All across the Corn Belt, farmers like you are putting in long hours to get their corn and soybean seed in the ground. And as your reliable partner in the field, LG Seeds is by your side and committed to your success—during planting and throughout the entire season.

As you work toward finishing up that final acre, it’s time to start scoping out one of your many enemies—early-season diseases.

Getting your crops off to a good start translates into better yields this fall. So when it comes to corn/soybean diseases, early detection and treatment are vital. 

Let’s touch on a few typical early-season diseases, how to spot them, and how to manage them.

Corn

Pythium:

A major concern in wet and poorly drained soils, pythium can stunt seedling growth and even kill plants before (or after) emergence. Vayantis, a powerful fungicide found in all LG Seeds Acceleron® and AgriShield® treated corn products, is your most effective protection against this disease.

Anthracnose Leaf Blight:

Caused by a fungal pathogen, this disease usually doesn’t significantly impact yield. Still, it can become more prevalent if you don’t use crop rotation and other control methods to manage it.

Physoderma Brown Spot:

This disease, caused by the chytridiomycete fungus, rarely prompts yield loss. But farmers beware—the distinct, banded lesions common on infected leaves can be misdiagnosed as other diseases and lead to costly and unnecessary treatments.

Gray Leaf Spot:

A lover of high humidity and wet weather, this foliar disease presents as gray/brown rectangular lesions. This fungus is the most serious Midwestern corn foliar disease, but you can manage it via crop rotation and resistant corn hybrids.

Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB):

If present in upper corn leaves prior to tasseling, this disease can result in significant yield loss. The fungus is best managed with resistant hybrids. If you experience NCLB issues in a no-till environment, a two-year break from corn in your crop rotation may be necessary.

Soybeans

Seedling Diseases (Pathogen Grab Bag):

Perhaps the most concerning diseases are caused by pathogens that favor wet conditions and can stunt growth and even kill plants prior to and shortly after emergence. Pathogens like rhizoctonia and phytophthora cause seeds and seedlings to rot. Pythium (check out the “corn” section for more information) can also rot tissue. And of particular concern is fusarium, which can cause severe root rot.

Bacterial Leaf Blight:

Spawned by bacteria that can also infect vegetable crops like snap and lima beans, this disease infects younger leaves and presents with yellow leaf spots that turn brown and then die. Pathogen growth stems from cool, wet conditions.

Septoria Brown Spot:

One of the most common soybean leaf diseases in the Midwest, it rarely causes significant yield loss. But without crop rotation, it can cause year-after-year problems. The pathogen favors warm and wet conditions and can be mistaken for bacterial leaf blight.

Plowing Ahead: Disease Control Strategies

You’ve probably noticed some common themes—many of these diseases thrive under cool and wet conditions, while a few prefer warmer temperatures. To better prepare for possible issues, stay aware of weather conditions.

So beyond staying on top of the weather forecasts, what are the best control strategies? Crop rotation, residue control, and proper seed treatments are effective pretty much across the board. Breaking that pathogen life cycle by rotating crops, tillage (or residue control in no-till systems), and taking advantage of the seed treatments that LG Seeds offers are all great strategies that can pair well with disease-tolerant hybrid and variety selection. 

Reach out to your LG Seeds agronomist today for all the disease tolerance and treatment choices you need—without the distractions.