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2017 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine
LINCOLN DAILY NEWS
March 23, 2017
Page 17
J
ust when you think that you’ve done all you
can to protect your crop investment, a new
villain arrives that may just rob your pocketbook at
harvest time.
In 2016, corn producers in Nebraska noted a new
type of damage to corn leaves. Research done
at that time indicated that while the symptoms
presented appeared to resemble the fungal disease
Gray Leaf Spot, there were marked differences that
brought Nebraska scientists to conclude they were
dealing with a new dilemma.
In 2016, the disease spread throughout the
Cornbelt, and was finally in August of last year
noted in one Illinois county to the north. Dekalb
was one of 68 counties where field surveys were
conducted. Out of more than 300 fields sampled,
the disease appeared in only one.
However, Illinois agronomists are looking for the
disease to repeat itself and spread throughout the
area in the coming years.
Currently, there is not enough scientific data
to know what impact the disease will have on
yields. Time will tell as research continues. It also
appears that current disease resistant hybrids are
not immune to this new illness. Though it has been
noted in other states that some hybrids appear to
fair better than others, no one has staked a claim on
having a product that is truly resistant to Bacterial
Leaf Streak. However, agronomists believe that
the eventual best practice may be to select the most
resistant hybrids, when that information is made
available.
Scientists have made progress in tracking the
disease and determining the factors that may
contribute to the disease. Most believe that the
disease has come to the United States from corn
grown in South Africa, but there are also indicators
that the disease may have originated in Sugar
Cane.
Fields that are most susceptible to getting the
disease are those with pivot sprinkler irrigation,
and also fields where no-till practices are used.
Spread of the disease from field to field appears
to be through high wind and rain, and the disease
appears to grow quicker during hot humid
conditions.
According to an article written by N. Dennis
Bowman and Suzanne Bissonnette of the
University of Illinois “The disease causes the
formation of linear lesions between the veins on a
corn leaf. The lesions look similar to gray leaf spot
(GLS) symptoms. GLS lesions tend to be shorter,
more rectangular and stay within their veinal
borders. However in contrast, Bacterial Leaf Streak
lesions are more irregular, often thinner and
A suspicious character in town:
Bacterial Leaf Streak
By Nila Smith
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