Managing Tar Spot in Corn

Aug 11, 2025

By Martin Chilvers

Take-aways

Understand your hybrids, what are their disease ratings for tar spot, northern leaf blight and gray leaf spot, are any hybrids more susceptible than others
Scout fields regularly, especially as we come into reproductive stages. The tar spot map is helpful as a guide to scouting, not for timing fungicides.
Most years when needed, a single fungicide application from tassel (VT/R1) through milk (R3) provides adequate suppression of tar spot, occasionally an application at dough (R4) will be valuable, very rarely at the beginning of dent (R5).
Leave a check strip if you are making a fungicide application so you can understand your return on investment (ROI). ROI calculators have been developed to aid in fungicide decision making.
Use the Crop Disease Forecasting tool (which replaces Tarspotter) to assess risk conditions and to aid in fungicide application timing.

Tar spot this season?

Tar spot is developing yet again this season, with some fields likely requiring a fungicide application. Weather conditions throughout the remainer of the season and hybrid susceptibility will be the primary factor for disease development. Farmers and crop consultants should make efforts to understand their corn hybrid susceptibility and be scouting for disease.

Source : msu.edu

Video: Turning Better Feed Into Better Herds: Innovation in Forage Harvesting

What happens when a dairy farmer gets frustrated with equipment that isn’t doing its job? In this episode, we sit down with Horning Manufacturing founder Leon Horning to hear how a problem in the feed bunk led to a globally recognized forage equipment company.

Born out of a third-generation dairy operation in Pennsylvania, Horning Manufacturing started with one goal: helping cows get more nutrition from silage. Leon shares how his father, Leon Sr., built the first kernel processor rolls in the family farm shop after seeing whole corn kernels pass through cows undigested — costing valuable feed efficiency and milk production.

We explore the company’s journey from a side project on the farm to an international manufacturer serving dairy farmers, beef operators, and custom harvesters around the world. Along the way, Leon discusses the evolution of pull-type forage harvesters, the engineering behind Horning’s “plug-and-play” kernel processor kits, and why reducing downtime during harvest can make or break a season.

The conversation also dives into Horning’s row-independent corn heads, practical equipment design, real-world customer stories, and how innovations born in the field continue to shape the company today.

Whether you’re a producer, equipment enthusiast, or simply love stories of grassroots innovation, this episode offers a fascinating look at how one farm family turned necessity into industry-changing technology.

Contact Horning Manufacturing today at 717-354-5040
https://www.horningmfg.com/