New Study Reveals Surprising Insights Into Tar Spot Management

Jan 09, 2024

A new study led by a team of researchers from Michigan State University and FMC Corporation, has challenged conventional wisdom in the management of tar spot, a significant corn pathogen in the U.S. and Canada.

Contrary to previous assumptions, the study found no evidence supporting a relationship between nitrogen application rates and tar spot severity. The research suggests that nitrogen application does not influence the severity of tar spot.

Key Findings:

No Relationship Between Nitrogen (N) Application and Tar Spot Severity: The study found no evidence supporting a relationship between nitrogen application rates and tar spot severity. The research suggests that nitrogen application does not influence the severity of tar spot.
Plant Population Density Impact: Higher plant population densities were unexpectedly associated with lower tar spot severity.

Click here to see more...

Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.