coronavirus
Smut in Sweet Corn
How to identify and treat smut in Sweet Corn.
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Sweet Corn care requirements
water
Deeply and regularly especially when tassels appear.
soil
Rich, moisture-retentive soil.
light
Full sun, sheltered from wind.
symptoms
Symptoms to look for in Sweet Corn
- fiber_manual_recordSwollen, distorted galls on stems, leaves, or flowers
- fiber_manual_recordGalls rupturing to release masses of black, powdery spores
- fiber_manual_recordStunted or malformed growth on infected plant parts
help
Common causes in Sweet Corn
Caused by various smut fungi (Ustilago and related genera) that infect through young tissue or seed, with spores surviving in soil and plant debris to reinfect future crops.
healing
How to treat smut in Sweet Corn
Cut out and destroy galls before they rupture and release spores, and remove severely infected plants entirely to reduce the spore load in the soil.
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Preventing smut in Sweet Corn
Use disease-free seed or planting stock, rotate crops, and clean up and destroy infected plant debris rather than composting it.