Stratego YLD Fungicide FAQ

Stratego YLD Product Overview

What is Stratego YLD fungicide?

Stratego^® YLD fungicide combines triazole technology with strobilurin chemistry for powerful disease control in corn and soybeans. Offering two modes of action, it provides both preventive and curative activities and systemic movement for broad-spectrum, long-lasting control of important fungal diseases in corn and soybeans, and higher yield potential.

Why would I plan a fungicide application if I am not sure what disease pressure I’ll have – especially when commodity prices are low?

When it comes to addressing plant stress and disease, it’s important to not take a “wait-and-see” approach. Once disease takes its toll on the crop, it can lead to lost yield potential that can't be recouped. Instead, consider planning ahead to protect your yield and profits.

Stratego YLD Product Specs

What diseases does Stratego YLD control?

With its powerful triazole component, Stratego YLD is effective on a broad range of diseases in corn and soybeans, including anthracnose, rusts and strobilurin-resistant frogeye leaf spot (Cercospora sojina). Explore the full list of diseases controlled by Stratego YLD.

How does Stratego YLD improve harvestability in corn?

Stratego YLD fights disease on both leaves and stalks, which keeps plants standing healthier for longer, which results in improved harvestability. These stronger, healthier plants are less prone to lodging; harvesting lodged corn forces you to reduce speed to minimize yield losses, but slower speeds increase harvest expenses. By improving standability, Stratego YLD reduces lodging and improves productivity, ultimately saving you time and helping you retain more profit.

How does Stratego YLD combat disease resistance development?

Fungicides are vital to the future of agriculture, but their utility is at risk from pathogens developing resistance to specific modes of action. According to the Fungicide Resistance Action committee (FRAC), a specialist technical group of CropLife International, the best way to prevent and manage disease resistance is by using multiple modes of action in tankmixes and rotations – all at labeled rates.

Stratego YLD contains two powerful broad-spectrum modes of action in one product, which helps fight the important fungal diseases in corn and soybeans, even strobilurin-resistant frogeye leaf spot. Here's how those components work:

Triazole component

• Unique redistribution activity, moving on the outside of the plant with free moisture, such as dew, down into the whorl, protecting new plant tissue as it grows
• Systemic movement inside the leaf translocates active ingredient toward the leaf tips and edges

Strobilurin component

• Movement within the canopy utilizing vapor phase distribution, broadening the protected plant surfaces
• Penetration and translaminar distribution of the strobilurin complement the effect of the triazole

Stratego YLD Application and Use

Why do the use rates differ between early season applications of Stratego YLD and tassel applications?

The range for early season applications (growth stages V4 to V7) is 2 to 5 fl oz/A. Plants between growth stages V4 and V7 are much smaller and have less leaf area to protect. The leaves are arranged in such a fashion as to collect the most sunlight, so there is limited shading of lower leaves by upper leaves. Coverage is much easier to attain on the smaller, more exposed plants.

By contrast, four to five ounces of Stratego YLD applied between growth stages VT to R2 has proven to be effective in controlling important diseases and improving plant health. These plants are very tall with large biomasses that need to be protected.

How can an early season rate of 2 fl oz/A of Stratego YLD be an effective rate?

The performance and residual activity of a fungicide are determined by the concentration of active ingredient per unit of plant surface area. Because less leaf area is present at early season than after tassel emergence, the active ingredient sprayed per acre is less diluted.

Studies have shown that the concentration of active ingredient per unit of leaf area on the fifth leaf treated with 2 fl oz/A of Stratego YLD at V5 is more than 40 percent higher than on the ear leaf treated with 4 fl oz/A of Stratego YLD at VT.

There is a minimum concentration of active ingredient on the leaf’s surface that effectively controls fungal infections. Once that concentration is reached, the benefit of higher concentrations is longer residual activity.

After application, the active ingredient begins to degrade or be inactivated. The higher the initial application rate, the longer it takes for the concentration to fall below the effective level. This time denotes the length of the residual control.

If applying 2 fl oz/A of Stratego YLD early season provides ample protection for expanded leaves, why does the use rate range from 2 fl oz/A to 5 fl oz/A?

During the early application window from growth stages V4 to V7, the expanded leaves are spatially arranged to capture the most sunlight, which also orients them to intercept the most spray solution from a fungicide application. Two ounces of Stratego YLD per acre will coat and protect the expanded leaves with active ingredient.

However, as the plant grows to the later stages of this application window, V6 and V7, three or more leaves will be developing in the whorl. These leaves will typically be on the plant much longer than the younger leaves, and thus would benefit from longer residual activity of the fungicide provided by the 5 fl oz/A rate.

Additionally, the vertical orientation of these leaves makes it more difficult to deposit the desired concentration on the surfaces. Greater protection of these developing leaves can be attained with the higher rates, such as 4 fl oz/A of Stratego YLD.

Can Stratego YLD be tankmixed with an insecticide on soybeans?

A tankmix of Stratego YLD fungicide and Leverage^® 360 insecticide controls insects and diseases while enhancing yield potential, all in a single pass. Put these two proven, yield-enhancing performers to work for your soybeans.

Stratego YLD is also compatible with most other crop protection products and adjuvants. Read the label for a full list of Stratego YLD tankmix partners.

How is protecting a small corn plant different from protecting a plant after tassel emergence?

As the corn plant develops, the lower leaves are sloughed. The stalk expands, splitting the leaf sheaths of the early leaves, and brace roots rip through the sheaths of leaves growing from earlier nodes. These damaged leaves wilt and senesce. Because the first five or six leaves are not attached to the plant for very long after the early season spray, the residual activity provided by the fungicide does not need to be overly long.