Ohio State expert: Rootless corn can recover
By Tracy Turner | Posted on 6/23/2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rootless or "floppy" corn might look questionable, but under the right conditions, it can recover.
Corn crops that are leaning or lodged might be impacted by rootless corn syndrome, said Peter Thomison, an Ohio State University Extension agronomist. OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Rootless corn occurs when there is limited nodal root development, Thomison said. Plants exhibiting rootless corn symptoms are often leaning or lodged.
"The condition, typically caused by dry soil conditions under hot temperatures and windy days, is generally seen in plants from about the three-leaf stage to the eight-leaf stage of development," Thomison said. "Growers with impacted fields will see plants that have fallen over after a strong wind because there is a limited number or no nodal roots supporting them."