By Vive Crop Protection

When a corn farmer is preparing to plant their crop, they want to do all that they can to ensure it has everything it needs to get it out of the ground and thrive right from the start. Much of yield potential is determined early in the lifecycle of the corn plant. Establishing a deep and robust root system is critical to achieving high yields. And there is one pest in particular that has been robbing growers' yield, without ever being seen… nematodes

Figure 1. A lesion nematode female, of the species Pratylenchus penetrans. A. Gorny, NC State University.

Corn nematodes are parasitic roundworms that can infest corn crops and cause significant damage. There are 1,000’s of species of nematodes that inhabit the soil, but the ones we are concerned about are the ones classified as plant parasitic. They feed on the roots of the plant, reducing its ability to absorb water and nutrients, which can lead to stunted growth, wilting, and reduced yield. Several different species of nematodes can attack corn but most prevalent are the root-knot nematodes and the sting nematodes.

When a corn plants root system is damaged in the first 50 or so days after emergence there are several critical physiological yield determining can be adversely affected. Some of these physiological processes are the determination of potential ear density, so a stress in the time period could cause the plants to produce less ears per acre. On “fixed” eared varieties the highest yields are achieved by having more ears per acre. Next would be the potential plant parts or the factory development.

Integrated pest management or IPM, is the backbone of combatting nematodes and many other pests. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment to develop a control strategy. Some of these practices are crop rotation, selecting resistant varieties, planting cover crops that reduce nematode populations, proper sampling and detection of nematode populations, and lastly chemical controls. Chemical controls can be a seed treatment, in-furrow nematicide, soil fumigant, or a granular nematicide. Vive Crop Protection’s Averland FC nematicide is the only liquid abamectin product labeled for in-furrow use in corn. Averland FC is compatible with liquid fertilizers, micronutrients, and other crop inputs so it’s an easy add to any tank mix. The ability to mix Averland FC with liquid fertilizers and apply it while you are planting saves time and resources, creating a more efficient planting operation. Averland FC provides suppression on a broad spectrum of plant-parasitic nematodes, including root knot, reniform, sting, and stubby root nematodes. Having the nematicide as close to the seed as possible ensures that the seed is protected as soon as it goes in the ground. Plus, Averland FC is not readily leached by rainfall and will stay put longer when compared to other nematicides that can leach or “gas off.”

Averland® FC In-furrow in Corn Preserved Vigor and Protected Stands Against Southern Root-knot Nematode

2021-2022. N=5 (GA, NC)

In 2022, Vive Crop Protection had several University and Contract research organizations test Vive’s in-furrow nematicide, Averland FC, against other industry leading nematicides. In corn, the competitive check was Counter 20g. Averland FC won by 6 bushels (184 vs 178, respectively). Along with comparative activity on nematodes, Averland FC has a favorable safety profile when compared to older Organophosphate insecticides. Averland FC also does not require any specialized hopper or separate system to apply it at planting. Just a planter with an in-furrow setup or fertilizer coulter system.

Watch this video below to learn more about Averland FC or visit www.vivecrop.com/products/averlandfc.

Always read and follow label directions. AVERLAND FC AND BIFENDER FC ARE RESTRICTED USE PESTICIDES. COUNTER is a trademark owned by AMVAC Chemical Corporation. Allosperse®, Averland®, AZterknot®, AZteroid®, Bifender®, Midac® and Viloprid™ are trademarks of Vive Crop Protection Inc. ©2022 Vive Crop Protection Inc.