Talk:Stewart's wilt

Stewart's Wilt is sometimes called Stewart's Bacterial Wilt, or Stewart's Leaf Blight. Although Chaetocnema pulicaria is the most prominent vector, there are others, including Diabrotica undecimpunctata (12 spotted cucumber beetle), Chaetocnema denticulata (toothed flea beetle), and the larvae of Hylemya cilicrura (seed corn maggot), Agricotes mancus (wheat wireworm). Symptoms in adult sweetcorn are sudden wilting with pale greenish/yellow streaks that run parallel to the leaf veins. These streaked areas then die and turn brown. In severe cases the bacteria spreads all throughout the plant via the vascular system. In field corn, the same leaf streaking takes place, though not so severely and usually after tasseling. Soil nutrients seem to be a factor in susceptibility. High levels of ammonium nitrate and phosphorus increase disease severity and high levels of calcium and potassium decrease the possibility that the disease will manifest.

Shurtleff, M. (Ed.) (n.d.) Compendium of Corn Diseases. American Phytopathological Society.

--Dbanke 01:00, 15 April 2006 (UTC)Deborah Banke