Stress During Grain Fill:
A Harbinger of Stalk Health Problems
Serious crop stress during the grain filling period of corn increases the risk of stalk rots and stalk lodging (breakage) prior to grain harvest. Among the more common serious stresses that can occur during grain fill are nitrogen deficiency, foliar diseases (e.g., gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight), defoliation by hail, excessively wet soils due to heavy rains, excessively dry soils due to drought, excessive heat, and lengthy periods of cloudy conditions.
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