PROTECTING ROOTS FROM ROTTING ALL SEASON LONG

Proactively address plant health including plant roots and crowns

STEP 5
  1. Why is this important?  LEARN MORE
  2. Root Armor™: a fungicide/nematicide that proactively addresses key yield robbers in corn, soybeans and sugarbeets.  LEARN MORE
  3. Ethos® Elite LFR®: combines Ethos® Biofungicide and Capture® LFR® into an in-furrow product so critical to yield that we consider it Foundational to The Agronomic Profit System™.  LEARN MORE
  4. Xyway® LFR®  delivers the longest-lasting disease control on the market — no other fungicide active ingredient moves through the plant or persists as long.   LEARN MORE

Protect your roots from rotting all season long. Why is this important?

Root rots from Phytophthora, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and Pythium are yield robbers every year. Although disease pressure varies, it is common to see 10-30% of corn roots and 5-20% of soybean roots rotted and not functioning by the time crops enter the reproductive stages of growth. Even modest damage of 10-20% (which is very common) can lead to substantial yield losses.

Ethos Elite LFR insecticide/biofungicide logo

WHAT IS IT?

Root Armor™ is a fungicide/nematicide that proactively addresses key yield robbers in corn, soybeans and sugarbeets.


WHY USE IT?

Root Armor™ protects against seedling blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium spp., while suppressing key nematode species including Root Knot, Soybean Cyst, Lesion, and many more. Root Armor™ increases root size by 15%, minimizing dry weather effects!


PROVEN RESULTS OF ROOT ARMOR™

  • Across a four-year 30-location corn dataset (2021–2025), Root Armor™ delivered +5.3 bu./A., an 85% win rate, and a 3.3:1 ROI to the farmer. 
  • University of Minnesota research (Dr. Chanda, 2024) further confirmed +0.8 tons/A. sugarbeet yield, +729 lbs./A. sucrose yield, and a sugar content increase of +2.1% in Saginaw, MI.


HOW TO USE IT:

  • CORN:  In-Furrow or 2x2 at 6 oz./A.         
  • SOYBEANS:  In-Furrow at 6 oz./A.
  • SUGAR BEETS: In-Furrow or 2x2 at 9 oz./A.

ROOT ARMOR™ APPLICATION

Our best results with Root Armor™ in sugar beets have been at rates between 6-9 fl oz/A. A post, foliar application of Azoxystrobin is still needed for protection against late-season disease (Rhizoctonia solani), but the addition of Root Armor™ improves season-long stand counts and yield.

ROOT ARMOR™ IS THE ONLY PRODUCT IN THE TAPS™ SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES
NEMATODE SUPPRESSION AND PROVEN ROOT GROWTH INCREASES

Ethos Elite LFR insecticide/biofungicide logo

WHAT IS IT?

Ethos® Elite LFR® combines Ethos® Biofungicide and Capture® LFR® into an in-furrow product so critical to yield that we consider it Foundational to The Agronomic Profit System™.


WHY USE IT?

Reduction of root rot! Along with building good plant potassium levels, Ethos® Elite LFR® suppresses the yield robbing root diseases of Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium.


HOW TO USE IT:

  • CORN:  In-Furrow ONLY at 5 oz./A.
  • SOYBEANS:  In-Furrow ONLY at 6.8 oz./A. in 15" Rows
  • DRY BEANS:  In-Furrow ONLY at 6.8 oz./A. in 15" Rows 
  • *NOT FOR USE WITH SUGAR BEETS
Comparison of soybean plants, untreated and treated with Ethos Elite, showing root protection from Pythium species.
Diagram showing how Ethos Elite LFR protects roots from bacteria.

"Minimizing the cumulative effects of crop injury during the season is key to maximizing yield. When it comes to protecting seedlings, most growers only go as far as using a basic seed treatment. What most people don't consider is how long that seed treatment lasts. Ethos Elite LFR protects against insect pests and soilborne diseases with a unique insecticide and root colonizing biofungicide premix. Ethos Elite LFR was developed to maximize the potential of each seedling during their most vulnerable growth stages by extending protection beyond the seed treatment to achieve a healthier, more uniform stand."

Matthew f. pye, ph.d.

Biologicals subject matter expert | FMC
Xyway fungicides logo

WHAT IS IT?

FMC’s 2x2 at plant fungicide, proven to last all season long.


WHY USE IT?

Xyway® LFR® delivers the longest-lasting disease control on the market — no other fungicide active ingredient moves through the plant or persists as long. Applied 2x2, it proactively addresses crown health and improves the flow of both nutrients and water into the plant, while also reducing gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight and delaying the onset of Tar Spot.


HOW TO USE IT:

CORN/SOYBEANS:  Apply with or without UAN in a 2x2 or 2x2x2 at 10-15.2 oz./A.

Bar graph showing flutriafol detection in corn at brown silk stage.

Less than 1 ppm of Flutriafol is what is needed to control foliar leaf diseases


➔ Xyway LFR was applied at planting and three different application methodologies were tested.

  • 2x2, in-furrow and 0x0 with 5 gpa of water as a carrier
  • A total of 13 replications in studies conducted over 3 years go into this data illustrating the amount of flutriafol present in all the leaves of the corn plants


When applied at planting, the amount of flutriafol in the leaves far exceeded the required levels all the way up to and including leaves just below the tassel.

"The ability to apply a fungicide at plant and get long-lasting, inside-out protection against yield robbing diseases is a game changer. By holding off diseases like gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight, it offers the flexibility to make well-timed, in-season foliar fungicide applications to address tar spot, if needed. Plus, when you add crop development benefits that minimize plant stress and improve water and nutrient uptake, you end up with a crop that is well-equipped to handle the unpredictable nature of the growing season."

Adam Byrne

technical service manager MI, OH, IN  | FMC