgriMAX agronomist with questions, or reach out via our contact form and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.