How To Identify And Manage For Corn Ear Rots
By Alaina Dismukes, Delta Farm Press
To manage corn ear rots, it is important to first properly identify them. Corn ear rots can be a significant pest, and they are dependent upon environmental conditions and the presence of an inoculant to become an issue.
"Essentially, different fungi will colonize in the ear kernels and make the corn ears rot," said Heather Kelly, Extension researcher in plant pathology and IPM coordinator for the University of Tennessee, during the virtual Milan No-Till Field Day. "This can lead to not only poor grain quality and lower yield and test weights, but some of these fungal pathogens can also create mycotoxins."