A corn disease that originated in South Africa, bacterial leaf stripe, has been found in the heart of the Corn Belt with little known about how it spreads or its affect on yields, says DTN. The disease has been identified in field corn, seed corn, popcorn and sweet corn in nine states from South Dakota to Texas.
University of Nebraska plant pathologist Tamra Jackson-Ziems says bacterial leaf stripe may have been in the country for a couple of years. The symptom of the disease — long and narrow lesions with wavy borders within the leaf veins of corn stalks — is similar to common diseases caused by fungus.
Given the limited information about the disease, university plant pathologists recommend standard crop management practices, such as crop rotation or deep tillage to reduce the chance of bacteria surviving in a field. The USDA says the disease presents no health risk to people or livestock and there is no evidence of yield or quality losses from it.