Late Maize Spraying

In some case especially a high value crop like Seed Maize growers choose to apply a late fungicide mainly for peace of mind but doing so helps to keep the leaves green, and the chlorophyl factory going, and importantly keep your cobs free of Disease such as Diplodia.

There are some premium options available, such as Mirivas Duo and Aviator X Pro, which are very effective against cob diseases. However, these are not always necessary in every situation.

The most common product to use as a third fungicide is Azoxy Duo or Elatus Arc. These products work well as an all-rounder, particularly for leaf diseases, while also providing some level of cob disease protection. It contains two active ingredients from different chemical classes, which makes it more effective.

From an insecticide point of view, it really depends on pest pressure. If there is a serious Aphid outbreak or Fall Army Worm, it may be worth including an insecticide. Application method is important — the most effective approach is a directed cob spray, for example using knapsack sprayers aimed specifically at the cobs, so the product is concentrated where it is needed. Such as an Ampligo (CHLORANTRANILIPROLE 100G/L + LAMBDA 50G/L) or Bestrole (CHLORANTRANILIPROLE 200G/L SC) or Herole (CHLORFENAPYR 240G/L SC) great for Aphids and FAW. Another choice is Rainprita. (Imidacloprid + Beta-cyfluthrin) works well for Aphids and sucking insects like stink bug and the added benefit of some early termite control.

In terms of caterpillar damage on the leaves, this is usually negligible and not worth treating.

Overall, a late fungicide application is worth considering. There are indications that February is expected to be wet, which would significantly increase disease pressure, so it’s worth checking the long-term weather forecast.