New corn disease confirmed in north central Indiana

"Those are normally cool, humid climates," said Wise. "We experienced a much cooler summer than normal so we are thinking that is how the disease was able to sprout up in our area. As of right now we are still trying to determine if this should be a major concern for farmers."

Wise said that Purdue is working closely with Mexican officials trying to determine the impact that Indiana could feel if this disease spread.

"We don't know enough about the disease at this moment to know how it will react in our climate," said Wise. "The strand of the disease we have right now is called Phyllachora maydis, and from what we have discovered that strand does not seem to have a very big economic impact on the areas it infects. We are hoping that remains true here in Indiana."

Wise said that at the moment, officials are trying to raise awareness about the disease so that farmers know what to look for as they are harvesting their corn this fall.

"We want farmers to really pay attention to their crop," said Wise. "If they suspect anything they need to send a sample to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory so that we can determine if they have the disease, and so that we can better manage any progression of the disease."

Wise said that the disease will show up on the leaf sheaths and husks of the corn crop. 

"The structures can densely cover the leaf and may resemble mature, black pustules present on leaves due to infection by rust fungi," said Wise. "The lesions may cause large areas of blighted leaf tissue."