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New Disease Found in NW Missouri Corn Fields

08/04/2014

(KTNC)--Goss’s Wilt has been confirmed by the University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic. Two samples sent from Holt County have confirmed the disease is present in two fields in Holt County. The disease has previously been confirmed in Nebraska and Iowa, but this is the first time that this disease has been officially confirmed of its presence in northwest Missouri.

Goss’s wilt and blight of corn is caused by the Gram positive bacterium, Clavibacter michiganensis nebraskensis, and is a serious disease affecting corn and popcorn crops.

Symptoms can be a leaf blight or systemic wilt. The leaf blight is more common and has characteristic gray to light yellow lesions with wavy margins that follow leaf veins. Initially, the disease begins with dark green to black discontinuous, water-soaked spots.

Since this is a bacterial disease, the bacteria exudate on diseased tissue glistens and is shiny in sunlight after drying. The disease will progress and kill large areas of the corn leaf canopy and is often confused with drought symptoms.

This disease has a less common wilt phase also, which can kill plants anytime throughout the season.

To manage the disease, check with your seed dealer to obtain resistant hybrids. Also, rotating to soybeans will help reduce the disease. Since the disease is caused by bacteria, fungicides will not control it.

For more information, contact University of Missouri Extension Regional Agronomists Wayne Flanary at 660-446-3724, Heather Benedict at 660-425-6434 or Wyatt Miller at 816-776-6961.

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