Pheromones have had a seat at the pest management table for nearly 40 years. As insect control needs have evolved, so has the fit for this practice as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. Listen in as Jake Turner and Alix Whitener, technical service manager for FMC, discuss the growing use of pheromones as part of an effective IPM strategy, how they complement crop protection solutions and mitigate insecticide resistance, recent academic research and more. Always read and...

Waterhemp and herbicide resistance are synonymous with one another. It’s a circumstance that continues to grow and challenge more acres each year. Getting a handle on herbicide-resistant waterhemp is easier said than done. It requires a long-term commitment to eradication and a diversified mix of management practices. Listen in as Nick Hustedde, technical service manager for FMC, walks through the different approaches and strategies that need to be considered by growers who currently find...

No matter where you are in California, the effects and threat level grapevine trunk disease (GTD) pose prove to be about the same. Listen in as Jake Turner sits down with two pest control advisors (PCA) from different parts of the state to discuss the complex: Pete Sweeney, a PCA and sales consultant for Grow West out of Geyserville and Steve Quashnick, a PCA and retail sales representative for Wilbur Ellis Company in Lodi. The duo share and compare decades worth of notes and lessons from...

The way irrigation and crop protection interact is a crucial tangible that needs to be evaluated on an individual basis. But like a well-tuned orchestra, these entities need to work together in harmony. When they’re aligned, the two can help elevate a crop’s health and output. Eric Castner, technical manager for FMC, recently visited with Jake Turner to examine questions like how irrigation can improve the effectiveness of different crop protection products and why certain attributes of a...

Striving to reach that next yield tier or to increase revenue? Whatever the objective, crop protection plays a significant role in achieving it. To get to the how and why crop protection plays a part in fulfilling either goal, Jake Turner visited with Brandon Lovett, agronomist for WinField® United, and Drake Copeland, technical service manager for FMC. Listen as they explore old, new and emerging crop protection methods and technologies that are helping growers boost productivity and,...

Each growing season, foliar corn diseases rob growers of hundreds of millions of bushels. With aggressive diseases like gray leaf spot, southern rust and newcomer tar spot in the mix, these threats can have a double-digit effect on a single acre of corn if left unintended. Listen in as Darcy Telenko, assistant professor and extension field crops pathologist for Purdue University, joins Jake Turner on this episode of Good to Grow to take a closer look at these pressing diseases and the...

In recent seasons, corn growers from Kentucky to Louisiana have been experiencing a newer foliar disease in their fields: Curvularia leaf spot. A disease that can easily be mistaken for eye spot, curvularia leaf spot is being put under the microscope by plant pathologists like Trey Price, assistant professor and extension and research pathologist for Louisiana State University. Listen as Price, who recently joined the Good to Grow podcast, provides the 411 on the disease: what it is, where...

In a given field, orchard or vineyard, growers and consultants come into contact with an array of insects. But what isn’t quite clear every time is whether the insect that’s present is a pest, non-factor or beneficial. Getting identification right is the first and most imperative step to building out an effective insect management plan, though it can sometimes be overlooked. Listen in as Alix Whitener, technical service manager for FMC, joins Jake Turner to discuss a wide spectrum of pest...

There’s a buzz that’s growing around biologicals. It’s not necessarily a new category for U.S. growers and producers, but it is gaining traction as the industry introduces new research and solutions. Jake Turner sat down with one the leading experts on the subject, Surendra Dara, Ph. D., cooperative extension advisor in entomology and biologicals for the University of California, to learn more about why the segment is trending. Listen in as they discuss the current state of the category,...

From weevils to aphids to cotton root rot, achieving full-season, full-spectrum control in an alfalfa field can be a challenge. With the triple threat of disease, insects and weeds lingering every season, keeping all these factors in check requires rigorous scouting and quick decision-making to ensure growers can maximize the number of cuts in a season. Join Jake Turner as he and Bruce Steward, technical service manager for FMC, evaluate the different challenges present during a typical...

Taking control of weeds is the first priority on a rice growing operation. To Eric Webster, professor and weed scientist at Louisiana State University, coming out of the gate strong with an aggressive weed control plan is key to ensuring a successful season. Join Webster and Jake Turner as they discuss herbicide-resistant grasses like barnyardgrass, the power of residual herbicides and programs to achieve full-season weed control, 2021 expectations in rice fields from California to Louisiana...

Seed treatments, nutrient programs, weather: All of these play an integral role in whether a crop gets off to a good or poor start. However, another option is making its way into this equation: In-furrow crop protection. This burgeoning segment is allowing growers to retool what they do at-plant to help maximize root health and protect seedlings from day one. Listen in as Brandon Schrage, technical service manager for FMC, outlines the benefits of in-furrow crop protection solutions and the...

The way foliar diseases in corn are managed is evolving. New to corn fields in 2021 is an at-plant concept, Xyway™ brand fungicides, that’s changing what growers expect from a foliar fungicide. In the lead up to this year’s launch, FMC conducted numerous field trials with growers and university researchers across the U.S. in 2020. The goal: To show the efficacy of the fungicides across a variety of geographies and disease conditions. Two researchers involved with these trials, Kiersten...

The fight against resistant weeds is continuously evolving, and now there’s a newer, less predictable mechanism that has researchers casting a wide net to understand: metabolism-based resistance. Dating back to the 1980s, this form of resistance has been identified in grass species across the globe but, in recent years, has emerged in U.S. fields, particularly in broadleaf species like waterhemp. What sets metabolism-based resistance apart from other forms of resistance is the potential for...

Potato growers in key areas like Washington’s Columbia Basin are placing greater emphasis on integrated pest management (IPM). Area specialists like Kris Thomas, retail market manager for FMC, attribute the acceptance of these practices partially to the decreased efficacy of traditionally used chemistries like neonicotinoids and pyrethroids. Listen in as Thomas joins the FMC Good to Grow podcast to discuss the drivers behind the adoption of IPM practices in the potato industry and keys to...

Grapevine trunk disease is a fast spreading, costly disease complex that’s been deemed one of the most destructive disease complexes in grapes. Inflicting damage in a vineyard upwards of 80% and estimated to cause billions of dollars in financial losses, it’s a complicated disease that has researchers turning over every stone for a solution. One of those researchers, Akif Eskalen, plant pathologist and University of California cooperative extension specialist, recently joined the FMC Good to...

The pest spectrum row crop growers are facing continues to fluctuate, increasing the need for tools that address a range of pests while delivering better control overall. Enter Elevest™ insect control powered by Rynaxypyr® active, a new management solution in time for the 2020 season. By optimizing the ratio of Rynaxypyr and bifenthrin, it provides enhanced activity on select Lepidopteran pests and is effective against a broad spectrum of more than 40 insects. Listen in as Don Johnson, senior...

The different corn rootworm species remain a consistent threat for many U.S. corn growers. Though corn rootworm populations have not necessarily grown, issues related to insecticide and trait resistance development have made them a more resilient threat and created a wrench in many future management programs. Listen in as Bob Wright, research and extension entomologist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses the primary corn rootworm species affecting U.S. growers, particularly...

For more than 120 years, cotton root rot has affected numerous U.S. crops — 2,300 to be specific — but has been particularly hard on permanent crops like almonds, grapes and pecans. Inflicting damage that ranges from significant yield loss to complete orchard or vineyard removal, cotton root rot has been and remains a threat to these operations due to the level of difficulty to manage it. But, in recent years, new tools, strategies and insights have emerged to aid growers’ campaigns to combat...

In the surge of resistant weed biotypes, migration has played a significant role. For sunflower and wheat growers, downy brome and kochia are two weeds in particular that have increased their footprint thanks to migration. Listen in as Kirk Sager, technical services manager for FMC, places these weeds and migration styles under the microscope and examines the roadmap that got us to this point and the required action going forward. Always read and follow all label directions, precautions and...

In the average almond and pistachio orchard, upwards of 12 different ant species can be found. But, only one or two of those species will actually have a negative economic impact. Kris Tollerup, integrated pest management advisor for the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, joins the podcast to break down ways to distinguish between ant species in the orchard, examine the effect species like the southern fire and pavement ants can have, evaluate monitoring...

For the last two decades, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and its vectored pathogen, the cause of citrus greening disease (also known as HLB), have inflicted unprecedented damage in citrus groves. Today, the battle wages on in key growing states like California, Florida and Texas. To Monique Rivera, cooperative extension specialist and entomologist at the University of California at Riverside, the issue is evolving and has created two options for citrus growers: mitigate ACP spread or maintain...

At-plant, inside-out, season-long: These are characteristics corn growers don’t typically associate with their foliar fungicides but that’s changing. In 2021, FMC will launch a new at-plant fungicide, Xyway™ 3D fungicide, that will deliver early to mid-season control of foliar diseases, including Northern corn leaf blight and gray leaf spot. This novel approach to disease management will provide growers with a new layer of protection and efficiency in the field. Join Matthew Wiggins,...

If there was a competition for the most successful invasive pests, spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) would top the standings. Since its introduction to the U.S. more than a decade ago, SWD has spread coast to coast and changed the way and, even in some cases, the cultivars small fruit growers produce. Listen in as Alix Whitener, technical service manager, breaks down the keys to managing SWD, from cultural and conventional management practices to IPM considerations, and provides a glimpse at some...