Field crops webinar focuses on tar spot in corn and other emerging diseases

Ricardo Costa, Michigan State University Extension, and Martin Chilvers<chilvers@msu.edu>, MSU Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences -

A field crops webinar on March 25, 2019, featuring MSU’s Martin Chilvers will focus on tar spot in corn and other emerging diseases in Michigan.

Tar spot symptoms on corn
Tar spot symptoms on corn. Photo by Martin Chilvers, MSU Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences.

Tar spot of corn is a new disease to the United States. Caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis, the disease has the potential to cause significant yield loss. Tar spot was first found in Indiana and Illinois in 2015 and confirmed in Michigan in 2016. In 2018, tar spot was observed in 27 counties across Michigan and caused losses of more than 50 bushels per acre in some fields. A new extension resource was published recently on the Crop Protection Network—look for “CPN-2012 Corn – Tar Spot” under the library tab. On March 25, 2019, Michigan State University field crop pathologist Martin Chilvers will discuss what we know about this new disease and current management recommendations during the Field Crops Webinar Series – Tar Spot in Corn and Other Emerging Diseases.

Growers, consultants and agribusiness professionals are invited to participate in MSU Extension’s 2019 Field Crops Webinars, a series of seven online programs addressing field crop production and pest management. The webinars run every Monday evening between Feb. 18 and April 1 starting at 7 p.m. EST. Participants will learn how to enhance their crop production systems in the coming season and have an opportunity to ask questions of MSU agriculture experts. These live webinar programs will be recorded and can also be viewed independently online at participant’s convenience. Registration is $20 for the full series of seven webinars or $5 per individual webinar session.

One MDARD pesticide recertification (RUP) credit will be available through each live event for application to one of the following categories: Private/Commercial Core, or Field Crops.

To find out more or to register for the webinar series, visit 2019 Field Crops Webinar Series. For more information, contact Eric Anderson at 269-467-5510 or eander32@msu.edu. Persons with disabilities may request accommodations by calling the St. Joseph County Extension Office at 269-467-5511.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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