Corn Tasseling and Foliar Fertility

I am not sure where the spring has gone, but a week after Memorial Day we are into summer. It will not be long (4-5 weeks) and we will be approaching tasseling of corn in our area. When I hear of corn tasseling, the first thing that comes to mind is fungicide application. Many of the highest yielding fields that I have had the opportunity to work with have had fungicide and a foliar fertilizer applied at tassel time.

We have a couple of excellent options for foliar feeding corn that have performed well in the past. Slow Release N with Boron has been an excellent option. The nitrogen and boron at tassel time have historically shown some excellent benefits in producing an excellent corn crop. The nitrogen helps feed the corn that is being produced on the ear and the boron increases sugar translocation and carbohydrate metabolism in the plant to add to increased yield. This increased yield comes at the cost of only a few additional bushels of corn to the fungicide that you are already applying.

If you have plenty of nitrogen and only want to apply foliar micros, we can also apply micronutrients with fungicide. Many of these foliar products include sulfur, boron, manganese, and zinc. This combination of micros provides an excellent mix of nutrients to help optimize yields on your farm. Adding these nutrients at a critical time can help the crop perform at its best and make the most of its yield potential.

Talk to your local SFG agronomist about adding foliar fertilizer to your fungicide application.