Causes and Solutions for Curled Heart Leaves in Corn

Corn is an important economic crop in our country and the main source of income for many farmers, but many people are asking about the phenomenon of curled heart leaves in corn. Curled heart leaves refers to the young seedling's heart leaf becoming twisted and deformed, unable to unfold in time, seriously affecting growth in the later stages. So what causes curled heart leaves in corn? How should it be prevented and controlled? Let's learn about it together.

1. High temperature and drought

In a high-temperature environment with dry soil, the root system cannot absorb enough fertilizer and water, so the heart leaf curls. This varies with the adaptability of different corn varieties to climate, and the proportion of curled heart leaves also differs considerably. For normal heart leaf curling caused by field drought, it generally gradually recovers as soil moisture improves, recovering relatively quickly after rain or irrigation, or you can also spray some foliar fertilizer, which can also promote recovery.

2. Herbicide damage

When herbicide is used for weed control during the corn growing period, if the corn seedlings are younger than 3-5 leaves, or if the herbicide is sprayed in a high-temperature environment, or if the herbicide concentration is too high or the application rate is too large, curled heart leaves and wrinkled leaves will appear 3-7 days after application, accompanied by irregular yellow spots, and in severe cases the heart leaf rots. Most plants will return to normal growth as the symptoms lessen; for severe heart leaf cases, the heart leaf can be cut open manually. For seriously affected patches of soil, water promptly and spray foliar fertilizer to promote plant recovery.

3. Insect pests

There are two kinds of insect pests that cause curled heart leaves in corn. One is thrips, which generally damage corn at the 3-5 leaf stage, causing the corn heart leaf to form a whip shape so the leaf cannot emerge in time, and also causing chlorotic spots on the leaves. Peeling open the heart leaf reveals thrips activity. Nitenpyram or spinetoram can be sprayed for control. The other is damage by the corn stem maggot, also known as the black wheat stem maggot. Its larvae bore into the gaps between the heart leaves to cause damage, injuring the heart leaf, and the secretions also stick tightly to the heart leaf so that it cannot unfold, but the lower leaves continue to grow. Pesticides can be sprayed for control, combined with spraying trace elements, to promote the plant's return to normal growth.

4. Top rot

This disease can cause damage at any growth stage of corn. When it occurs, the outermost leaf of the heart leaf tightly wraps the inner leaves so they cannot unfold normally, and the leaves become deformed, wrinkled or twisted. Heart leaf disease commonly shows rot, dry rot or wet rot. For this disease, spraying carbendazim, chlorothalonil and similar pesticides at the early stage of onset gives good control results.

The above is an introduction to what to do about curled heart leaves in corn. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please follow us.