Northern Corn Leaf Blight
About the Disease: The term blight refers to a group of diseases caused by fungus. The Northern Corn Leaf Blight, which is caused by E. turcicum is characterized by long lesions. Usually many spots will merge into one to form the blights.
Symptoms: the major symptom that can be observed in plants with northern leaf blight is the long lesions that are cigar-shaped. They are gray-green in color. They are in the form of tan lesions.
Pathogen Involved: Northern Corn Leaf Blight is mainly caused by the fungus Exserohilum turcicum. This does not mean that all blight diseases are caused by fungus. They can be even caused either by bacteria or virus.
Time of Occurrence: the best time when you can find the occurrence of this disease is during the humid and wet weather condition.
Conditions Favoring Disease: A cool and humid climate will favor the disease. When there is an extended period of wet weather, the fungus will start multiplying. In some areas, the tillage will not be properly done. This might also be favoring the growth of the fungus. Continuous growth of only corn might also lead to this corn blight disease. This mainly occurs before the pollination phase or after the pollination phase. Dispersal of the spores will occur with the help of the wind.
Disease Management: Choosing the right kind of crops for growing is important. If you feel that the majority of the plants are already affected by the diseases, it is not wise, to keep cultivating the same crop in that area. Crop rotation needs to be done. Moreover, once you find certain symptoms for the occurrence of that disease, the causative agents has to be completely cleared. Such bad plants need to be harvested, immediately.
Fungicides have to be applied to the fields where you observe the symptoms. But the amount of fungicide applied must not exceed the permitted results. When it is sprayed beyond a specific limit, it might hinder the growth of plants, and might even to sudden death of plants. Choosing the resistant hybrids and growing them in the area affected by this disease is also a good move. These resistant varieties will survive, even in the presence of fungus. For both the northern as well as the southern leaf blight in corn plants, a specific combination can be used. This contains the fungicide called Strobilurin and a particular proportion of sterol inhibitor. Since wet conditions favor the disease, it is good to provide enough time for the water to dry off, on each day.
