Garden Grossness 2007 – Corn Smut

I had no idea what this was on one of my corn plants. It was at first hard and shiny and smooth to the touch. We thought at first it was some sort of cocoon. I pulled the entire plant and set it under a tree far from the garden. After a few days it broke open, showing only this black crumbly stuff inside. I googled ‘white fungus on corn’ in images and similar pics came up. After further research I realized I had corn smut. yuck! From gardeners.com:

Corn Smut:
This fungus disease occurs on corn over most of the United States. It can infect any aboveground part of the plant, causing galls that are white and spongy when young, which later become gray-brown and filled with powdery black spores. Spores are spread by wind and splashing water. Hot, dry weather encourages the development of the disease, which is more common on younger plants.

Prevention And Controls:
There are no chemical controls. Cut off the galls as soon as you notice them, before the masses of spores are released, and burn them. Clean up all plant debris in the garden at the end of the season. If you apply manure to your soil, use only well-composted manure. Grow resistant varieties.
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This blog entry written by Trula Breckenridge. Thanks for visiting Family Footprint!

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