The tops of corn plants that have Anthracnose stalk rot top dieback may break off prior to harvest, but are not always an indicator of stalk and crown rot lower on the plant.
Stalk rot diseases are increasing in corn, causing top die-back in a number of fields, and ear rot diseases are developing in some fields. Scout fields now to help determine the need for any adjustments in your harvest management.
While most of the Nebraska corn crop looks good, there is early evidence of developing stalk and crown rot diseases, including Anthracnose top dieback. Producers are encouraged to scout their fields for disease and prioritize those fields for harvest where lodging may become an issue.
Bacterial leaf streak disease of corn, caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum, has now been confirmed in multiple Corn Belt states. First identified in Nebraska, the bacterial disease has symptoms similar to other corn diseases, such as gray leaf spot, but is managed differently.
UNL agronomists and educators responding to grower questions surveyed a number of corn fields this week and found a range of corn ear issues: short husks, dumbbell-shaped ears, and multiple ears per node. The article describes and discusses the situation, potential stress agents, and the development of corn. It also encourages growers to check their fields pre-harvest to better assess causes of potential yield loss.
Southern rust has been confirmed in samples from 10 Nebraska counties — Adams, Butler, Clay, Fillmore, Lancaster, Nuckolls, Pierce, Polk, Thayer, and Valley. All were from fields with a low incidence of disease at the time. Growers should also be scouting for rust as well as gray leaf spot, common rust, and physoderma brown spot.
Figure 1a. Severe sting nematode injury to corn. When sampling severely affected areas, collect samples from the edges of damaged areas in the field. That's where you'll find the most nematodes. (Photos by Tamra Jackson-Ziems)
This year nematode damage in some Nebraska fields may be masked by the ample rainfall we’ve received, but rest assured, these plant parasitic nematodes are still there in almost every field. Their impact ranges from no obvious sign to severe crop injury and tremendous yield loss.
