Utility of Fungicides for Control of Target Spot in NC

Target spot has emerged as a potential disease affecting cotton production in NC over the previous few years.  This disease can cause premature defoliation of leaves which can spread upwards on the stalk and potentially reduce yields.  The expense of fungicide treatments, as recommended by other states that encounter this disease, has lead growers to question the need for fungicides to prevent target spot, as well as questions regarding how much yield could potentially be lost as a result of this disease.  The objectives of this experiment were to determine if target spot has potential to reduce yield in NC and quantify such losses, as well as to evaluate the utility of fungicides as a preventative measure for controlling this disease in fields with a history of sever Target Spot in previous years.