Plant Pathologist says don’t fight Bacterial Leaf Streak with fungicide

by | Sep 12, 2016 | 5 Ag Stories, News

by Ben Nuelle Listen: Money-Matters-9-12-16

Bacterial Leaf Streak, a bacterial disease in corn has made it?s way to Iowa and a plant pathologist says if you have it in your field, don?t waste your money on Fungicide.

The disease was first discovered in Nebraska. Alison Robertson is a Plant Pathologist at ISU Extension.

?The symptoms are very similar to gray leaf spot. Sometimes it?s hard to tell the two apart. But basically it is just long and narrow lesions that occur between the vein and the leaf. What I like to do is hold those lesions up to the light so it is backlit with the sunlight and those lesions just pop out.?

Robertson they glow unlike gray leaf spot. She also says don?t waste your time using fungicide on this disease.

?If you know you have the disease, the best thing to do is rotate that field to soybeans next year. We think the pathogen subsides in the residue so that will allow the residue to break down and therefore decrease the number of bacteria. Obviously, we will be keeping an eye on it in the coming years and hopefully there will be a lot of research done on it so we will have a much better idea of the disease.?

Bacterial Leaf Streak has been found in six Iowa counties so far. They include: Hancock, Webster, Grundy, Marshall, Tama, and Buchanan. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, released a statement on the disease, ?This plant disease presents no health risks to people or animals, and there is no evidence of adverse impact on corn yield or quality.?