NCDC242: Corn Disease Working Group
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Active
NCDC242: Corn Disease Working Group
Duration: 04/28/2026 to 09/30/2028
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Corn is the most widely grown crop in the United States, with annual production exceeding 15 billion bushels and farm-gate value regularly surpassing $70 billion. Corn is used in domestic livestock production, ethanol and renewable fuels industries, and international grain markets. Continued demand for corn grain and biomass, coupled with increasing input costs and climate variability, places pressure on producers to maximize yield while managing risk. Corn diseases represent a persistent and growing threat to U.S. corn production. Foliar diseases such as gray leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis), northern corn leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum), southern rust (Puccinia polysora), and tar spot (Phyllachora maydis), along with stalk, root, and ear rots caused by Fusarium sp. and other pathogens, contribute to significant yield and grain quality losses and harvest challenges. The widespread detection of newer corn diseases such as Curvularia leaf spot (Curvularia lunata) and corn stunt (Spiroplasma kunkelii, Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris, and maize rayado fino virus (MRFV) highlight the vulnerability of corn production systems to emerging diseases and the need for coordinated, multistate responses. Changes in tillage practices, increased corn-on-corn acreage, widespread use of susceptible hybrids, and shifting weather patterns have further increased disease pressure.
Scientists involved in corn disease research and Extension have a long history of multistate collaboration through informal networks, professional societies, and regional projects. These efforts have led to advances in understanding pathogen biology, hybrid resistance, fungicide efficacy, and disease epidemiology. However, increasing disease complexity, rapid pathogen movement, and heightened concerns about fungicide resistance in important pathogens underscore the need for a more formalized multistate ERA focused specifically on corn diseases. Recent multistate efforts have addressed issues such as the spread and impact of emerging diseases such as corn stunt, shifts in fungicide sensitivity among foliar pathogens, management of mycotoxins, and the development of disease forecasting tools. Outputs from these collaborations include peer-reviewed journal publications, Extension publications, fungicide efficacy tables, diagnostic tools and guides, and decision-support tools disseminated through university Extension programs and platforms such as the Crop Protection Network (CPN).
The Corn Disease Working Group is proposed to serve in the future as a formal, multistate ERA that integrates research, Extension, and diagnostic expertise across U.S. corn-producing regions. Members will represent land-grant universities and partner institutions with research, Extension, and joint appointments. The ERA will provide a structured mechanism for rapid information exchange, coordination of disease loss estimates, alignment of research methods, and development of regionally relevant disease management information that benefit stakeholder groups such as farmers, crop consultants, local extension staff, agribusiness personnel, and educators. Strong partnerships with corn commodity organizations, seed companies, agrochemical industries, and federal and state agencies will ensure that research and extension outputs are aligned with stakeholder needs and national priorities related to food security, bioenergy, and sustainable agriculture.
Objectives
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The purpose of this 2-year NC Development Committee is for the members to meet and prepare a full, 5-year NC multistate research project.