Symptoms of nematode damage to corn and soybean include overall stunting of plants and yellowing of the foliage. In most cases, it takes many weeks for symptoms to become apparent. We are now in the part of the growing season when symptoms of nematode damage to corn and soybeans are becoming apparent.
Plant-parasitic nematodes can cause serious damage to corn. There are numerous species that occur in Iowa, including the dagger, lance, lesion, needle, stubby-root, and stunt nematodes. Symptoms of nematode damage on corn include stunting and/or yellowing of foliage and stunting, swelling, and/or browning of roots. In the past few weeks, the Iowa State University Plant Disease Clinic has received samples from fields in southeastern Iowa with corn damaged by the needle nematode.
