Improving Prediction Tools for Diseases and Mycotoxins Affecting Corn

Project Statement of Work Improving prediction tools for diseases and mycotoxins affecting corn Kiersten Wise Foliar corn diseases and ear rots and mycotoxin issues impact Kentucky farmers every year. While actual losses vary year to year, the threat of disease requires management input decisions, such as fungicide applications, often before it is known if disease will develop to a level that will result in yield losses. Identifying risk factors and quantifying their associations with disease development and crop loss will enable improved disease management recommendations for farmers. The goal of this project is to continue to develop and validate disease and mycotoxin prediction tools to maximize the efficacy of management decisions and consequently reduce yield losses in corn. The following objectives to achieve this goal are as follows: Objective 1. Establish the association between inoculum intensity, disease development and weather in Kentucky small plot research trials and commercial fields. Objective 2. Compare corn pathogen population levels detected by different spore trap technologies. Objective 3. Disseminate corn disease information and management techniques through various outputs. In 2025, research trials will be established at two locations near the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton, KY. Trials will be planted at two different planting dates to assess the impact of disease development by planting date. In each experiment, fields will have simulated high and low surface residue treatments. Two hybrids with different levels of resistance to foliar diseases will be randomly assigned to six plots each in each residue block. Fungicides will be applied at tasseling (VT) in one location to assess the impact of fungicide on inoculum and disease development. Foliar diseases will be assessed at each growth stage from late vegetative stages to tasseling (V14-VT) through to physiological maturity. Ear rot will be measured at R4. Surface crop residue samples will be sampled and submitted to NAGC for quantification of pathogens present in the residue. Burkhard and homemade spore samplers will collect weekly samples of foliar pathogens, and spore trap collections will be sent to the National Agricultural Genotyping Center for pathogen quantification. Disease and pathogen population data will be shared with colleagues to develop and validate disease prediction models. This research is expected to help refine existing prediction tools, and aid in building new prediction tools for multi-state disease forecasting system for important foliar corn diseases, and ear rots. Having predictive tools that help determine in-season disease risk can improve disease management options for stakeholders and limit costly and unnecessary fungicide applications.