Like a house with a poorly prepared foundation, corn plants with rootless corn syndrome (or floppy corn syndrome) between the V3 and V8 growth stage can topple at any moment, leading to stunted growth and even plant death. What causes this phenomenon and how can plants survive?

Warm, moist conditions from July to September can cause increased disease incidence in corn. Recent studies have show potential economic benefits from foliar fungicide applications. Fungicide treatments can give protective or curative benefits for corn diseases such as: gray leaf spot, common rust, eyespot and antracnose. These diseases can limit photosynthesis due to tissue death. Loss of leaf tissue also may result in grain production loss or harvest loss due to weakened stalk strength and harvestability issues.

Southern rust is a common threat to corn crops across the southern United States. The disease damages crops in the Corn Belt only about once every five years, but when it does yields may be cut by more than 40 percent.