Latest Tutorial on Prevention and Control Techniques for Corn Bacterial Wilt

Corn is an important food crop in our country and is grown across a very wide area, but during corn cultivation, bacterial wilt can cause large-scale reductions in corn yields. So how should corn bacterial wilt be prevented and controlled? Come and take a look at the detailed introduction with the editor.

1. Disease symptoms

Bacterial wilt has developed into one of the main diseases of corn in the middle and late stages. It is an infectious disease of the whole plant, generally beginning during the filling stage and spreading from the bottom upward, appearing as a green wilt. When the disease occurs, the base of the stem of the affected plant softens, and the interior becomes hollow and loose. It is easily broken and toppled by wind. In some cases, it also shows drooping ears, with the ear stalk becoming soft and difficult to separate, making harvesting extremely difficult. The husk leaves also show a green wilt appearance. The root system is obviously poorly developed, with few and short roots that gradually turn black and rot. Cutting open the stalk reveals a hollow, loose pith. The kernels on the diseased ears are loosely arranged and fall off very easily, and the grain color is gray and dull.

2. Disease pattern

This disease is mainly caused by overwintering pathogens in the soil. After sowing and through the heading and silking stage, they gradually invade through the root system and spread within the plant, causing infection. From the filling stage to the maturity stage of corn, if there is high temperature and high humidity, or weather that suddenly clears after rain, the disease is extremely likely to occur. In addition, varieties with weaker disease resistance are also very easily infected, and short-stalked, early-maturing, and double-ear varieties suffer more severe disease. High planting density, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer, and application of undecomposed farmyard manure can also induce this disease. Early sowing leads to severe disease, while late sowing leads to milder disease. Planting in low-lying, waterlogged plots leads to severe disease.

3. Prevention and control methods

First, choose excellent varieties with disease resistance and disease tolerance. After harvest, clean the field, burn diseased residues in a centralized manner, and bury them into the soil as fertilizer in combination with deep plowing. Practice reasonable crop rotation, rotating with other crops for 2-3 years, which can reduce the chance of disease occurrence. Spring-sown corn can be sown appropriately later, which can reduce the severity of the disease. During planting, strengthen field management, increase the application of organic fertilizer, carry out timely intertillage, drainage, and other measures to promote strong corn growth and enhance the disease resistance of the plants. Applying additional potassium fertilizer or nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer at the jointing or booting stage can achieve excellent prevention and control results. At the same time, pay attention to controlling corn borers, armyworms, and others, which can reduce the occurrence of the disease.

The above is an introduction to the prevention and control techniques for corn bacterial wilt. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.