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Ear Drop In Corn 10/07/02 6:54:36 AM
Ear Drop in Corn May Be More Common This Year
Reports from Ohio suggest that ear drop in corn may be greater than normal this year. There are several factors that may be contributing to "ear retention" problems. In many fields, European corn borers ECB) are present in the shank or in the stalk near the ear, and ECB feeding and injury may be causing ears to drop. However ears are also falling in fields not infested with ECB.
Another explanation may be this year's drought stress and premature plant death which may have affected shank strength. It's been suggested that the ear shank, sort of a modified stalk, may be cannibalized for carbohydrates by the ear just like the main stalk, which can lead to shank deterioration and eventually ear drop. Researchers in Ohio have isolated Fusarium from ear shanks this year, suggesting that fungal infections may also play a role in shank deterioration.
Ear shank length has also been observed to be shorter in Ohio than usual, at least in certain hybrids. Again, this may be related to the drought stress that has occurred in many corn fields this year, and it may be affecting ear retention. As is the case with high levels of stalk rot, fields exhibiting a high percentage of plants dropping ears should be marked for early harvest. Special attention should be given to those fields that dried down first. Remember, the loss of one "normal" sized ear per 100 feet of row translates into a loss of more than one bushel/acre.
Mike Dick, Crop Specialist
La Co-operative de Pointe-aux-Roches
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