Such is the case with corn stalk rot in Nebraska. Although stalk rot has been prevalent in the state for decades and locally severe in the last few years, there is not a clear picture of the distribution of the various pathogens and the associated risk factors. Consequently, developing an effective and practical stalk rot management plan is difficult at best. Stalk rot of corn can result in lodging at any node of the plant, depending on which disease is present and the hybrid affected. Individual stalk rot diseases differ greatly in their frequency of occurrence, the symptoms they induce, the severity of damage they cause and their geographic distribution.
Some stalk rot pathogens attack the plant early in the season while others attack late.
Some attack the plant from the seedling stage through senescence. The most prevalent mid to late season stalk rot pathogens in Nebraska are Fusarium, Gibberella, Diplodia and Colletotrichum . These fungi, alone or in combination, are commonly found in corn stalk tissue. Although over 75 percent of field corn plants can be infected with the Fusarium stalk rot pathogen, stalk damage may occur late enough in the season that yield loss is minimal. Symptoms of Fusarium stalk rot can be easily confused with Gibberella stalk rot, which produces a reddish discoloration of the internal stalk tissues.