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Corn crops do not always give the expected harvest. During the growth period, various diseases and pests of corn can attack the grain crop. To avoid this, you need to carefully monitor the process of cereal growth. At the very first sign of a disease or in the presence of various pests, it is necessary to start an active fight against them.
Corn diseases and their control measures
The main causes of various diseases in corn are fungi, bacteria or viruses. If the problem is not detected in time, the plant may die. If you regularly engage in prevention, you can get rid of any infections and infections.
Dust head
This is a disease that affects panicles and cobs of corn. Its causative agent is a fungus. The first symptom of this disease is the defeat of the corn cob and panicle. Outwardly, the plant looks weak, can grow in the form of a bush. The panicle is densely dotted with a black substance, which, when touched, becomes dust. Corn cobs grow very slowly, while drying and turning black.
In order not to encounter this infection, you need to treat the soil with disinfectants, moisten it and loosen it. On the eve of sowing, it is necessary to treat the land with a fungicide.
Bubble head
A disease caused by a fungus. It covers the part of the corn that is above the ground. Green vesicles appear at the sites of damage, which blacken over time. It is in these formations that harmful spores appear. Infected corn weakens before other infections. If you do not take action, the plant will die.
Fuzarioz
This disease can affect corn at any stage of growth. The cause of the infection is a mold fungus that develops in the remains of the culture. If the spores are in the soil, the seeds may rot. If they sprout, then the sprouts will darken very quickly and die. Plants that manage to grow from infected seeds are very weak and do not grow well, they form very small cobs.
To avoid infection, you need to sow in a timely manner. The soil for sowing seeds should be as warm as possible, well fertilized. On the eve of sowing, the soil and seeds should be sprayed with a fungicide.
Stem rot
This is a fungal infection that manifests itself at the stage of milk maturity of the grain crop. Fungal plaque affects leaves and stems. Over time, they dry out and break. The main source of infection is the remains of corn in the ground after harvest. That is why all plant waste must be cleaned especially carefully. To avoid infection, it is necessary to plow and cultivate the land well before sowing. Create the correct moisture regime for the grain crop and sow the seeds not very densely.
Helminthosporiasis or brown spot
This fungal disease mainly affects the leaves. But in some cases, cobs and roots suffer. The first symptoms are dry brown spots on the leaves, the diameter of which gradually increases. The catalyst for infection is high humidity and cold conditions.
Prevention of the disease is the selection of the desired variety and seed treatment. Thorough soil preparation is also a necessary condition.
Cladosporiosis
A fungal infection that enters damaged grains and covers them with dark mold. If such seeds are planted, then the sprouted stems will quickly disappear, which will significantly reduce the yield. To avoid infection of the crop, you need to disinfect the land and seeds before sowing. Also, to prevent the occurrence of corn kernel disease, it is necessary to provide a normal level of moisture for the plant.
Diplodiosis
This fungal infection manifests itself as stem rot. The disease destroys the cobs and provokes sticking of the leaves. Infected seeds are considered the source of the disease. Before sowing, it is necessary to treat the soil and grains with a fungicide. For germinating sprouts, you need to provide proper moisture.
Wilt
This disease is also called bacterial wilt. It mainly affects the leaves. First, colorless stripes appear on them, after which the leaves curl and gradually dry out. If the infection is very strong and covers the entire plant, then it can quickly die. If such an infection is detected on the site, you need to mow and burn all the remnants of corn and weeds. It is possible to sow a grain crop on this soil only after 3 years.
Rust
The causative agent of the infection is a fungus. The disease affects the leaves and stalks of corn, they show a lot of yellow spots. Gradually, the spots turn into small pockets with harmful spores. During the growing season, the wind carries these spores from diseased to healthy specimens. Infection with this disease leads to complete drying of the corn.
Corn pests and their control measures
For the corn crop, not only diseases, but also various pests are dangerous. They can attack not only the ground part, but also harm the root system. To combat these enemy insects, there are many chemicals and folk remedies.
stem moth
The corn moth harms not only the ground part of the crop, but also its root system. The insect also carries various bacteria from infected plants to healthy stems. It is not the moth itself that causes the greatest harm, but its 25 mm yellow caterpillar with a black stripe on its back.
This pest eats leaves and makes many wide holes in the stem, it can also get to the ears and ruin the grains. In damaged specimens, stems break, cobs deteriorate. To prevent the corn moth from attacking the site, you need to clear the area of weeds and spray the planted soil with protective preparations.
root aphid
The most favorable conditions for this pest are hot and dry weather. After an aphid attack, corn stops growing, and its leaves turn yellow and dry. If the insect did not damage all the plants, then only the affected can be sprayed. In this way, the spread of root aphids throughout the crop can be prevented. Fungicides and insecticides are used to control these pests. An important factor is the choice of suitable varieties of corn and the careful processing of the grains before sowing.
swedish fly
This pest attacks at the stage of germination of corn stalks. Fly larvae spoil young shoots, resulting in slow growth and poor ear formation. Corn stalks become very thick after damage, and the leaves darken. For prevention, you need to feed the mail with fertilizers with nitrogen and treat the plant and seeds with special preparations.
Wireworm
This pest damages seeds and germinated stems. The wireworm attacks within the same field, on the most favorable soil for it. After a pest attack, the stems wither, and holes appear on the leaves. The wireworm lives in the same soil for several years. It is located next to the damaged plant. To remove this insect, you need to plow the land well and treat it with special chemicals.
Scoops
This pest eats the ground part of corn. The most dangerous are cotton and meadow scoops, as they eat a lot. First, insects destroy the leaves, and then eat the cobs. To avoid the appearance of this pest, you need to carefully get rid of residues after harvesting, deep plow the ground and set special traps.
Preventive measures against diseases and pests
Prevention of diseases and pests should begin at the stage of seed selection and end with harvest.
The main methods for preventing the appearance of pests and infections include the following:
- breeding varieties that will be resistant to pests and bacteria;
- for sowing it is better to choose grains of early ripening varieties;
- disinfection of grains before sowing;
- thorough cultivation of the land with fungicides and fertilizers;
- deep plowing of the soil;
- thorough cleaning of the soil from weeds and crop residues;
- sowing must be carried out in a timely manner, and harvesting – in a short time;
- the plant needs to be processed several times, it is considered especially vulnerable during the growing season;
- you need to have certain information about the symptoms of diseases and signs of pest damage;
- do not sow corn on contaminated soil for three years.
Conclusion
Diseases and pests of corn are frequent guests in the fields of farms and home gardens. To get a good grain crop, you need to carefully monitor the plant at all stages of growth. This is the only way to timely identify the first symptoms of diseases and notice the appearance of pests. A quick and systematic fight against these negative phenomena will help save the future harvest.
