MycoRant

Diplodia ear rot on corn

As has been mentioned, the cool wet weather of 2009 is giving fungal plant pathogens a real good shot at making trouble for farmers. The latest alarm bell rings from Hoosier Ag Today in the article Gray and Pink Molds Prevalent in Indiana Cornfields by Julie Douglas.

An excerpt:

Wet, cool conditions not only keep farmers out of the fields but also favor moldy corn. One Purdue University specialist is getting calls from around the state about Diplodia and Gibberella ear rots in corn. There is a lot of Diplodia ear rot located throughout Indiana, especially in the northeast and southeast, said Charles Woloshuk, Purdue Extension pathologist who specializes in corn mycotoxins. The level ranges anywhere from a few percent up to 30 percent of the ears are infected, he said.

In Iowa, it’s been wet, but hopes are still high according to Wet Weather Still Delaying Iowa Crop Maturity And Harvest by Rod Swoboda.

An excerpt:

The rain has also delayed crop maturity keeping corn and soybeans behind 5-year averages for most crop stages. The weekly survey shows farmers are concerned about fungal disease and the effect of those diseases on bean yields. Although they are wet, Iowa’s corn and soybean crops are still rated mostly in good-to-excellent condition.

Despite the overall optomistic tone of that article, not every reporter is painting a rosy scenario  in Iowa. Consider Stalk and Ear Rots Prevalent in Iowa.

An excerpt:

The cool, wet growing season has favored infection and the development of certain corn ear and stalk rots in Iowa.  Foliar diseases that occurred earlier in the growing season may have increased the risk of stalk rots in fields. In corn trials across the state, anthracnose and Gibberella stalk rots are common. Ear rots that are being reported across the state include Diplodia, Gibberella and Fusarium.

Things aren’t looking any better in Illinois according to Moldy Situation in Fields.

Shier explained that white mold is a relatively new disease to Livingston County. He said it was first spotted in the county in the Blackstone area 12 years ago. “It was only in that area and we had no cases of it again until last year in certain areas of the county,” said Shier. “This year it is more widespread and seems to be hitting fields all over the county.

In perusing a number of recent news items about this year’s harvest, it seems there is a real and growing concern that the corn and bean crops may indeed suffer from the wet weather and the appearance of fungi that inevitably follows.

Tags: corn, phytopathology