Protect Profits by Managing Ear Rots

Preventative management is key to high-quality grain production.

- Chelsea Dinterman Agronomy & Livestock Editor chelsea.dinterman@ agriculture.com

Corn ear rots pose a significant challenge for farmers across the country.

From 2012-2024, ear rot fungi cost farmers $8.6 billion in yield loss, according to the Crop Protection Network (CPN). Reduced grain quality due to the presence of mycotoxins can cut even further into the farm’s bottom line.

With no rescue treatments, management for ear rots must start early and last season-long to prevent profit loss.

"While infections can be variable [year to year], losses overall are going up," said Tyler Harp, a technical product lead for Syngenta. "If you haven't done any management before you have an infection and mycotoxin accumulation, there's not a lot you can do."

Common Ear Rots and Mycotoxins

In the U.S., there are several problematic ear rot diseases that are caused by different fungi.

"Even if you don't see visual symptoms of ear rot, most of these fungal species produce toxins," said Pierce Paul, a cereal pathology professor at Ohio State University. "Toxins are secondary chemical compounds that help the fungi cause damage to the ear," he said. "Once those toxins cause problems in terms of human and animal health, they're considered mycotoxins."

Risk Management

While ear rot diseases are seen nationwide, the level of infection and mycotoxin contamination can vary greatly.

"Knowing what drives the disease is also informative in terms of what you can do to minimize those risks," Paul said.

Manage Residue