Tar Spot Is On the Rise, So Federated Rises Up
Mar 10, 2026
When persistent issues for our growers arise, Federated aims higher. We proved this literally in 2025 when we added two lifted John Deere sprayers to our robust equipment lineup for the explicit purpose of offering tassel application for corn in an effort to battle tar spot disease.
“If we see demand, we’ll invest,” said Federated’s agronomy sales manager Kevin Carlson. “And since tar spot is an increasingly large problem that isn’t going away, we invested. It’s paid off for our growers.”
Since tar spot is a late-season disease pressure, the ability to apply fungicide during tassel stage is vital in protecting yield potential. “We saw very good results in 2025, which was the first year we offered tassel stage application,” Carlson said. “You typically need an 8-12 bushel response from your fungicide to break even, and growers were seeing an average of more than 20 bushels per acre last year. That’s great ROI.”
As corn approaches tassel stage, it becomes more and more important to protect it as it’s now reproducing. This is when yields can rise or fall dramatically, so applying your fungicide during tassel can make a huge difference.
“My honest opinion is that tar spot won’t be getting any better anytime soon,” Carlson said. “It’s a fast-spreading disease that resides in the residue, which means that it stays there. You have to be ready to fight it the best you can.”
Carlson stresses that while fungicide application can be expensive, it’s worth it to look at the ROI before making a decision. “We completely understand that it’s a tough decision. Corn prices are down, and it’s hard to budget for everything. Fungicide is a significant investment, but the ROI is reliable. We recommend it, especially with tassel application.”
We expected tassel application to be in demand this year, so be sure to talk with your Federated Agronomist as soon as possible to plan yours. It’s vital that we understand the demand early so that we can invest as needed before application time comes. As always, if the demand is there, we’ll invest to meet your needs.
“It’s a new opportunity for Federated growers to consider,” Carlson said. “It’s a pretty reliable process: Pick a good hybrid for yield and tar spot tolerance, then protect it with fungicide application at tassel. You’ll sleep better at night knowing you’re protected against tar spot!”
“If we see demand, we’ll invest,” said Federated’s agronomy sales manager Kevin Carlson. “And since tar spot is an increasingly large problem that isn’t going away, we invested. It’s paid off for our growers.”
Since tar spot is a late-season disease pressure, the ability to apply fungicide during tassel stage is vital in protecting yield potential. “We saw very good results in 2025, which was the first year we offered tassel stage application,” Carlson said. “You typically need an 8-12 bushel response from your fungicide to break even, and growers were seeing an average of more than 20 bushels per acre last year. That’s great ROI.”
As corn approaches tassel stage, it becomes more and more important to protect it as it’s now reproducing. This is when yields can rise or fall dramatically, so applying your fungicide during tassel can make a huge difference.
“My honest opinion is that tar spot won’t be getting any better anytime soon,” Carlson said. “It’s a fast-spreading disease that resides in the residue, which means that it stays there. You have to be ready to fight it the best you can.”
Carlson stresses that while fungicide application can be expensive, it’s worth it to look at the ROI before making a decision. “We completely understand that it’s a tough decision. Corn prices are down, and it’s hard to budget for everything. Fungicide is a significant investment, but the ROI is reliable. We recommend it, especially with tassel application.”
We expected tassel application to be in demand this year, so be sure to talk with your Federated Agronomist as soon as possible to plan yours. It’s vital that we understand the demand early so that we can invest as needed before application time comes. As always, if the demand is there, we’ll invest to meet your needs.
“It’s a new opportunity for Federated growers to consider,” Carlson said. “It’s a pretty reliable process: Pick a good hybrid for yield and tar spot tolerance, then protect it with fungicide application at tassel. You’ll sleep better at night knowing you’re protected against tar spot!”