Planning Ahead: White Mold Management and Farm Succession
A recent webinar presented by BASF brought together agronomic and financial experts to address two pressing issues for growers: managing white mold and preparing for long‑term farm succession.
Erick Garcia, senior product manager at BASF, emphasized that white mold remains a costly and persistent threat, estimating more than $260 million in U.S. yield losses in 2024 alone. He highlighted environmental and agronomic factors that increase risk, including cool, humid flowering periods, dense canopies, and field history, noting that sclerotia can persist in soil for five to eight years.
Garcia introduced Zorina®, a new fungicide launching for the 2026 season. Combining the two active ingredients from BASF’s Endura® and Revysol® fungicides, Zorina is designed to deliver white mold plus broad‑spectrum disease control in crops such as soybeans, canola, dry beans, and more, with enhanced UV stability and long‑lasting residual activity. Zorina fungicide helps farmers protect their crops and optimize yield potential.
Application Timing is Key
Dr. Michael Wunsch of North Dakota State University provided practical guidance on fungicide timing, drawing on 16 years of research. His findings show that optimal timing depends heavily on crop growth stage and the number of planned applications. “When you apply that fungicide, you’re protecting the tissues that are there—not the new growth,” he says, underscoring why early R2 applications in soybeans often outperform traditional early‑bloom sprays.
Wunsch also shared insights on droplet size, demonstrating that canopy density should dictate nozzle selection. Fine droplets work in open canopies, but as closure increases, medium or coarse droplets improve penetration and disease control.
Preparing the Farm for the Next Generation
The second half of the webinar featured succession planning experts Jeff Dewald and Mike Cohen of Agribusiness Succession Advisors. They stressed that every operation needs both an “everything goes perfect plan” and an “egg‑truck plan”—a reference to a real client who survived a near‑fatal accident the day he was scheduled to finalize his succession documents.
Their message was clear: without a written plan, families risk financial strain, conflict, and even farm loss. With farm bankruptcies rising and the average farmer now over 65, proactive planning is more critical than ever.
If you missed the live broadcast of this webinar, ‘Planning Ahead: White Mold Management and Farm Succession in the Northern Plains‘ you can view the archived version online here or visit CropLife.com/webinars and check it out today.
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