SEED and SEEDLING DISEASES

Disease Name: Seed Rot Pathogen: Fungi and bacteria. Pythium, Fusarium, Diplodia, Rhizoctonia, Penicillium spp., various
soilborne bacteria

Symptoms: The seed rots (embryo is killed) before germination. Conditions: Favored by prolonged wet and cold soil conditions in the spring. Soil temperatures 50
F or lower favor seed rots.

Inoculum Survival: Soil, infected plant residue (leaves,stems, roots), occasionally infected seed. Inoculum Dispersal: Soilborne hyphal fragments and spores, sometimes seedborne hyphal
fragments and spores.

Management: Fungicide seed treatment. Plant when soil conditions are warmer and drier, use
the proper planting depth

Leaf diseases
Disease Name: Gray Leaf Spot Pathogen: Fungus. Cercospora zeae-maydis Symptoms: Initial lesions appear as greenish black water soaked circular areas with chlorotic halos,
expanding into oval and then the diagnostic parallel sided rectangular brownish gray lesions.

Conditions: Infection is favored by extended warm, wet, humid weather. Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (leaves and leaf sheaths). Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Select hybrids with resistance (tolerance based on risk), two year crop rotation,
cleanly plow under infected

Disease Name: Anthracnose Leaf Blight Pathogen: Fungus. Colletotrichum graminicola Symptoms: Small, oval to elongated water-soaked lesions enlarge to become brown, spindle shaped spots
with yellow to reddish-brown borders. Lesions may coalesce and blight entire leaves. Older lesions will turn gray in the center with small black specks (acervuli with sterile black hairs). Leaf blight may be followed by top kill and stalk rot. Leaf blight rarely causes large yield losses. Stalk rot phase is most important (see Anthracnose Stalk Rot).

Conditions: Favored by cool to warm, wet, humid weather, continuous corn with reduced tillage. Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (leaves, leaf sheaths and stalks), seed (endosperm). Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids, rotate corn with nongrass crops. Cleanly plow under infected residue

Disease Name: Common Corn Rust Pathogen: Fungus. Puccinia sorghi Symptoms: Initial symptoms are chlorotic flecks on leaf surfaces. Flecks develop into oval to elongate
reddish brown powdery pustules on upper and lower leaf surfaces. Reddish brown spores break through the leaf epidermis. Pustules become brownish-black as they mature. Usually not a serious disease in hybrids.

Conditions: Disease favored by cool (66 F optimum) humid weather. Inoculum Survival: Spores blown into the Midwest from the South. Does not survive winter in Indiana,
except possibly in rare years along the Ohio River.

Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids. Foliar fungicides may be useful in seed production fields Disease Name: Southern Corn Rust Pathogen: Fungus. Puccinia polysora Symptoms: Similar to common rust except pustules occur almost exclusively on the upper leaf surface,
rarely on lower. Pustules are more orange than brick-red and slower to break through epidermis of leaf than common rust pustules.

Conditions: Favored by high humidity and temperatures around 80 F. Inoculum Survival: Spores blown into the Midwest from the South. Does not survive winter in Indiana,
except possibly in rare years along the Ohio River.

Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids. Foliar fungicides may be useful in seed production fields. Disease Name: Northern Corn Leaf Blight Pathogen: Fungus. Exserohilum turcicum Symptoms: Long cigar-shaped gray-green or tan lesions. Conditions: Favored by extended wet, cool, humid weather, minimum tillage, continuous corn. Usually
occurs during or after pollination.

Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (leaves, husks, stalks). Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids. Foliar fungicides may be useful in seed production fields. Cleanly plow
under infected residue.

Disease Name: Northern Leaf Spot Pathogen: Fungus. Helminthosporium carbonum (Race 3) Symptoms: Narrow, small, linear to oval shaped leaf lesions. Lesion type may vary with the genotype of
host and isolate. Lesions are grayish tan and surrounded by a light to darkly pigmented (usually purple) border. Chain-like leaf lesions are often produced.

Conditions: Favored by moderate temperatures and high relative humidity, minimum tillage, continuous
corn.

Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (leaves, husks, stalks, seed). Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids. Disease is primarily a problem in seed production fields with certain
highly susceptible inbreds. Foliar fungicides may be useful in seed production fields. Cleanly plow under infected residue.

Disease Name: Southern Corn Leaf Blight Pathogen: Fungus. Bipolaris maydis Symptoms: Small (1/8-1/4 in), oblong leaf lesions with rounded ends and parallel sides. Lesions are
commonly tan with brownish borders, appearing first on lower leaves (Race O).

Conditions: Favored by extended warm, wet, humid weather, minimum tillage, continuous corn. Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (leaves, leaf sheaths). Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids. Foliar fungicides may be useful in seed production fields. Cleanly plow
under infected residue

Disease Name: Stewart's Bacterial Disease Pathogen: Bacterium. Erwinia stewartii Symptoms: Leaf blight symptoms consist of long, irregular, pale green to yellow water-soaked streaks with
wavy margins, becoming grayish brown with age. Lesions are associated with flea beetle feeding scars on leaves (bacteria are transmitted from beetles into feeding scars). Systemic infection (wilt phase) is uncommon on dent corn hybrids. Plants with systemic infections are stunted, wilted and/or discolored.

Conditions: Favored by high infestation levels of flea beetles in April through late June. Inoculum Survival: Insect vector (corn flea beetle), infected seed (rarely in hybrid dent corn). Inoculum Dispersal: Insect vector (corn flea beetle), infected seed (extemely rare in hybrid dent corn). Management: Apply insecticides early to control corn flea beetles, resistant hybrids Disease Name: Anthracnose Stalk Rot Pathogen: Fungus. Colletotrichum graminicola Symptoms: Water-soaked areas on the surface of the lower internodes, developing brownish linear
streaks, turning black later in the season, larger oval black areas may develop, disintegrated gray to dark brown pith, severely infected stalks likely to lodge.

Conditions: Favored by cool to warm, wet, humid weather, minimum tillage, continuous corn, stresses that
result in early senescence.

Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (leaves, leaf sheaths and stalks), infected seed (rare). Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Unlike other stalk rots, infection occurs aboveground. Management: Resistant hybrids (full season hybrids tend to have more resistance than short season), two
year crop rotation with nongrass crops, cleanly plow under infected residue, balanced soil fertility..

Disease Name: Diplodia Stalk Rot Pathogen: Fungus. Diplodia maydis Symptoms: Leaves turn grayish-green and eventually brown. Dark brown lesions extend in either direction
from the node. Pith is disintegrated and discolored, stalks break easily. Tiny black bumps (pycnidia) may form just beneath the epidermis on lower internodes.

Conditions: Warm, moist weather in late summer (2-3 wks after silking), stresses that result in early
senescence.

Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (seed, cobs, ear shanks, stalks),seed, soil. Inoculum Dispersal: Soilborne hyphal fragments and spores. Infection occurs through roots. Management: Resistant hybrids (full season hybrids tend to have more resistance than short season
hybrids), balanced soil fertility, recommended plant population.

Disease Name: Gibberella Stalk Rot Pathogen: Fungus. Gibberella zeae Symptoms: Stalks that are split open have a disintegrated pith with pink discoloration . Conditions: Warm, moist weather in late summer (2-3 wks after silking). More prevalent when plants are
subjected to stresses that result in early senescence and a reduction of sugar to roots and stalks.

Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (seed,stalks), seed, soil. Inoculum Dispersal: Soilborne hyphal fragments and spores. Infection occurs through roots. Management: Resistant hybrids. Full season hybrids tend to have more resistance than short season.
Balanced soil fertility. Do not exceed recommended plant populations.

Disease Name: Fusarium Stalk Rot Pathogen: Fungus. Fusarium moniliforme Symptoms: Disintegrated pith tissues. Conditions: Warm, moist weather shortly after pollination. More prevalent when plants are subjected to
stresses (such as dry weather) that result in early senescence and a reduction of sugar to roots and stalks.

Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (seed, stalks), soil. Inoculum Dispersal: Soilborne hyphal fragments and spores. Infection occurs through roots. Management: Resistant hybrids. Full season hybrids tend to have more resistance than short season.
Balanced soil fertility. Do not exceed recommended plant populations.

Disease Name: Diplodia Ear Rot Pathogen: Fungus. Diplodia maydis Symptoms: Infection usually starts at the base of the ear or from the stalk into the shank. White mycelial
growth covers the kernels and pycnidia may be found on rotted kernels, husks adhere tightly, infected ears remain erect when infection occurs early in ear development.

Conditions: Dry weather prior to silking, followed by wet conditions within first 30 days after silking. Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (seed, cobs, ear shanks, stalks), soil.

Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids, crop rotation, clean plowing, harvest early to prevent weathering. Dry
corn to 15% moisture content and below to prevent further mold growth in storage.

Disease Name: Gibberella Ear Rot Pathogen: Fungus. Gibberella zeae Symptoms: Reddish mold that usually starts at the tip of the ear. Husks may adhere tightly to the ear
(hybrid dependent).

Conditions: Cool wet weather within first 21 days after silking favors the development of this disease. Inoculum Survival: Infected crop residue (stalks, seed), infected seed, soil. Inoculum Dispersal: Airborne spores. Management: Resistant hybrids, crop rotation, harvest early to prevent continued mold growth in the
field, clean plowing. Dry corn to 15% moisture content and below to prevent further mold growth in storage.