No it is not a bird or the Man of Steel sweeping low over the cornfields of Trigg County. The two low-flying aircraft seen dusting the stalks may be contractors of Crop Production Service applying a fungicide to increase yields of area farms.

Rob Klueppel of CPS said that his company contracted helicopter pilot Rob Hammond of Mississippi and airplane pilot James Price of Arkansas to fly the aircraft that apply the chemical. “The plane can carry an 80-acre load, while the helicopter carries a 25-acre load. We use aircraft because the ground-based sprayers can’t get through the field. The plants are too tall, and it would tear up the crop,” he said.

Klueppel said that the fungicide increases yields by 10-20 percent. “This is the biggest thing in production since hybrid corn for yield average. With corn prices as high as they are, we are looking at significant dollars. Along with the improved yield, we see a decrease in diseased plants and the stress on all plants. We get improved standability and harvest efficiency.”

Use of agricultural aviation may be unique to corn in this area. “Arial application is not desirable for most local farms, due to the terrain in the area. Around here, we use planes for corn and possibly soybeans, but ground sprayers are mostly used.”

Find out more about agricultural spraying in the new Cadiz Record.