Corn Diseases in Ohio

Stewart's bacterial wilt and leaf blight

• Symptoms
  • leaf lesions are long, irregular in shape with wavy margins that have parallel veins and are yellow to pale brown in color
  • streaks may extend length of leaf
• Environment
  • severe disease can be expected when the mean temperature for December, January and February is above 30 to 38°F
  • cold winters (mean <32F) reduce flea beetle populations
• Transmission
  • corn flea beetle feeding on leaves
  • bacterium overwinters in the beetle
• Management
  • resistant hybrids
  • seed applied insecticide to control flea beetle may be helpful
• Scouting