News

Corn tar spot not as damaging as 2018

A field crop pathologist doesn’t expect corn tar sport to be as widespread this year.

“That’s true in Michigan and other states—Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin that have seeing this disease.”

Martin Chilvers with Michigan State University tells Brownfield while not as damaging as last year, tar spot is spreading throughout the Northern Corn Belt from Iowa to Ohio.

“Some of out warm June and July conditions this year probably slowed it down.  It likes mostly average temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and high relative humidity, leaf wetness at night.”     

At this point in the season, Chilvers recommends continuing to scout fields and making a harvest plan for areas that do have outbreaks.

“It may even be worth harvesting just a little bit prior to lodging and pay a little bit for drying to avoid trying to pick up corn that’s lodged.”   

Chilvers says many seed companies are doing trials looking for resistant varieties and farmers should make plans to incorporate those if they have fields with the disease.