05/29/2026
This Week’s Agronomy Update:
AGRONOMY UPDATE:
The recent flooding has growers concerned about crazy top infection in corn.
There is a possibility that corn flooded can be infected with crazy top ESPECIALLY IF…..
- flooding duration 24-48+ hrs
- crop stage is germination to V5
- risk increases if water is moving/“flowing” over top of emerged corn
- field has a history of disease
The visual symptoms to identify the virus in corn are a plant with (1) excessive vegetative growth such as excessive tillering and stunted plants with compressed internodes (2) deformed bushy tassel.
There is NOT a way to immediately identify crazy top infection in corn. The actual infection occurs in the growing point when it is still under ground (V5 or earlier). The fungus takes several weeks to colonize the plant. Following the incubation period, the hormonal balance of infected plants is changed which results in the visual symptoms listed above.
