News

Inconsistent summer weather limits corn disease impact

An extension agronomist with Iowa State University says weather conditions this summer have been conducive to several corn diseases.

However, Rebecca Vittetoe, who covers the east central part of the state, says the variable weather has played in farmers’ favor.

“I could find northern corn leaf flight, tar spot, gray leaf spot, bacterial leaf streak.”  She says, “I can see a little bit of southern rust, but it’s not necessarily a whole lot about one particular disease. I think some of that just goes back to the yo-yoing of the weather.”

She tells Brownfield that she expects tar spot to become more prevalent as the season progresses and temperatures start to cool.

“But we also have to stop and think about what stage is our corn.”  She says, “The later we get in those R stages and as we get to R6, the less of an impact that it’s going to have compared to if it shows up a lot earlier during the grain fill period.”

Vittetoe says producers should scout ahead of harvest to prioritize fields where high disease pressure could lead to stalk quality and standability concerns.

AUDIO: Rebecca Vittetoe – Iowa State University Extension