The corn plant is essentially competing with the foliar and stalk rot pathogens for available energy. Affected plants commonly yield lower kernel weights. Disease Management Table I. Risk factors for stalk rot. If the risk of gray leaf spot is high and a susceptible hybrid is planted, managing to reduce foliar disease will help reduce the risk of severe stalk rot. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effects of tillage on the severity of stalk rot.
Hybrids vary greatly in their standability.
However, stalk rot can impair yields even if plants remain standing. No true stalk rot resistant hybrids are available in Nebraska. Anthracnose-resistant hybrids are grown in the eastern Corn Belt. 5. For Fusarium and Diplodia, dry conditions early in the season followed by above-average rainfall in mid season can predispose the plants to stalk rot. For anthracnose, high temperatures and high relative humidity in mid season can predispose a field to stalk rot.