A farmer from Philadelphia, Ill. sent an email to Pat Hill, DTN's marketing editor saying "beans will get cut and the corn is drying down if you didn't put on Headline, cost $25.00 to put on and an extra $100.00 to dry it down."

Put on fungicide to secure the crop and then have to pay more to dry it down because it didn’t' dry down in the field - interesting scenario.

Lots of interest in applying a fungicide on corn to protect the crop from foliar disease, bump yield, keep plants green longer and keep the stalk healthier well into the fall to reduce risk of lodging. A lot of farmers, including me, have bought into using fungicides on select fields and varieties because of these benefits.

However one of the downsides of stay green and reduced risk of lodging is corn staying wet well into the fall. And in a season like 2009 that was cool and wet with fewer of heat units, crop development was slowed and corn matured several weeks later than normal beyond the time when natural in-the-field drydown is accomplished. Then add in a fungicide application and Bt traits and the crop just stayed healthier longer and in-field drydown was compromised even further.

There is some truth in his statement, we want to plant full season hybrids then protect yield potential with traits and fungicides and no wonder corn is staying wet so much longer in a late year and it'll cost us.