Gary Munkvold, Extension Plant Pathologist lowa State University The first few weeks after planting are a crucial time to evaluate the condition of corn stands and determine the success of stand establish ment. Corn seedling diseases are one of the problems that can reduce your plant popu lation, sometimes to the point that replanting is necessary. When a stand establish ment problem occurs, it is im portant to be able to distinguish whether the prob lem is due to diseases, insects, herbicide injury, soil compac tion, or some other cause. This will determine what action you can take to pre vent recurrence of the prob lem. Seedling diseases in corn are caused by fungi, some of which are soilborne, some seedborne. The most common are phythium, fusarium, and penicillium, On The Mark, et Set, Grow! The 6100 Series Rigid And Vertical Fold Planters. Precision farming starts with precision seed placement. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with the White 6100 Series planters. Our pull-type planters feature an exclusive air-metering system that’s designed to singulate every seed. Its low air pressure, edge-drop seed discs and short, 18” seed drop ensure precise seed placement for maximum germination. Adaptable To Any Tillage Situation. Our 4,6,8 and 12 row planters have the flexibility to meet most tillage Learn to Recognize Corn Seedling Disease but a number of other fungi can be involved. Some will rot seeds before they germi nate; in other cases, the seeds germinate but fail to emerge, or they emerge and quickly die. If the seed germinates and the seedling is infected, there will be some brown discoloration on the mesoco tyl, primary roots, and/or nodal roots. The tissue may appear dark and slimy or dry and shriveled. It is sometimes possible to tell which fungus is the culprit, based on symp toms or presence of spores. However, it is not crucial to determine the specific fungus involved in corn because management options are es sentially the same for any seedling disease. It is important to deter mine whether your problem originates from disease as op posed to herbicide injury, insect damage, or other cause. Always look for evi dence of insect feeding or, if a practices both now and in the future. They’re built rugged with a massive 7” x 7” frame and strong, welded tongue design to handle the demands of heavy residue. Add a 6900 splitter attachment for interplant capability. This season get the planter that places each seed where it’ll grow the best and perform the best. Stop by your AGCO® White Planter dealer today. herbicide is suspected, look for abnormal plant develop ment. Seedling diseases tend to occur when soil conditions are cool and wet, and emer gence is delayed. Seedlings that take a long time to emerge are easy targets for fungal infection. When poor stands occur in patches, espe cially in an area of the field that is low or poorly drained, fungi are likely to be in volved. Because fungi are not uniformly distributed in soil, it is not unusual to see a healthy seedling directly ad jacent to a dead seedling. These are not the patterns ex pected for herbicide injury. To prevent corn seedling diseases, use high-quality, fungicide-treated seed. Plant when soil temperature is above 50 degrees F and soil moisture is adequate but not excessive. Be sure that plant ing depth is not too deep, and that you are getting good WHITE I AGCO J PLANTERS PRECISION PERFORMANCE Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 4, 2000-Page seed-to-soil contact. Crop ro tation can be helpful to reduce populations of the pathogens, although many fungi that cause these dis eases can infect both corn and soybeans. Seedling dis eases can be worse when corn follows corn because of higher soil moisture and lower temperature. This effect can be more noticeable under heavy residue condi tions. Planter-box treatments are not necessary to prevent See Your AGCO White Dealer Listed Below. Delaware Georgetown Baxter Farms Maryland Dayton J.D. Mullimx Pennsylvania Bechtelsville Miller Equipment Bethel Zimmerman’s Farm Service Elizabethtown Flernley’s Farm Equip Glen Rock Wertz Farm & Power Equip Greencastle Meyers Implements Klingerstown Stanley’s Farm Service Lebanon Umberger’s of Fontana Oakland Mills Peoples Sales & Service Somerset Lincoln Supply fungal infection of corn seed? and seedlings if the seed has already been commercially treated. Additional fungicide is not likely to provide much benefit. If insects are believed to be a problem, a planter box treatment may be benefi cial. This article was reprinted from the “Integrated Crop Management Newsletter,” published by the Department of Entomology, lowa State University, Ames, lowa. 161 BUY, SELL, TRADE OR RENT THROUGH THE CLASSIFIED ADS IN Lancaster Farming PHONE 717-626-1164 OR 7 1 7-394-3047 FAX 717-733-6058 Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 8 AM to 5 PM Thurs. 7 AM to 5 PM
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